It may be true that businesses have been able to function without high-tech marketing strategies for decades. However, this school of thought is now separating the businesses of today from the businesses of tomorrow. Today’s marketing environment is changing so fast that it’s hard to keep up with all the new trends and marketing techniques. Still, it’s important that every business stay on top of industry trends and new marketing techniques, especially ones being used by competitors.
While we don’t recommend you adopt all new marketing techniques at once, there are simple ways of integrating new marketing techniques into your existing marketing collateral.
Here are 4 easy ways to revamp a direct mail piece and take advantage of integrated marketing.
- Make it Personal with Variable Data Printing
The days of “current resident” or “valued customer” are over. Today’s savvy customers want to be recognized and valued by businesses. They want to feel that each business is deserving of their hard-earned dollars. Variable Data Printing, or VDP, allows businesses to personalize each and every direct mail piece with text, customer name or stock images. This personal touch lets customers know you know them and care enough to make it personal. Using the power of VDP and intelligent customer data, you can now recommend relevant products or services to your recipients; creating 1to1 marketing rather than a generic message. - Use PURLs as an Alternative Response Channel
The internet, whether accessed from home on a desktop computer, at a café on a laptop or on-the-go via a mobile phone, is the preferred method for customers to respond to your direct mail piece. Using PURLs, you provide your customer with a personalized landing page where they will be able to engage, interact and respond to your promotion, special offer and viral contests. What’s more, you can track exactly who has responded to your piece in real time. - Provide Social Media Outlets for Your Recipients to Connect with You
Social media is all the rage, and with good reason. Social media increases brand awareness and provides an outlet for businesses to easily connect with customers. Provide value to your customers by being a thought leader in your industry. Take advantage of social media by letting your customers know that they can find you on Facebook, Tweeter or on your own blog by adding it to your direct mail piece. - Go the QR Code Route for Faster Response Rates
Quick Response Codes or QR Codes for short are exactly that – quick response codes. This fairly small bar code on your direct mail piece gives recipients the option to respond to your direct mail piece using their camera-enabled phone, no matter where they are. This also means that they don’t need to memorize a URL or punch in a long URL code into their browsers to access more information or respond to your offer. All they need to do is snap a quick photo with their phones.
New advances in marketing mean one thing – you have options to choose from. It is these options that make your business stand out from others. By integrating new marketing trends in printing, internet marketing and social media, you can give your direct mail pieces a boost, while keeping up with major marketing channels: print media, internet, and mobile technology.
Ready to enjoy the benefits of new-age marketing? Call us at 1-800-ONE-IMS-1 where one of our knowledgeable associates is ready to walk you through the best options for your business and industry.
