When it comes to direct mail marketing strategies, trigger-based marketing can be extremely effective. By using certain “triggers” or actions to send out personalized direct mail advertising, you may be able to improve conversions and overall sales.
Direct mail marketing is powerful, even in today’s digital age. Consider the fact that more than 80% of Americans still check their mailboxes and go through their mail daily, and it’s easier to see how direct mail is one of the most effective options for increasing response rates by anywhere from 10-30%.
Effective Ways to Used Trigger Based Communications
So, how can you utilize your trigger based communications to reap the most benefits? For starters, consider setting triggers based on the types of activities your users participate in on your company’s website. Site activity is one of the easiest (and least expensive) factors to track, and these actions can say a lot about the type of direct mail materials you should send their way.
Consider, for example, having a separate trigger for users who add items to their online shopping cart on your site but then never check out. You might choose to tend them a direct mail piece with a unique coupon code that can be used on the items in their cart, encouraging them to complete the check-out process.
You can filter through your direct mail list by using an optimization model, which will help you determine the highest potential returns on investment, This will ultimately make it easier to decide who to send direct mail pieces to based on certain triggers.
How Trigger Based Marketing Could Save You Money
There are many ways in which trigger based marketing could save you money, especially on your direct mail marketing campaign. For starters, trigger based marketing can cut back on your need to purchase or rent out email lists. Instead, you can use these affordable strategies to grow your prospect base.
Trigger based marketing, when used effectively, also saves you on printing costs. Rather than sending out mass mailings to your entire list, you can hone in on specific targets that are most likely to result in a sale or conversion. As a result, you’re optimizing your direct mail printing and cutting costs in the process.
Translating Data to Your Digital Marketing Strategy
The information you gather for your trigger based direct mail strategy can also be translated and used to inform your digital marketing. This is especially true from a social media standpoint, where knowing certain behaviors of your audience can allow you to create more custom tailored ads and posts. In turn, these relatable posts are more likely to be shared and engaged with by your audience. It’s a win-win for everybody involved and a great way to find multiple purposes for the data you’ve collected.
How Ballantine Can Help
As you can see, there are many ways in which a trigger based direct mail strategy can help your business. As you prepare to incorporate this into your existing marketing campaigns, be sure to keep a few things in mind:
- which triggers you want to use for your campaign
- how you will collect data for those triggers
- how data collected can be used to inform your digital marketing
- how trigger based marketing can save you money
If you’re interested in finding out more about trigger based communications or are looking for help in incorporating this type of print marketing into your own branding, Ballantine is here to assist you. Reach out to our team today to find out more about what we can do to take your direct mail marketing to the next level!
*Note: This is an updated version of our previous blog post, “Everything You Need to Know About Trigger Based Mail in 2018” published December 2017. Check out the original post below!*
One of the greatest things about marketing in the 21st century is the ability to create more personalized and effective campaigns using data you’ve gathered from customers. From bringing in new leads to delighting loyal customers, all areas of the marketing funnel can be improved by using consumer data to gain new insights and time your marketing communications just right.
Trigger-based direct mail marketing is one data-focused tactic that can help you provide the right messaging to the right customers at the right time. Read on to find out what trigger based direct mail is and why your company needs to use it in the new year.
What is Trigger-Based Direct Mail Marketing?
If you want to use the trigger based direct mail strategy effectively, you’ll first need to understand what it is and how it works. Trigger mail is a strategy where you create a tailored direct mail response based on consumer behavior data. You can use different types of triggers, and the specific trigger will help you determine what type of tailored message to send to consumers.
For example, let’s say that a customer visits your site, puts some items in their cart, and then leaves without checking out. Cart abandonment may be one of the triggers you set up in your trigger direct mail campaigns. This would mean that once the customer has abandoned their cart, your company will automatically send them a direct mail piece with a message that encourages them to revisit the products they initially showed interest in.
How Trigger-Based Strategy Transforms Your Direct Mail Marketing Strategy
Trigger-based direct mail marketing helps your company create a more integrated marketing strategy as you use data you collect from online activities to engage consumers offline. This strategy helps your company encourage and influence conversions after the consumer has behaved in a way that shows they’re interested in your brand. DMA reports that personalized triggered messages can help companies achieve a 20% reduction in cart abandonment and a 15 to 30% increase in overall sales.
Due to this, companies often experience favorable response rates. In fact, one company found that customized direct mail pieces sent 24-hours after the customer’s website visit showed a 20% response rate. That’s because the follow-up message helped the company re-engage with site visitors to remind them of why they first showed an interest in the brand.
Using Trigger-Based Direct Mail for Direct Mailing Leads
Trigger direct mail marketing isn’t just for engaging current leads and customers. You can also use this strategy to bring in new direct mailing leads. The key to lead generation through triggered direct mail is identifying the types of behaviors that consumers might take that could indicate a potential interest in your products or services.
For instance, let’s say that a real estate agent wants to use trigger-based direct mail to bring in more direct mailing leads. This real estate professional might choose triggers such as graduating college or getting married to find potential new clients. Then, they could send personalized messages that congratulate the consumer and offer their services.
Start Using Trigger Based Direct Mail in 2018
Here are just a few of the things you’ll need to consider about using trigger-based direct mail marketing in the new year:
- Trigger-based direct mail is a direct mail marketing strategy that allows you to use consumer behavior to create more personalized messages.
- Trigger direct mail can improve response rates by helping you send the right message to the right consumer at the right time.
- Trigger direct mail marketing is also an effective tactic for increasing your direct mailing leads, helping you expand your reach.
Need help getting started with your trigger-based direct mail marketing campaigns? The direct mail marketing experts at Ballantine can help you get started with strategy and implementation of your 2018 direct mail campaigns. Contact Ballantine today to find out more about our services.
I'm the Director of Digital Services and Partner at Ballantine, a family-owned and operated direct mail & digital marketing company based in New Jersey. and started in 1966 by my great uncle!
