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How to utilise customer data effectively in direct mail marketing & automations?

How to utilise customer data effectively in direct mail marketing & automations?

In the world of AI and automations, using print mailing in marketing can feel like a blast from the past. However, it is too often forgotten that all these three can be combined. Welcome to the world of data-driven print mailing, baby!

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As consumers are bombarded with messages and ads daily, it is personalisation and great customer experiences that help companies to separate themselves from the competition. Because that’s exactly what the giants like the big A and big Z can’t keep up with: making the customers feel like they are treated as individuals, not just as wallets.

Digital channels are crucial in marketing, but traditional mail is something not to forget. Creating a powerful omnichannel strategy consists of both online and offline channels and direct print mailing is one way of engaging and delighting the customer. If you get a postcard from your friend or family, wouldn’t you appreciate it more than a text with a picture?

In this blog post, we’ll go through some stats and examples on direct mail and explain how one of the world's largest courier companies, Deutsche Post, handles automated print mailing campaigns.

Do print mailing campaigns work?

Sending physical mail instead of emails is more expensive. However, despite the higher production costs, print mailings are proven to be very profitable thanks to the increased average shopping cart and the high return on marketing investment.

According to the CMC-study 2021, print mailings drive sales and achieve a return on advertising spend (RoAS) of 1190%. This means that every euro invested brings a turnover of 11,90 euros. Also, the shopping cart stats look pretty impressive. Average online shops that have sent out print mailings have 22% higher total sales per shopping basket.

When print mailings are in sync with your Customer Data Platform, you can see the sales stats of the campaign both from online and offline. In other words, you can easily calculate the RoAS of the campaign as both the purchases from physical stores and ecommerce, from customers who received the direct mail, can be seen in the campaign results.

Read more on how a clothing store Kekäle managed to make 20 % more sales with a 20 % smaller target audience by sending their print catalogues to the right customers.

Personalised print mail marketing automations by Deutsche Post

As mentioned before, direct mail marketing can be automated and personalised. In short, you make the campaign in your marketing automation tool, design the print mailing and Deutsche Post takes it from there. You can find a more thorough, step by step explanation of the process below.

1. Make a personalised campaign in your marketing automation system

The making of an automated print mailing campaign starts in your Customer Data Platform (CDP) or Marketing automation tool. Some CDPs like Custobar include both of these tools in one platform. First, you need to create the automation and triggers and set up the campaign.

2. Configure

Use print mailing automation to configure the mailing to match what you want and what your customers need.

3. Design

Upload your campaign design as an InDesign file or a PDF or work directly in the Print-Mailing Automation web editor.

4. Print and dispatch

Once you have approved the mailing in your marketing automation system, it will be automatically produced and dispatched whenever the date is transferred from Custobar.

Campaign ideas for print mail marketing automation

1) Targeting customers who don’t respond to digital marketing

A crucial part of personalised marketing is picking the right channel. Luckily, marketers can easily find their customers’ channel preferences by doing some digging in their Customer Data Platform.

If a retailer wants to target print mailings to customers who are not responding to emails or SMSes or who haven’t given marketing permission to those digital channels, an audience like this would include all the right customers.

Include:

  • Has made a purchase within three years
  • Permission to send physical mail

Exclude:

  • Recently bought something
  • Has email marketing permission
  • Has SMS marketing permission
  • Recently opened or clicked an email

Custobar audience

Watch a video on how one of Finland’s most popular design brands Pentik sent out invitations by mail to customers who don’t react to emails.

2) Activating passive customers with

According to Harvard Business Review, a 5% increase in customer retention can increase company revenue by 25-95%. It is important to engage your customers and lure them back to you if you see they have been passive for some time. Sending print mailings with a discount code would improve the chances of your marketing being seen. Don’t let go of the customers you have worked so hard to get!

Direct mail marketing example

3) Welcoming new customers

Charm your new customers by surprising them with a postcard. You can, for example, automate a postcard with a discount to be sent only to customers who have made purchases with more than 100 euros or bought specific brands.

Deutsche Post direct mail

4) Surprising VIP customers

Remember to delight your most loyal customers every now and then to keep them engaged. For example, an RFM matrix feature shows you who your most loyal customers are with a few clicks. You can then create a direct mail campaign to thank them for their loyalty and offer them a discount or a small gift. Or perhaps invite them to an event or loyal customer days.

If you are interested in trying out data-driven direct mail marketing, you can contact us at support@custobar.com. To learn more about automating direct mails, visit our integration page.