Don’t overlook the impact of variable data printing

If you’re not doing variable data printing, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to command the attention of your customers and prospects. Personalized marketing can drive a significant improvement in your revenue, brand loyalty, and customer acquisition and retention.

With more messages fighting for your ideal customer’s limited attention, targeting the right message to the right person at the right time is becoming critical to your success. Conversely, failing to personalize your communications puts your company at risk of being ignored. That’s because your customers increasingly expect it to be the norm for their interactions with you and your competitors.

A growing body of research shows that personalization works:

• It reduces acquisition costs as much as 50%, lifts revenues by 5-15% and increases the efficiency of marketing spend by 10-30%. (McKinsey & Company)
• Marketers overwhelmingly agree (98%) that personalization helps advance customer relationships, with 74% claiming it has a “strong” or “extreme” impact. Nearly 9 out of 10 (88%) state that their customers and prospects expect a personalized experience. (Evergage)
• 86% of consumers say personalized marketing leads to a buying decision. (Infosys)

Digital printing technology, which enables you to personalize printed pieces to each customer and prospect, makes it all possible. It gives any business, regardless of size, the power to send out highly effective, personalized marketing materials.

How can variable data printing impact your business throughout the life cycle of your customers? Here are some insights:

Attracting the attention of prospective customers: Your target audience is overwhelmed by a torrent of messages coming at them every day. Personalization can make your message stand out, command attention and persuade them to consider your company as a potential supplier – or at least a company that it would like to build a relationship with.

But customer-delighting personalization is more than just inserting their first and last names into a printed piece. For best results, you need to consider delivering relevant content to them based on their demographics, industry, location and even the types of products and services they have purchased. Personalization can even extend to the banners, offers and downloadable content you offer to them.

Converting prospects into sales: Once you have acquired a prospect’s contact, demographic and buying intent data, you can utilize advanced personalization to deliver printed materials to them that can nudge them faster toward a sale. Imagine if you could send personalized product sheets, testimonials and proposals to your best prospects. This isn’t as easy to do as adding their name, job title or company to a printed piece – which is the reason so few marketers do it. But the payoff in terms of increased sales can be well worth it!

Think of it this way: Busy B2B buyers find that relevant personalization helps them streamline their decision-making process. When they receive personalized content from you, it makes them feel valued. In return, they assign greater value to the company delivering the message. Your relationship with them grows and deepens – ideally to the point where they purchase your product or select your company as their supplier.

Increasing customer loyalty after the sale: Personalized collateral pieces are perfect tools to strengthen your customers’ existing relationships with you. You can use them to upsell products and services such as:

• Customer onboarding
• Product training
• Product add-ons or enhancements
• Extended warranties and service contracts
• Consumable and replacement parts
• Reminders for seasonal and periodic service appointments
• Alerts about upcoming warranty and service expirations
• Loyalty-based discounts

This type of one-on-one communication can have a significant impact on their loyalty – and their lifetime value – to your company.

Conclusion

Personalizing your communications with your customers and prospects is no longer a “nice to do” – it’s a necessity, driven by rising customer expectations. According to the Salesforce State of the Connected Consumer report, almost three-quarters of business buyers now expect vendors to personalize engagement to their needs. In addition, three-quarters of business buyers say that their standard for good experiences is higher than ever.

It’s time to get personal. If you need help developing and printing your next personalized mailings, contact Heritage Printing today.