In today’s digital world, the postcard is still one of the most powerful forms of direct mail advertising. It’s highly visible, and you don’t have to open or unwrap anything to see what is being advertised. Simple, honest, straight to the point. It’s tangible, it has a great shelf life, and it delivers your message quickly and clearly to anyone who sees it.
Just because it’s classic doesn’t mean it can’t be improved, however. That’s where variable postcards come into play. These postcards combine the classic with the innovative to make your postcards even better.
Variable postcards use big data to personalize messages for customer segments. This can be tailored by audience interest, region, demographic information, and in some cases past purchases. Our variable postcards are uniquely designed with up to five tailored messages for each variable.
As an example - a car dealership may have 3 different variable postcards in the same exact Zip Code. One version is a general invite to a sales event. Another goes to customers who have a leased car at any dealership with less than a year left on the lease, inviting them to do an early trade-in. And the third goes to customers who do not have an active lease, inviting them to trade-in their car at the sales event.
Another example is tweaking imagery depending on the audience. The same postcard may use different images depending on the demographic. The standard version may feature a young couple, while a version sent to seniors features an older couple.
Variable postcards increase ROI by adding a personal, more memorable flair to mailbox marketing. With personalized options according to where you’re sending them, Smart Cards offer more applicable benefits that speak to the consumer directly. This makes them more likely to take an action. A study by Salesforce found that 73% of shoppers expect brands to understand their unique needs and expectations. If your marketing is not meeting that expectation, it’s going in the trash.
Variable postcards also increase ROI because:
The easiest way to start increasing your ROI is to test out variable postcards for yourself. In combination with other print and digital efforts, you’ll offer a well-rounded marketing campaign that speaks to your audience in most essential ways. If you’d like to get started with Mailbox Merchants to see how our program works and test it out for yourself, reach out today.
Mailbox Merchants is the Northwest’s largest independently owned direct mail, multi-channel and digital marketing provider for local businesses. We marry the old and the new by tapping into the perpetual power of print media and using technology to strategically segment, target behaviors, and optimize performance through measurable marketing results.
