“Dear Sir or Madam…”

In the days before technology made it easier to personalize correspondence, it would be common to get several pieces of mail addressed to “sir or madam” or “resident” on any given day.

However, technology like marketing resource management systems has changed this. Savvy marketers can do more than customize the name of the person receiving the note. They can also tailor messages and images, both digitally and in print. Despite this fact, many marketers are missing the opportunity to personalize the marketing messages they deliver to consumers or clients.

The result is an audience that doesn’t see any reason to engage with these messages or the organizations that send them. Here are some reasons – and data – to reinforce the personalization imperative:

The quickest way to get “unsubscribed” (or tossed into the recycling bin) is to continue pumping irrelevant content out to your audience.

A survey of 500 internet users shows irrelevant or un-tailored content is one of the top reasons they unsubscribe from email lists. The same study also shows consumers are OK receiving a high volume of content, as long as it’s relevant.

One study shows 74 percent of consumers say untailored marketing content frustrates them. On the opposite side, customers crave messages that are relevant to them – one poll even said they would give up chocolate for a month to get more relevant content served to them. 

The statistics on this are clear – personalized marketing drives results and brand engagement. Consider these numbers:

• Personalized marketing in email messages leads to six times higher transaction rates
• Gleanster research shows marketers who personalize messages see a 360-percent higher conversion rate
• Personalized promotional mailings had 29-percent higher unique open rates and 41-percent higher unique click rates, according to Experian research.

The ability to merge names and addresses goes back to the earliest word processing programs (do you remember WordPerfect?). Today, technology allows you to offer personalization beyond adding someone’s first and last name.

You can tailor images on postcards to correspond with seasons or locations. You can use variable data to customize message content and local markets can customize materials to make them more relevant for their audiences. This is just one simple way you can make your direct mail stand out (for more tips, see our tip sheet).

It’s clear there are many reasons to customize and personalize your marketing to drive engagement with your brand. Take time to consider a customized approach to marketing, and make a statement with each unique, local customer. Please share some of your best tips with us on Twitter at @vya_systems.

Have a question about our direct mail services or marketing resource management system? Feel free to give us a call anytime at 800-426-7921. We look forward to speaking with you!