5 Things to Consider Before Scheduling a Personalized Direct Mail Campaign
As a marketer, when you plan your next direct mail campaign you have a wide variety of personalization options. These options allow you to customize the mailing to match the individual recipients. Personalized direct mail makes your campaign even more effective, and the extra work necessary to complete customization will help you to reach your direct mailing goals.
Here are five important things to consider before undertaking a personalized direct mail campaign:
- Data Personalization
You have many different choices when it comes to how much personalization to include in your direct mail campaign. Data personalization helps to ensure the recipient feels a connection with the mailing. It can be as simple as just including the recipient's name or more detailed, utilizing purchase history or previous donations. As you plan your mailing, make sure to consider the time that varying levels of customization require. The more complicated the customization, the longer the set up could be. - Match Mailings
When you include match mailings in your personalized direct mail campaign, it allows you to take customization to a whole new level. Even though match mailings take more time to produce, the coordinated mailing is impressive and highly effective. When a recipient opens a mailing that contains several coordinated pieces, each with its own purpose, it is obvious that the mailing is thoughtful and deliberate. If you would like to include a match mailing in your personalized direct mail campaign, be sure to allow additional time in production. - Necessary Equipment
Deciding on personalization choices also includes determining what type of equipment to print your direct mail campaign on. Each piece of printing equipment has its own print capabilities and requires different lead time. Be sure to check with your vendor to ensure the direct mail campaign is produced with enough lead time to meet your mailing deadline. - Image Personalization
A powerful and relevant image is an important component of a direct mail campaign. As a client, you have the ability to also personalize this image for each recipient. This will take more time in the pre-production stage, but including a recipient's name as a custom part of an image will have a much bigger impact on the recipient. You'll want to consider the image and font source - will you use stock items or would you rather the design be completely unique? These factors will also determine the production time. - Proofing
It is especially important to work closely with your direct mail vendor when you enter the proofing process. Each piece of the mailing, including envelopes, inserts, images and mailing lists, must be proofed for accuracy. One simple oversight could prove to be the downfall of your personalized direct mail campaign. Plan accordingly for the time that proofing will take and remain patient as updates and changes are made.
Planning ahead and adopting a reasonable timeline for your personalized direct mail campaign is vital to its success. Your goal is to ensure that all of your hard work proves beneficial and your company or organization ultimately reaps the rewards. Partner with a direct mail expert who can help you every step of the way.