Mailing lists provide an underutilized treasure trove of data that can be leveraged through segmentation—division into smaller subsets—to more effectively target specific recipients via customized artwork and personalized messaging.
This can help increase engagement and response rates, as intuitively, people react more positively to direct mail pieces tailored specifically to their geographic locations, interests, age groups, gender, shopping histories, preferences, and other unique characteristics.
Database management services and other cutting-edge data processing and printing technologies utilized by Design Distributors can improve the accuracy of direct mail lists by segmenting and updating intended recipients' addresses, reducing wasted opportunities and associated costs, through enhanced efficiencies and greater personalization.
Segmenting your direct mail lists by location enables mailers to geo-target prospective customers, and customize a campaign's artwork and messaging to highlight specific offers, sales, discounts, products, services and merchandise specific to that unique geographic area. Images of breathtaking mountain peaks might be utilized to appeal to communities located at high altitudes, for example. Ocean scenes may conversely be used to address those living along the shore. Cityscapes, accordingly, would likely better resonate with urban residents. Other common ways marketers incorporate location is by including state flags, emblems, and landmarks. For example, a picture of the famed Gateway Arch would be ideal for recipients in St. Louis. Such tailored art and content speaks more intimately to recipients, and more effectively encourages and motivates responses and reactions, accordingly.
Segmenting direct mail lists by age groups enables the graphics and content of marketing pieces to more clearly communicate with particular demographics, and better promote age-specific products and services. Such messaging can include mention of notable events, birthdays, influential figures, life moments, aspirations, and lifestyles amongst other data points unique to corresponding age groups, such as Generation Alpha, Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and more.
Gender-specific content and artwork can go a long way to more effectively promoting services and merchandise exclusive to men or women. This can encompass a vast spectrum, from beauty and hygiene products to clothing and fashion accessories to automobiles and even sporting events. There are emotional and psychological gender-oriented factors that can be leveraged too, as research data indicates men and women make decisions differently.
Segmenting direct mail lists based upon customer purchasing behaviors is a highly effective method of gaining exposure for your marketing efforts and distinguishing promoted products and services from those emblazoned across the endless onslaught of digital ads. Direct mail services present the perfect opportunity to get in front of recipients inside of their home in a one-to-one, direct way, far from confusing, often annoying distractions. Such targeting identifies customer preferences and histories, and customizes efforts to include graphics, content and offers more apt to attract, entice and inspire responses. Whether someone just abandoned their cart on your website, or made a recent purchase, a personalized mail piece touting similar or related goods and services is a good way to spark further engagement.
Certain website visits deserve a follow-up via direct mail. If you've been able to garner an address through interest in your product, demo, or content offering, as examples, it should be leveraged and incorporated into your campaign. Direct mail marketing initiatives based upon so-called 'Bottom-of-the-Funnel' webpage visits takes advantage of what's known as programmatic direct mail. Sending follow-up content or extension of your product or presentation is an effective direct mail best practice.
Knowing the various shows and events a person has attended can tell you a lot about their personal and/or professional interests, and thus, better inform your direct mail campaigns. Marketers can utilize this invaluable data to create mail pieces containing relevant images and messaging that would more effectively speak to recipients. Such insights can also be leveraged to align your brand with the philosophies and/or topics discussed at these gatherings. This can be a highly effective strategy for promoting goods and services that directly tie in with those discussed at a product launch, charity event, or showroom event, as examples.
Segmenting by industry can be highly effective for B2B marketing efforts focusing on services and merchandise specific to particular professions. Other aspects can also be maximized to help increase response rates through greater personalization, such as industry-related career milestones, aspirations, news, events, and notable people.
This basic biographical detail can go a long way to more effectively targeting prospective customers with direct mail services. Everyone loves to be told "Happy Birthday," and this simple personalized well-wish communicates to your recipients that you're different than other marketers, you care. Birthdays can be utilized at key points of the customer journey, too, for age-specific messaging promoting specific services and products. A free massage at a health and beauty spa for a woman about to turn 30, for example, might just make the perfect birthday gift—and earn a lifetime of loyalty to that brand, too.
As touched upon in several aforementioned segmentation parameters, knowing your recipient’s interests—whether from purchasing behavior or event attendance, or even those insights gleaned from biographical data such as gender, age, or more—is a marketer’s dream. Infusing any of these personal or professional tidbits into a direct mail campaign and associated efforts can save you time, money, and boost response rates.
Design Distributors
Family owned and operated, with more than 50 years of experience, Design Distributors utilizes advanced printing and imaging, database management, mailing and fulfillment, and personalization services to maximize efficiencies and effectiveness, and deliver results. Our groundbreaking HP PageWide Web Press T240 is a variable data printer specializing in creating personalized mail pieces on the fly and customizing mailers at scale. Call us today at (631) 242-2000 to begin better targeting recipients through segmented mailing lists and elevating your direct mail campaign to the next level.