Digital Printing Increases Direct Mail Response

Digital printing is using a digital press, computer database and computer graphic files to create different versions of direct mail, brochures or other printed marketing materials that will be more relevant to the target audience. Instead of having one brochure, a company might create three different versions. Or a direct marketer might customize a direct mailer to use the person’s name and relevant photos and text.

A way large companies are using digital printing is by customizing catalogs and offers to specific customers based on what they’re purchased in the past.  That’s called Lifecycle Marketing.

With the introduction of innovative new technology and digital presses, commercial printers can now cost-effectively offer offset quality print jobs for small print runs. That means your brochure or direct mailer will look really professional. So instead of printing thousands of direct mail pieces, a small business or non-profit organization can print smaller quantities and test different creative approaches. The technology also allows marketers to customize “batches” of direct mail or brochures for different groups of people or even personalize individual pieces.

Direct marketers using digital printing claim response rates from 5% to as high as 50% for very targeted business-to-business offers. There is a lot more work involved to set up these customized direct mail programs and the cost per printed piece is higher, so you’ll want calculate if this is a worthwhile approach as a way to increase your response rates.

Digital printing mirrors what effective sales people do: they tailor their message to different people versus “blasting” the same message/offer to everyone.

Written by: Derrith Lambka on October 31, 2011.