Print Marketing in the Digital World: Part 2

In our previous blog, we looked at some basic digital tools that are out there to help businesses maximize their direct-mail campaigns. Last month we got started on our discussion about the value still to be had in print marketing, especially when you harness today’s digital tools. Today we continue that discussion, based on our Live Rag with Jen Hanson and Melissa Picklesimer, with some even more advanced ways digital technology is keeping print advertising relevant.

Social Match

Picklesimer explains Social Match as a tool she uses to better target direct-mail campaigns via prospective customers’ social profiles. By purchasing mailing lists (especially ones generated with consumers interested in your industry or services), Picklesimer can target a campaign to those consumers’ social profiles in the form of ads on, say, Facebook or Instagram. That way, those target people will start seeing your business even before the mailer goes out. When your mailer arrives in their mailbox, there’s that all-important recognition factor again.

Follow-Up

You’ve probably had this experience from Amazon: You shop for an item, put it in the cart, and then leave the website without buying it. Suddenly you’re seeing ads for that item all over your internet browsing. Amazon might even send you an email about how you “forgot” to finish your purchase.

Of course, Amazon is a multi-national corporation, but this technology isn’t new or uncommon. You have the option of harnessing this kind of tracking and follow-up for your business’s website, too. When someone visits your site, it’s possible to put a tracking pixel on their device that then triggers your ads—even when they’re not looking for you.

Lead Match

Another technique to target your direct-mail print campaign involves “lead matching.” This service tracks your database of prospective customers, showing you who has visited your site based on a particular campaign. Those visitors, who are obviously receptive to your materials, can then be retargeted with a complementary campaign.

Unique Targets

Believe it or not, it’s even possible to add unique website visitors to your physical mailing lists based on the location of their device. Today’s geotrackers pinpoint device users, so long as they haven’t opted out through data protection regulations. Like magic, a few days after they visit your site, they’ll receive your postcard.

Return on Investment

Of course, not all of these tools are cheap, and you’ll probably need to hire and expert marketing firm to handle these strategies in order to ensure you’re getting the most out of your print campaigns. So you have to ask yourself, “What is a client worth over a lifespan? $1,000? $500?”  And then shop around to see which marketing firms are offering what you need in a way that meets your budget.