Printing Impressions Magazine recently sponsored a presentation hosted by Barb Pellow of InfoTrends and Ginger Conlon, Editor of Direct Marketing News. The presentation provided new insight into what type of communications marketers need, and the tools they are using to create those communications.
The State of Customer Communications
Research done by InfoTrends shows that improving the customer experience starts with communications. As a result, marketers are striving to make communications with their customers more personal.
When asked: "How does your company plan to improve customer experience as it relates to customer communications?" marketers from the 800 companies surveyed revealed these top two choices:
39% said: "Better tailored offerings"
38% said: "Better data-driven personalization and relevant communications"
Other options that scored lower included: better social media monitoring and interaction, expanding mobile communications, and expanded payment options.
Marketers have learned that for their message to get through, it needs to be personalized and tailored to the customer they are trying to reach.
And when it comes to delivering personalized, relevant communications, marketers say that there is no better channel than direct mail.
The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council says that 54% of consumers are likely to base a buying decision on direct mail, versus e-mail, which is at 16%. They also report that 74% of B2B marketers say direct mail is "very effective."
In the end, creating personalized direct mail can support a variety of customer communications, including customer acquisition, retention, and reactivation. But no matter what your goal is, the key to success lies in making these communications relevant to the recipient.
www.locr.com