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5 Ways to Increase Direct Mail Response Rates with Variable Data

According to the 2018 Personalization Pulse Check, “91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands who recognize, remember, and provide relevant offers and recommendations.” This impressive statistic proves that personalization goes a long way towards attracting, closing, and retaining customers and should be utilized well and often.

Variable data printing, a type of digital printing with nearly endless possible customizations, is one possible solution for companies seeking to use personalization to improve direct mail response rates. Though variable data printing has many capabilities, these five, in particular, provide valuable insights into consumers, helping you target them better and improve direct mail response rates.

Use Geolocation to Improve Targeting

One of the most convenient aspects of variable data printing is its geolocation capability. Geolocation allows you to access a recipient’s physical location and lets businesses offer coupons for establishments or sales in certain areas. This is incredibly useful, especially for small or local businesses targeting consumers in their area.

Personalized direct mail allows brands to do very large mailings that are specific to each geolocation. By knowing where each recipient is most likely to shop businesses are able to customize offers by location and by recipient. Geolocation of direct mail is especially useful for businesses targeting consumers in a local “drivable” area.

Try A/B Test Messaging by Region to See What Works

We know that personalized mail improves direct mail response rates – but could your messaging be even more successful? Split or A/B testing involves using two different messages to target the same consumer base and identify the best approach based on response rates. Then, by personalizing alternate messages and calls-to-action, you’ll quickly see which messaging provides the most useful variable data.

Consider Customized Maps to Increase Your Exposure

Many local businesses utilize custom, branded maps on direct mail products for these key reasons:

To highlight their business proximity to the recipient
To share information on other business locations
To promote special events happening close by

Maps work because they’re simple to understand, convenient to use, and visually pleasing. If your existing variable data shows that immediately located customers aren’t interacting with your business, maps might be incredibly useful in increasing direct mail response rates.

Utilize Data Collection to Improve Tracking

Another invaluable piece of variable data, and continuing to climb with the prevalence of smartphones, scannable, embedded QR codes keep your data in one location and allow you to track the digital activities of your QR Code visitors. Knowing who your visitors are and what they care about helps you better target – and convert – them.

Another invaluable piece of variable data, and making a resurgence due to smartphone adoption, personalized scannable QR codes. QR codes in 2021 should do more than land someone on the home page. Building your QR codes so that they are unique to each recipient provides you with deep knowledge about that one individual visiting the URL. Knowing who visits your page(s) and what they care about helps you better target – and convert – them.

Benefit from Increased Security

Every piece of variable data is unique to the individual it is collected from. Since it’s traceable to the source, using geolocation, QR codes, and more, it’s far more difficult for mail theft and fraud to occur. In addition, when recipients can trust your direct mail products, they’ll be more likely to respond affirmatively and provide further info.

Make sure to include these in your next direct mail campaign to increase your response rates.