What’s My Name! 

I was recently out of town on vacation and returned to a pile of mail. As I was sitting and sorting my mail, I put a postcard in the recycle pile. However, in that one instance, I saw something that grabbed my attention. It made me stop and interact with the postcard. Was it a deal? A Pottery Barn Catalog? No, it was my first name in big, bold type. I definitely did a double-take. Let me tell you how personalization direct mail campaigns can take your print marketing from the trash pile to the double-take difference.

Planning for Personalization Campaigns

First, always have an objective and a plan of what you want to accomplish with your campaign. What is the overall goal? What do you want the end result to be? How will you use personalization to elevate your campaign? Is your data clean for optimized personalized direct mail campaigns? Creating a plan and being purposeful about your personalization is the key to success. Here are the Top 4 project planning tips for your next digital print project to get you started.

Data is the Difference Maker

Data can be amazing or kill your campaign. I can’t tell you how many times I have gotten a personalization campaign where my name was incorrect. If you can’t get my name right at a minimum, then getting a share of my budget for whatever program or service you are selling is automatically a no go. You should also work with your printing partner and discuss their options for Variable Data printing. Variable data goes well beyond text and can include imagery as well.  The technology options are impressive these days…especially with inkjet printing. Check out Ashley’s blog on Designing for Inkjet for additional tips.

 Design Matters

Being intentional with your design and your personalization campaign is going to elevate your design project. Can you use different printing techniques on your personalization tactic of choice?  Again, printers have such impressive capabilities these days that you can do varnishes, embossing and many other techniques versus a field that states “Dear John”. Of course, personalization is not just first names but can be any type of personal data that you may have collected on your prospect. In the direct mail piece that I received, it was my name in 72 point on a white background that caught my attention.

Get Personal

Delivering the right message to the right person at the right time is the ultimate goal for marketers. The key to truly personalized direct mail campaigns is that one on one connection and paying attention to your customers and getting your data right.