Can Variable Imaging Increase Sales?

If you own a business, one of the most effective ways to generate new leads is through a direct mail campaign. The recipients, however, will be much more likely to respond if the marketing material is addressed to them personally or tailored to their specific needs.

Variable imaging is a unique digital laser printing technique that can help increase sales. Elements like text and images can be changed from one item to the next, without interrupting the entire printing process. By using information from an external list or your business’ current database, you can personalize each mailing for a specific recipient.

Read on to discover how variable imaging can be used to grow your business and maximize profitability.

Highly-Customizable

If a Toronto Blue Jays fan receives a blue and red postcard with their name on it in large script font, they’ll be more likely to take notice. Meanwhile, a single millennial will be more inclined to look through your travel brochure if there’s other similarly-aged people on the front, as opposed to a family with two kids.

Variable imaging allows you to create highly-customized mailers that speak to specific audiences. Whether you’re trying to target individual consumers or a regional demographic, use this digital printing technique to better resonate with potential customers.

Portrays Sincerity

Because people receive tons of junk mail, the natural reaction is to toss every piece of marketing material that comes their way. Variable image printing changes this dynamic. It gives your business a chance to show customers you understand who they are, and what they want. A little bit of personalization can change perspective, and encourage people to come to you for their next purchase.

Opportunity to Experiment

It’s very frustrating to spend effort on direct mail advertising only to end up with unfavourable results. Variable imaging allows you to test out different versions of your material to see which one works best. Because you’re able to create multiple variants of the same campaign, you can track results and make corrections where needed. This allows you to experiment as much as possible, without breaking the bank.

When targeting potential customers, here are some aspects you can play around with:

1. Language

Send out mailers that incorporate regional languages when targeting culturally predominant neighbourhoods. For example, include Chinese when targeting predominantly Chinese neighbourhoods. You could even convert that same mailer to Italian when connecting with residents in Little Italy.

2. Images

When targeting seniors, create a flyer with images of other elderly citizens. Change up the image to middle-aged professionals when targeting this demographic under the same promotional campaign.

3. Text

If you’re unsure whether formally-worded content is better than a casual tone, try both. Use variable imaging to tweak the writing style on your materials, and see which tone is more effective through tracking the direct mail promo code.

When experimenting with different versions under the same campaign, track results with custom promo codes. You could also direct recipients to two different websites to see which group is showing more interest.

Target Buying Preferences

Many businesses collect customer data over the years, which often includes shopping preferences and past product purchases. But this information isn’t always being put to good use. Variable imaging allows you to take advantage of your customers’ buying habits, and drive additional purchases.

If you own a grocery store, for example, you may want to set up a direct mail campaign with coupons tailored to different demographics. From your database, make a list of customers who have small children, or who have purchased baby and toy products recently. Send them coupons for diapers, baby food, and prepared meals. Then make another list consisting of customers who are 70 years and older. You could send them coupons for vitamins, healthy food items, and pet food.

Get the Most Impact

By tailoring your promotional offers to varying customers with a range of different needs, you’ll get the most impact for your marketing dollars.

Ultimately, the biggest advantage of variable imaging is the ability to make your marketing materials more personal. The more your message resonates with an individual recipient, the higher your response rate will be. The higher your response rate, the greater the return on your overall investment.

For more information on how to incorporate this variable imaging digital laser printing technique into your next marketing campaign, please call Troi Mailing Services in Toronto at 1-866-486-0423 or contact us here.

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