Chances are you’re sitting on top of unused customer intelligence that can be put to work strengthening 1-to-1 marketing relationships. If you are a B2B marketer for example, at a minimum you have a customer’s name, company name, and address. You may also have his or her gender, job title, purchase history, and most recent actions taken with your company. And it’s not difficult to add sales volume, employee size, and SIC Code to the equation.
Let’s start there — How to incorporate variable data points into a mail piece:
First Name
Jane — Use the recipient’s name where they will definitely see it: Hey Jane! Here is that information you need…
Company Name
SmallCo — Reference the company in a call-to-action: Now is the time for SmallCo to rise to the next level and…
City
Chicago — Place a photograph of the Chicago skyline in the design. Work in a reference to the hometown sports team. Business executives identify closely with their company location.
Gender
Female — Use an image of a powerful businesswoman.
Job Title
Chief Marketing Officer — Give a nod to the title: As the CMO, you have to wear many hats…
Purchase History
Ordered 12 Months Ago — Reference the most recent sale: This time last year, you placed an order for ten widgets. Reorder now and get free shipping.
Recent Action
Downloaded E-Book — Acknowledge the action: We hope you enjoyed our e-book. Now take a look at how our new widgets solve the problem of…
Sales Volume
<$50,000,000 — Suggest growing sales: If you’re looking to grow beyond $50 million in sales, small businesses need to partner with key service providers…
Employee Size
Small Business <100 — Recognize the size of their company: As a small business, SmallCo is helping employ half of all private sector workers…
SIC Code
531 Real Estate — Reference the prospect’s industry: The real estate industry is undergoing a profound time of change…
Variable data direct marketing increases response rates by capturing attention more effectively than a general mail piece. It draws from databased information to personally connect with individuals in ways that drive customer acquisition, retention, and reactivation. Direct mail package design can follow a common layout, yet feature unique images and copy changes based on various fields that comprise the database.
Going forward, the more intelligence you gather about prospects and customers, the more you can speak directly to them in terms they relate to and that resonate with them. When operating at peak levels, variable data printing facilitates the delivery of hyper-relevant, timely print information tailored to each business decision maker’s needs, interests, and type of business.
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