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By The Printing for Less Team

Jennifer Bellin, chief marketing officer at Printing for Less, recently hosted a roundtable discussion: Connect and Delight Across the Customer Lifecycle: Reinforce Your Campaigns with Direct Mail. Bellin explained how she has observed an evolution in marketing, from focusing mostly on new customer acquisition, to a split, pretty evenly, between new customer efforts and existing customer programs.

What’s more, according to some studies, the conversion rates for existing customers are significantly higher than those for new customers. Existing customer conversion rates are often 60 or 70 percent, while conversion rates for new customers can be as low as 5 percent, and up to just 20 percent for the best of companies. This means that sales and marketing investments go much further when you are focused on upselling, or cross-selling, to loyal customers.

Bellin was joined by Janel Maysonet, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Avidia Bank, and  Christina McLeod, senior marketing campaign manager at KnowBe4. During the discussion, they discussed how direct mail can be implemented within various stages of the customer lifecycle, including both acquisition and existing customer stages, while also providing examples.

In the first part, Bellin and Maysonet talked about how direct mail was being used at Avidia. Here, in Part 2, we learn about McLeod’s experiences with direct mail campaigns at KnowBe4.

Jennifer Bellin: Today, I have the privilege of hosting Christina McLeod, who has spent more than 10 years in marketing for a variety of B2B tech companies. She has created a number of fantastic campaigns, including one featuring a beloved video game from the past, that she’ll share about in a little bit. So, Christina, could you share how you got started with direct mail?

Christina McLeod: Thanks, Jennifer. Happy to be here. So direct mail was really always on my radar as something that we wanted to do when I started at KnowBe4 because so many people opt out of email. We wanted to find another way to get in front of them. That’s how direct mail became an important tactic in all of our campaigns. When we’re thinking about putting together a campaign, we always are sure to ask, “Where can we add direct mail,” whether it’s a postcard or a kit or just something unique that stands out. If they receive it in the mail, they’ll definitely open it because it looks really creative and cool.

JB: Very interesting. Can you tell us a little bit about some of your business goals and priorities for this year, and how these direct mail programs and campaigns will help with those goals?

CM: We’ve been thinking about more of an awareness approach to prospects and customers, explaining that we’re more than just one product: security awareness training. That we are actually the KnowBe4 platform of products. We’re really trying to lead with that messaging, and, obviously, direct mail can help with that. Another big focus for us is doing more account-based marketing with a one-to-one, one-to-few approach. We are thinking more about personalization and getting in front of a targeted account list.

JB: Direct mail is actually great for one-to-one and one-to-few account-based marketing programs, because you’re able to send to just a few highly valuable and highly engaged prospects. This allows you to afford to send a little higher end mailer or do something extra special. So how are you incorporating direct mail into your omnichannel mix?

CM: Direct mail is really a tactic across all of our campaigns. It’s something we always are looking to do. And we supplement it with email, of course, which we will send either before the direct mail or after, depending on the campaign. Then we usually loop in sales, as well, to help with additional outreach, because they can do more of the one-to-one, personal emails and calls, following up to say, “Hey, did you get the kit, or the postcard? We sent it to you in the mail.” That way, if something happens, we can always send them another one or get in front of them one-to-one.

JB: Let’s transition to some real-life campaign examples that are being executed across the customer lifecycle. Christina, do you want to talk a little bit about this fun campaign?

 

CM: Yeah, definitely. The purpose of this campaign is to announce new product features. We were trying to think of a cool way to announce features of one of our newer products, Security Coach. Printing for Less presented us with this tri-fold brochure idea. It’s a little bit more appealing when you get it in the mail—something beyond just a postcard. And to really make it stand out, we went with this comic book superhero theme. We wanted to call out the new features of this product, so it was something of an awareness play. Some people might not have even known about the product.  

But the engagement piece was really the goal here—to get the customers to request a demo with our team to learn more about these new features, and actually talk directly with the sales rep. The promotion was that if they filled out the form requesting a meeting, they’d get a $25 gift card for lunch on us. That’s where this whole theme of “even heroes need a lunch break,” came from. And with this one we did one more thing: a supplemental email that pointed to a landing page with the same graphics to reach a broader audience.

JB: That is so creative. I love it. What else have you been doing, Christina?

CM: This one is a webinar driver. We were talking about one of our newer products and thinking of hosting a webinar that would be pretty product specific. But needed a way to really drive that attendance. Working with Printing for Less, we found out that you had a retro video game—a little Space Invaders video game.

We figured our IT audience would enjoy it, so we promoted the kit via email. On the landing page we said: “Register for this webinar to learn about alien invaders and phishing attacks and you’ll receive this kit,” all relating to the “invaders” theme. The kit contained the video game and a handwritten note from the rep that Printing for Less helped created saying, “Thank you for your interest in this product. We would love to talk to you more about it.”

We also paired this with an email cadence that made it into a game theme, so the rep could reach out and say, “First, did you get the game? What do you think? I’d love to challenge you during lunch one day.” So, it was just a fun incentive to get people excited about the product.

JB: Good one. Another interesting use for direct mail for webinars is sending some to registrants in advance as a reminder and to increase live attendance. We actually did that for this webinar. We sent out chocolate bars, so, hopefully, some of the folks attending the event today— if they registered early enough—received a chocolate bar.

So, what about at the customer retention stage—anything to share about that, Christina?

CM: Customer retention is a big focus for us—particularly through cross-sell/upsell. Here is a two-punch campaign that we launched at about the same time, but to two different audiences. These are just flat postcards. The trick here was that we put the postcard in an envelope with the KnowBe4 logo on it—hoping to stand out a little bit more than just a postcard. They’re a customer, so obviously they should be aware of KnowBe4, so they would most likely open it and look at it. That’s one little tip from me.

 

The other one was for our existing Security Awareness Training—or SAT—customers. Here we’re talking about one of our other products, PhishER, and promoting a product-specific asset again: “Five Ways PhishER Saves You Time and Money.” The CTA here is to download a whitepaper. If they do, they’ll be entered to win a $500 Amazon gift card. I think that incentive definitely helped drive some of this. We had a great response, really, from both of these postcards.  

The other campaign was more of an upsell approach. We’ve upgraded this product to PhishER Plus, so this went out to our existing PhishER customers, letting them know, “Hey, we have an upgrade for this product.” One theme we used was “supercharge,” so we thought why not do a charger for the gift to go along with it? We sent a fancy charger clock. If they requested more information about this product from their CSM, they would receive this special kit with the charger.

JB: Very clever. And I really like the idea of putting the postcard in the envelope to gain some intrigue. Good tip.  

JB: Now, let’s transition to how to build a scalable direct mail program. What did it take for you to evolve your direct mail programs to where they are today?

CM: In the beginning, our pilot began with a postcard, something small and inexpensive that we could send out to a large audience. We really didn’t even have a QR code, so we created a short URL that recipients could easily type in. And our CTA was to download a white paper. We didn’t offer an incentive because, obviously, that’s an extra cost. I wanted to start small and simple. It turned out that, with that larger audience, it performed better than expected—more than 100 downloads of the asset. That gave us confidence.

With most of our campaigns, we create a landing page using a form-fill option. That way we can track the information and see who took an action after receiving the direct mail piece. That’s the easiest way to track. Another way, of course, is to have sales follow-up one-to-one to see if they book a meeting. Again, we track this all back to our campaigns.

But ROI is, of course, the main thing we care about. You have to prove the value of direct mail, since, obviously, it can be expensive depending on what you’re doing. And we look at the overall campaign engagement. Having a large number of form fills is important. It shows that people actually received the postcard and took an action. Feedback from customers is also nice knowing that they are fans already.  

JB: Completely agree. What advice do you have for someone who’s starting to build their direct mail program?

CM: Be creative. The Printing for Less reps are all great. I always go to them to brainstorm. Sometimes we have an idea in mind, but we love hearing about the trends in the industry or what’s worked well in the past. Like the video games and the tri-fold brochure—that was a unique thing that I hadn’t seen before. They have a lot of great ideas that you probably wouldn’t even think of.

My second piece of advice would be to pilot. Start small and get some wins under your belt before expanding. Don’t go too crazy in the beginning. And you’ll want to get the buy-in from everybody and prove that direct mail works before moving on to more campaigns.

JB: How do you get buy-in from sales on a new campaign?

CM: This is super important. Usually, before we even think about fully launching a campaign, we talk with sales leadership to get their buy-in. We give them an idea of what we want to do, make sure they’re on board, and then walk through the program with the sales team. We actually get on a call with all of the reps who could be affected by the campaign and show them what the campaign is and what the direct mail piece looks like.

I usually send one to myself to check it out. We also try to send the direct mail piece to the office, so the sales reps can see it in person, see how cool it is. This is important so they have some knowledge of what the prospects, or customers, are receiving. It gets them really excited about it and on board. They are provided with all the info and pieces that are part of the kit so they know how best to follow up.

By The Printing for Less Team

Jennifer Bellin, chief marketing officer at Printing for Less, recently hosted a roundtable discussion: Connect and Delight Across the Customer Lifecycle: Reinforce Your Campaigns with Direct Mail. Bellin explained how she has observed an evolution in marketing, from focusing mostly on new customer acquisition, to a split, pretty evenly, between new customer efforts and existing customer programs.

What’s more, according to some studies, the conversion rates for existing customers are significantly higher than those for new customers. Existing customer conversion rates are often 60 or 70 percent, while conversion rates for new customers can be as low as 5 percent, and up to just 20 percent for the best of companies. This means that sales and marketing investments go much further when you are focused on upselling, or cross-selling, to loyal customers.

Bellin was joined by Janel Maysonet, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Avidia Bank, and Christina McLeod, senior marketing campaign manager at KnowBe4. During the discussion, they discussed how direct mail can be implemented within various stages of the customer lifecycle, including both acquisition and existing customer stages, while also providing examples.

In this first part, we will see how Maysonet has been using direct mail at Avidia. Next time, in Part 2, we will look at McLeod’s direct mail campaigns at KnowBe4.

Jennifer Bellin: Today, I have the privilege of hosting Janel Maysonet, who has worked for a number of years in bank marketing, most recently taking Avidia’s direct mail program to new heights. Janel, could you share how you got started with direct mail?

Janel Maysonet: Sure. We use direct mail, as well, as a way to stand out from digital. I think that digital is such a part of our landscape now that people are quick to click that “X” or scroll right through. But when they get something in the mail that’s not a bill, people are usually pretty excited, and they’ll pay attention to it. At Avidia, direct mail was initially mostly operational for us, and then we started using Salesforce. Then we integrated Marketo for our marketing automation, and we found new ways to use direct mail through our partnership with Printing for Less.

JB: Very interesting. Can you tell us a little bit about some of your business goals and priorities for this year, and how these direct mail programs and campaigns will help with those goals?

JM: A major goal of ours has been a consumer product redesign. We took all of our checking products, and we totally redesigned them. We’ve used direct mail as a huge piece of communication about that. We’re also doing a consumer digital bank redesign with new online and mobile banking. We’ve been able to use direct mail to communicate that, as well.

JB: Direct mail is actually great for one-to-one and one-to-few account-based marketing programs, because you’re able to send to just a few highly valuable and highly engaged prospects. This allows you to have the budget to send a higher-end mailer or do something extra special. So how are you incorporating direct mail into your omnichannel mix?

JM: Direct mail is part of every one of our campaigns. They say people need to see something at least seven times before they recognize it, and we always see direct mail as one of those channels, as a part of our overall marketing campaign. We’ve also been able to use direct mail to communicate when we know that we don’t have all of our customers’ email addresses. For instance, we have some older customers in our demographic that we might not have an email for. We believe direct mail is a great way to, one, get an email from someone and, two, make sure that they receive the communication from us.

JB: Let’s transition to some real-life campaign examples that are being executed across the customer lifecycle. Janel, would you like to share about your mortgage program?

JM: Sure. This is a great example of how we’ve been able to use automation in combination with direct mail to really engage our customers for our mortgage business. And it works through Salesforce. We are alerted through Marketo when someone has purchased a new home. We then send out, through Printing for Less, a postcard, along with these great marble coasters. We’ve received a lot of really positive feedback—and not only from our customers, but also our lenders.

It can even be a really great brand piece. Say someone has a welcoming party and they have the coasters on the table. A guest might notice and ask, “What logo is that?” “Oh, that’s Avidia Bank. They helped us with our mortgage.” It really goes beyond just direct mail. It’s a nice example of how we’ve been able to use automation, direct mail, and promotional items to better engage with our customers.  

JB: Well, I think this is super cool. I wish my mortgage company had sent me a nice gift like this. Let’s talk about another campaign.  

JM: As I mentioned, a goal for us this year is our digital banking upgrades. We wanted to make sure everybody was aware of a very important update that we made to online banking. With this campaign we decided that, rather than sending a huge packet of information, we would use a QR code. Recipients scan that code, which takes them directly to the FAQ page about online banking. The great thing is that we’re able to update that page in real time when information changes.  It’s also a nice mixed use of digital and direct mail together—and we can track through the QR code. For something so simple, there’s a lot of power behind it for communication, tracking, and engagement.

JB: You have one more—I think this looks so fun.

JM: Thanks! This features Max, our “spokes-pig.” and this is for our adventure savings program we worked up with Printing for Less. It’s a great example of something we used to do fully manually with my team. Here’s how it works with our savings program: Kids meet a certain savings milestone, and we send them a gift card to encourage them to continue to save. Also, on their birthday, we send them a card with a note that if they come into the branch, they can get money deposited into their account.

We used to do this all manually. Our retail team would send us spreadsheets with the birthdays coming up and where they hit on their deposit level. Then, I would have someone on my team physically go out, buy gift cards, stuff them in the envelope, and mail them out. Well, we don’t have to do that anymore. We’ve been able to automate everything through Salesforce, Marketo, and Printing for Less. It’s really given a lot of time back to my team. We probably save at least 40 hours a month in manual labor by automating this program.

JB: And what a cool way to get kids started with early saving habits.

JM: And not only is it an awesome way to encourage kids to learn about their finances and save, but it’s a great way to connect with the parents. It’s really a win-win situation for us.

JB: Love it. Next up is an informational letter. Tell us a little bit about this program.  

JM: All right. I’ve heard that people don’t really use direct mail that much for operational reasons. However, we do. As a bank, if there are any significant changes, we have to give at least a 30-day notice. And it needs to be written and sent in the mail. This is a really dynamic piece of the business for us.

 

For instance, we had to change all of our checking accounts this year. You’ll see the pink areas of the letter are different merge fields, so we were able to list multiple accounts on one letter based on a list of data we sent to Printing for Less. We deleted people who had multiple accounts and put all the info in one letter, which prevented people from getting multiple letters if they had multiple accounts with us. This really saved some money.

There was also a packet that was 28 pages long, so it was quite large. However, we got some good feedback from everybody who received it. We know that if we send something via direct mail, people will see it and receive it. Not so with email. Again, not exciting, but important. This campaign had a lot of moving parts and pieces, which is why it’s essential to have a partner that knows what they’re doing to be able to pull something like this off.

JB: And believe it or not, a lot of our mailings are much more like what you’re showing here. They’re just letters that have a lot of important personalization that you must get right. So maybe it’s not as fun and exciting, but it’s very much spot on with what a lot of our customers are doing today. You can also nurture employees and engage them via direct mail. Do you want to talk about this, Janel?

JM: Sure. We redid our mission, vision, and values at the bank. And like at many other places post-COVID, a good number of our employees are actually working remotely, or hybrid, and we wanted to get the message out there to employees in their homes. On the left-hand side is a seed packet, and when you open it up, it has our new mission and vision and values in there. This was a good way to get the message out to our employees and engage them in a fun way through direct mail.

JB: One of the most rewarding things for me, as a marketer, is when someone reaches out to me personally, and says, “Oh, wow, I love that campaign,” or responds in another positive way. Have you received any interesting responses to your campaigns?

JM: Absolutely. We got a great response from the mortgage campaign we sent with the coasters. A lot of the customers really loved it, and our mortgage lenders loved it too. There was a ton of positive word of mouth and some metrics. It’s great to look at the numbers, but it’s also great to measure the sentiment, and there was a lot of positive sentiment around that campaign.

JB: Terrific! Now, let’s transition to how to build a scalable direct mail program. What did it take for you to evolve your direct mail programs to where they are today?

JM: As I mentioned before, we started out very operational, and then we moved over to automation and got really creative with it. Getting that positive internal buy-in is wonderful, because it gives us the ability to get more budget for these campaigns. And then just being creative with it, and testing it, and seeing what works and what doesn’t.

JB: So, now, let’s talk a little bit about measuring. And no matter what part of the customer lifecycle your campaign is focused on, it really is important to set the appropriate metrics to measure success before you start planning your campaign. It’s critical to think about the goals first because that’s what will help determine what calls-to-action you choose, what formats, what messaging, what type of campaign. So, tell us a little bit about how you measure the impact of your direct mail campaigns.

 

JM: We typically utilize a landing page alongside a direct mail piece. I showed an example of that earlier with the QR code. Scan that code and it goes to the landing page. From there  we’re able to track, through Google Analytics, who’s visiting the page and what the traffic looks like. Many times, we’ll add Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) parameters to our campaign, so we’ll know in Google Analytics what kind of traffic are we getting from direct mail, or email, or our digital ads.

JB: What advice do you have for someone who’s starting to build their direct mail program?

JM: I would say be creative. People love to be surprised and delighted. If they get something different, it kind of disrupts the day in a positive way, and you really remember it. I’d also say work with an experienced vendor, such as Printing for Less. They’ve really made my life a lot easier. There are times when we’ll have an idea and our Printing for Less rep will work with us to find multiple ways to execute that idea.

Take the seed packet, for example. There were just so many different options, and Printing for Less helped us choose one that worked within our budget. And they’re always offering up ideas on industry trends. Things like, “Put that postcard in an envelope, people might be more likely to open it,” or, rather than using oversized, maybe try smaller ones—say, a four by six and see how that does. So, again, be creative and work with strong partners who get it.

By The Printing for Less Team

To get your holiday feast off to a tasty start, we’ve cooked up this dozen ideas and strategies you can use to create Thanksgiving-themed direct mail campaigns. Using any of these ideas will not only capture attention but also resonate with recipients on a personal level, driving engagement and fostering lasting connections with your brand.

1. Express Gratitude to Customers
   Thanksgiving is the perfect time to show appreciation for your customers. Create heartfelt direct mail pieces that genuinely thank customers for their business and loyalty. Include personalized messages that reflect their specific interactions with your brand or small tokens of appreciation, such as little gift cards or exclusive discounts. This approach not only aligns with the spirit of Thanksgiving but also strengthens customer relationships and fosters brand loyalty.

2. Thanksgiving-Inspired Designs
   Capture the essence of Thanksgiving in your mailers by developing visually appealing designs that use autumn colors, Thanksgiving imagery, and festive typography. Incorporate warm hues such as deep reds, oranges, and browns, along with images of fall leaves, pumpkins, or traditional Thanksgiving symbols. Use elegant, script-like fonts for headers and clean, readable fonts for body text. This kind of visually striking approach will help your mailers stand out in recipients’ mailboxes and create a positive association between your brand and the holiday.

3. “Giving Thanks” Promotions
   Show gratitude to your customers by offering special discounts or deals as part of your Thanksgiving campaign. Create a “Giving Thanks” promotion that provides exclusive offers to loyal customers or introduces new products at special holiday prices. This approach not only drives sales but also reinforces the idea that you value your customers’ support. Consider tiered discounts based on customer loyalty or purchase history to make the offers even more appealing.

4. Multichannel Campaigns
   Integrate your direct mail efforts with digital channels to create a cohesive, multichannel Thanksgiving campaign. Include QR codes or personalized URLs in your mailers that lead to Thanksgiving-themed landing pages or exclusive online offers. This approach bridges the gap between physical and digital marketing, providing a seamless experience for customers and allowing you to track engagement across channels. Consider creating a special Thanksgiving microsite or social media campaign that complements your direct mail efforts.

5. Charitable Connections
   Embrace the giving spirit of Thanksgiving by partnering with local food banks or charities. Use your direct mail pieces to encourage customers to donate or participate in giving back to the community. You could include pre-addressed envelopes for donations, promote a food drive, or pledge to match customer contributions. This approach not only helps those in need but also positions your brand as socially responsible and community oriented.

6. Thanksgiving Recipe Cards
   Include recipe cards for traditional Thanksgiving dishes as part of your mailer, with your branding subtly incorporated. This value-added content provides recipients with something useful and memorable, increasing the likelihood that they’ll keep and refer to your mailer. Choose recipes that align with your brand or products, if possible. For example, any company in the healthcare space could curate cards that have heart-healthy versions of classis Thanksgiving foods.

7. Interactive Elements
   Engage recipients with interactive elements in your Thanksgiving mailers. Create pop-ups, foldouts, or scratch-off sections that reveal special offers or Thanksgiving-themed messages. These interactive features not only make your mailer more memorable but also encourage recipients to spend more time engaging with your brand. Consider including a Thanksgiving-themed game or puzzle that ties into your products or services.

8. Early Bird Black Friday Teasers
   Use direct mail to give loyal customers a sneak peek at upcoming Black Friday deals. This exclusive preview can create excitement and anticipation for your holiday sales. Include a special code or voucher in the mailer that customers can use for early access to deals or additional discounts. This approach rewards loyal customers and can drive early holiday sales.

9. Personalized Thanksgiving Greetings
   Leverage variable data printing to create highly personalized Thanksgiving messages for each recipient. Use customer data to tailor the content, offers, and imagery to individual preferences and past interactions with your brand. This level of personalization can significantly increase engagement and response rates. Consider including personalized product or service recommendations or reminders of past purchases that might be relevant for the holiday season.

10. Sustainable Mailers
    Highlight your commitment to sustainability by using eco-friendly materials in your Thanksgiving-themed direct mail pieces. Use recycled paper, soy-based inks, or biodegradable materials. Communicate your sustainability efforts in the mailer content, showing how your brand aligns with environmentally conscious values. This approach can resonate with eco-minded consumers and enhance your brand’s reputation.

11. Thanksgiving Countdown Campaigns
    Build anticipation for Thanksgiving and holiday offers, in general, by sending a series of mailers leading during the period. Each mailer could reveal a new deal, share a Thanksgiving or other holiday preparation tip, or highlight a different aspect of your products or services that’s timely and relevant. This approach keeps your brand top-of-mind throughout the entire season and creates multiple touchpoints with your audience.

12. Family-Focused Messaging
    Create content that emphasizes family togetherness and traditions, aligning your brand with the spirit of the holiday. Share heartwarming stories, showcase how your products or services can enhance family gatherings, or invite customers to share their own Thanksgiving traditions. This emotional connection can strengthen the bond between your brand and customers, making your message more impactful and memorable.

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How to Create Engaging Thanksgiving-Themed Direct Mail Campaigns

To create truly engaging Thanksgiving-themed direct mail campaigns, consider the following tips:

Start Early: Begin planning your Thanksgiving campaign as early as you can to ensure timely delivery and maximize impact.

Know Your Audience: Tailor your messaging and offers to your specific target audience’s preferences and needs during the holiday season.

Use High-Quality Materials: Invest in premium paper stock and printing techniques to create a luxurious feel that reflects the importance of the holidays.

Incorporate Sensory Elements: Consider using scented inks or textured papers to engage multiple senses and make your mailer more memorable.

Tell a Story: Use storytelling techniques to create an emotional connection with recipients, perhaps sharing your company’s Thanksgiving traditions or customer success stories.

Offer Exclusivity: Make recipients feel special by offering deals or content exclusive to direct mail recipients.

Timing is Key: Plan the delivery of your mailers to coincide with when people are most likely to be planning their Thanksgiving celebrations or holiday shopping.

Follow-Up: Plan for follow-up communications, whether through email, social media, or additional mailers, to reinforce your Thanksgiving message and offers.

By The Printing for Less Team

In addition to using the plays and techniques discussed in our previous two posts, incorporating insights from subject matter experts across industries can help you develop comprehensive and effective customer lifecycle management strategies to drive growth, retention, and advocacy. Here are some key points that experts often emphasize: 

1. Customer Needs: Experts stress the importance of deeply understanding customer needs and preferences at each stage of the lifecycle. This involves conducting thorough market research, collecting data, and leveraging analytics to gain insights into customer behavior. 
2. Personalization: Effective customer lifecycle management involves personalizing interactions and tailoring offerings to meet individual customer preferences. Experts advocate for segmentation strategies based on demographic, behavioral, and psychographic factors to deliver targeted and relevant experiences. 
3. Relationships: Building long-term relationships with customers is a key aspect of lifecycle management. Experts emphasize the significance of nurturing customer loyalty through consistent engagement, exceptional service, and meaningful communication. 
4. Communication: Engaging customers throughout their lifecycle journey is critical for retention and advocacy. Experts recommend implementing multichannel communication strategies and leveraging automation tools to maintain regular touchpoints and provide valuable content and support. 
5. Feedback: Soliciting feedback from customers and incorporating it into product/service development and improvement processes is essential. Experts advocate for establishing feedback loops, conducting surveys, and actively listening to customer concerns to enhance satisfaction and loyalty. 
6. Additional Revenue: Leveraging cross-selling and upselling opportunities is another aspect of effective customer lifecycle management. It’s suggested that identifying complementary products/services and using targeted marketing and personalized recommendations to drive additional revenue from existing customers makes them stickier and more likely to be retained over time.
7. Monitoring & Analysis: Continuous monitoring and analysis of customer lifecycle metrics are crucial for assessing performance and identifying areas for optimization. Experts stress the importance of tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), such as customer lifetime value, churn rate, and satisfaction scores to measure success and guide decision-making. 
8. Agility & Adaptability: Finally, experts emphasize the need for agility and adaptability in responding to changing customer needs and market dynamics. Customer lifecycle management strategies should be flexible enough to accommodate shifts in consumer behavior, technological advancements, and competitive landscapes.   

Physical and Virtual
It’s clear that the most effective strategies are those that embrace the synergy between physical and virtual experiences. Direct mail, still often overlooked, emerges as a powerful tool in this fusion, transcending its traditional role and becoming a conduit for art, storytelling, information, and connection.

Direct mail, when executed with creativity and precision, can be an integral part of the customer journey. It transforms from mundane correspondence into personalized, engaging experiences that resonate with recipients. It’s not just about sending a piece of paper—it’s about forging meaningful connections and leaving a lasting impression.

In the realm of modern marketing, direct mail is no longer just mail, it’s a versatile medium that has the potential to elevate your brand, captivate your audience, and drive tangible results. So, embrace the power of direct mail, and unlock its potential to enhance every step of your customer’s journey. With modern, automated solutions, you can harness the full potential of direct mail to create memorable moments that extend far beyond the mailbox.

By The Printing for Less Team

Direct mail can serve as a powerful tool across every stage of the customer lifecycle, and it all begins by identifying opportunities for improvement in customer experience areas and gaps that need to be filled.  

In the “Awareness” stage, direct mail stands out in a cluttered digital environment by offering innovative designs, textures, and formats that can captivate recipients’ attention, making your brand memorable right from the start. Better awareness can lead to a 20 to 30 percent increase in engagement. That’s why a great first impression is an essential beginning step.

Best-practice programs weave in high-impact, low-cost print materials at the top of the funnel. What’s more, organizations are now able to create moments of elevation in their messaging, while introducing true moments of insight for prospects. For instance, a creatively designed postcard or a well-crafted brochure can pique curiosity and initiate the customer journey effectively.

Introduce Yourself

During “Engagement,” the physical nature of direct mail fosters a deeper connection than do digital channels. Recipients are more likely to spend time engaging with mail, flipping through pages, and examining content. This hands-on experience creates a stronger emotional connection, leading to better brand recall and message retention. For example, interactive elements such as QR codes, augmented reality, or video can further enhance engagement.

Thought Leadership

Personalization is key during the “Consideration” stage, and direct mail offers ample opportunities for tailored communication. By leveraging customer data and segmentation, marketers can create highly relevant mailings that address individual preferences, pain points, and aspirations. Personalized mailings can significantly influence purchase decisions and move prospects closer to conversion. Organizations that include direct mail in the consideration stage typically see a 20 to 30 percent spike in engagement.  

Meeting Maker

Direct mail is a powerful driver of the “Conversion” stage by delivering purchase-oriented calls to action. Including incentives such as coupons, free samples, or limited-time offers invites recipients to respond immediately. Additionally, integrating direct mail with digital channels through personalized URLs (PURLs) or QR codes enables seamless online conversions, tracking, and attribution, maximizing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

Organizations that succeed in converting a high percentage of prospects to customers typically focus on addressing pain points and delivering incentives to act, including offering free trials, discounts, recognition, and gifts. Creating moments of connection and elevation can help marketers achieve breakthrough results.​ Organizations that develop effective conversion methods see a 15 to 30 percent boost in interest.

Sales Acceleration

Direct mail has its uses during the “Retention” stage, too.The physical nature of direct mail creates a sensory experience that leaves a lasting impression on recipients. Unlike transitory digital ads, physical mailings have a longer shelf life, often occupying physical space in homes or offices and serving as constant reminders of the brand. Sending a personalized thank-you note or exclusive offers to existing customers strengthens relationships and increases share of wallet and leads to higher customer retention.

What does best-practice customer retention look like? Key experiences include moments of connection, elevation, and celebration. An organization must re-engage on the customer’s terms, acknowledge key​ personal or professional milestones and achievements, offer the right incentives, and engage in other activities that enhance the relationship.

Customer Retention

Finally,targeted mailings play a crucial role in nurturing and retaining customers during the “Loyalty” stage. By segmenting the customer base and sending relevant content and offers, brands can demonstrate appreciation and value to their most valuable customers. Creating loyal customer advocates requires a focus on moments involving connection, elevation, and celebration.

This can take many forms that span the digital and physical realms, including direct appreciation and acknowledgement, rewards related to referrals or references, soliciting reviews from loyal customers, conducting surveys, and doing product beta testing.​ Exclusive invitations to events, early access to new products, or personalized anniversary or birthday gifts can also all solidify loyalty and turn customers into active brand advocates loyal customers.  

Appreciation

Direct mail offers a multifaceted approach to engaging customers throughout their journey. By leveraging its unique attributes, direct mail enhances the customer experience, drives conversions, and strengthens brand relationships, ultimately leading to sustainable business growth.