When it comes to mailing formats, the creativity of marketers and agencies seems to know no bounds. From the strawberry-scented postcard to the fold-out 3D self-mailer in passenger train format – everything is possible. In order to get the full attention of customers, companies invest a lot of money in special formats. But mostly the costs for printing and postage are not in proportion to the generated conversion rates and the recognition value with the customers. In addition, massive print runs are necessary to even cover the initial costs. These high costs are then usually justified with the argument of “branding”.

The consequence: large print runs of impersonal mass mailings are sent. A profitable approach to smaller target groups with relevant content at the right time is therefore hardly possible with special formats. If the costs are irrelevant and the campaigns do not have to generate profit, special formats can only be used to strengthen the brand awareness of its customers. However, if you want to use mailings profitably in cross-channel marketing and impress your customers, it is better to invest your money in systematically targeted personalised standard formats.

Little flexibility and high costs

Postcards that smell of coffee and fold-out self-mailers in car format – what at first glance looks like the biggest marketing coup since the invention of the mailing turns out to be an extremely expensive pleasure on closer inspection. Because these special formats usually lead to numerous restrictions. If the design and format are completely branded, the content is usually not sufficiently personalized, as these elaborate printing processes are usually only suitable for large print runs. The costs for printing and postage thus rise rapidly. Individual formats and designs also require increased planning effort. As a result, an elaborately produced mass mailing is sent that is not profitable due to a lack of personalization.

Relevant content inspires customers more

A profitable customer approach can be achieved with significantly less effort. For the cost of a mailing campaign in a special format, two campaigns in a standard format can also be realised. But standard does not mean boring – standard means a focus on the relevant things: addressing customers at the right time, with relevant content, often combined with other marketing channels. If you know your customers’ interests and document their buying behaviour in detail, you should use this information for maximum relevant mailings. There are many profitable fields of application for personalised mailings. The following is a small selection:

Second Order Push

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression” – The first impression is decisive for the further customer relationship. Therefore, new customers should be given the feeling that they have made the right choice with their purchase decision. However, an email quickly gets lost in a full inbox and has a very transactional effect. A personalised welcome letter expresses exclusivity and creates trust. Furthermore, an additional discount campaign efficiently moves new customers to the next order. In this way, new customers quickly become fans.

Example

As the operator of a flower delivery service, you decide to send new customers a welcome letter with a personal salutation after their first order. Besides the message “Welcome Mrs. Schmidt! Nice to have you with us” you add a 15% discount for the next order.

Recommendation marketing

If you want to thank your fans for their loyalty, send a personalized letter and link it with a recommendation message. Because the chances for a recommendation are particularly good here. In this way, you thank your top customers with relevant incentives and at the same time acquire new customers. In this way, postal mailings are not just a tool for customer interaction, but also help to acquire new customers.

Example

As a thank you, send your fans a personalised letter with a voucher code. Since the chances of a recommendation are particularly high with this group, add the message “Recommend us” and two additional voucher codes for friends and acquaintances. This works extremely well for product categories with special target groups (e.g. parents, athletes, pet owners).

Customer reactivation

The topic of customer reactivation is a particularly exciting field of application for postal mailings. This is because customers often do not respond to online channels or cannot be reactivated by email due to the lack of an opt-in. Anyone who adds a postal touchpoint to their customer journey in the final step of a reactivation campaign, for example, has a good chance of reactivating customers after all. The conversion rates for this application are usually between 1% and 8%, which makes it highly profitable in many areas.

Example

You are planning a cross-channel campaign to reactivate your customers. After four weeks of inactivity, you send a personalized email including a voucher code of 10%. After another two weeks of inactivity, you send another personalized email with a 15% discount on the next order. After another four weeks of no response, send your high value customers a personalized postcard with the message “We miss you” and add an exclusive 20% discount.

Personalized standard formats retain customers even better than special formats

Marketing champions delight their customers with personalized standard formats and achieve conversion rates of up to 10%. And all this without branding arguments for additional printing and postage costs. Brand awareness can also be intensified with standard formats. A personalised greeting card for a birthday, for example, conveys a special feeling of value and strengthens the customer relationship. Personalised standard formats are therefore a cost-effective way to reactivate existing customers and strengthen customer relations. In the end, what counts is that you give the customer the feeling that you understand their needs. This is best achieved with relevant visual language and incentives that suggest exclusivity. This does not require expensive scented coatings or elaborate origami formats.