Helpful Tips to Generate Response from Your Next Postcard Mailer
An effectively designed, well-thought out direct mail postcard can net response beyond expectations. Create a postcard that’s going to stand out – rather than get tossed out – with these suggestions. (Note: incorporating some of these tips will depend on your goals and budget).
- Consider Going Big
There are a few reasons to consider an oversize postcard format:- A larger size naturally attracts more attention.
- Oversize postcards have been shown to perform better in terms of response rate, according to recent Data & Marketing Association reports.
- They are less likely to get lost in the shuffle.
- Extra space means more room for impactful design and messaging.
However, you’ll want to consult USPS mailing guidelines for postcards. Postcards that exceed 4.25-inches by 6-inches in size are classified as a letter mailing, and will cost more to mail.
- Design to Draw the Eye
To have any chance of competing for attention in the mailbox, postcards need eye-catching design that also works to support a campaign’s messaging and goals.- Avoid an overly busy design. Rather, design around a focal point using visual design hierarchy principles.
- If your postcard needs to feature several products (e.g., weekly sale items), use a grid layout to achieve an organized rather than chaotic appearance.
- Choose the Right Paper
Paper weight and texture can communicate volumes about the value of your mailing – something to think about investing a little extra in, depending on goals and audience:- A thicker weight feels sturdier and more dependable and will stand up to the mailing process.
- A too-thin paper risks coming across as flimsy and getting damaged in the mailing process.
- Textured paper adds a tactile element, another way to draw attention.
(Again, USPS guidelines are a factor: a thickness greater than 0.016-inch will cost more to mail.)
- Try Unusual Formats and Print Techniques
As with paper choices, these attention-grabbing features can increase project costs, so ROI will come into play when making these decisions.- Try a die-cut format for an unusual, eye-catching shape. Tie the shape into your company’s product or service offerings for added resonance.
- Perforated tear-off coupons can add sizzle to your offer.
- Including a simple giveaway (e.g., a magnet) will add noticeability and value.
- Printing techniques like foil-stamping and embossing can instantly draw the eye. They may be best used for higher-end mailings – think invitations to a new location’s open house, introducing a premium product or service, and other similar promotions.
- Make Copy Work Hard
The space constraints of a postcard mean you need to choose words wisely. Write to focus attention on the action message – what you want recipients to do.- Craft an attention-commanding headline that builds curiosity.
- Include very minimal supporting information – just enough to tempt recipients to follow through on the call to action, or take advantage of your offer.
- Use copywriting “power words” – words that spark interest and action. Check out a list here.
- Be clear, don’t confuse your readers, and be action-oriented: Tell recipients how to take the next step.
- Make It Personal
Relevant mail is far more likely to be saved and acted on. With the depth and breadth of data available today, the sky’s the limit regarding personalization. Here are a few pointers:- Personalize with an offer on products you know a recipient likes based on purchasing history, or include an image of a product recently viewed online.
- Include region-specific maps for your businesses closest retail location of office site.
- Use personal URLs (PURLs), a form of personalization that incorporates a prospect’s name into the landing page web address, to instantly capture attention.
Investing in marketing automation software greatly boosts efficiency and accuracy in executing a personalized campaign. Also, make sure to choose a printer with variable data print capabilities.
- Partner with a Direct Mail Expert That Can Tie It all Together.
Developing an effective direct mail postcard campaign becomes much simpler when you work with a vendor that provides professional design, printing and mailing services. With expert guidance on the creative points discussed above, plus someone else to handle the print and mailing details, you get more time to focus on big-picture goals and strategy.Plymouth Meeting, PA-based Strata Company specializes in data-driven direct marketing and technologies that help companies create more relevant, personalized marketing. A leader in direct mail marketing for nearly two decades, Strata has experience helping businesses create highly targeted multichannel marketing campaigns. Contact us to learn more.
4 Reasons You Need Cloud-driven Process Automation
While every business understands the need for standards, not all have taken the leap to technologies that help enforce them. Technologies with process management and automation at their core are ideal for setting standards in how campaigns are executed, customers are responded to, etc.
Long-term benefits are many and crucial, ultimately allowing businesses to stay competitive by increasing efficiency, reducing costs, eliminating errors, and fostering stronger internal collaboration, which in turn drives a better customer experience. They can also improve the alignment of everyday functions with top-level goals and strategy and allow greater agility.
A Central Repository for Standards, Assets and Workflow Management
The centralized access that process management oriented technology provides, coupled with features such as automated workflows, can eliminate common headaches related to the notorious “silo” approach. These include:
- Resources housed in disparate systems
- Approvals held up in email chains
- Compromised effectiveness of marketing, brand management and overall efficiency
On the other hand, process management solutions create a controlled space where defined business standards can be easily shared and accessed. Here’s a closer look at some of the top practices for cloud-based control of business standards, and immediate improvements organizations may notice.
- Share Brand Standards and Guidelines
Central storage of standards related to branding and asset usage helps companies present a more unified brand, providing: -
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- Improved brand consistency and recognition
- A more consistent customer experience
- Organization-wide commitment to brand compliance
- Faster delivery of brand assets to stakeholders
- Reduced backlog on marketing – central access means less time spent fulfilling requests for branded materials
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- Set Creative Standards for Materials and Content
Through process management technology, the chance of off-brand, off-message collateral making its way to customers drops significantly. Using templates, marketing can define standards for photos, graphics, color palettes, messaging and other creative elements.Once templates are available in a single system, permission-based access allows users to customize them – without straying from the established visual brand and messaging. - Set Timeline Mandates for Processes and Production Workflows
With centrally managed timelines, automated reminders, and deadline requirements for functions such as proofing, approvals and campaign execution, process management technology keeps stakeholders up to date on overall project status and individual tasks. These features allow companies to:- Accelerate response to local markets
- Increase speed to market for time-sensitive campaigns
- Streamline formerly time-intensive workflows
- Place Controls on the Price of Goods
Besides saving on indirect costs related to improved efficiency, companies can also use process management technology to automatically set pricing by location, vendor, user or any other sort of variable. This immediately eliminates back-end manual processing on a case by case basis.Systems can be designed to allow for “controlled” variability; the price for the same good can be dependent on the user placing an order, or even the ship to location. All of this, however, is taking place on the back end and is never transparent to a user. Global corporations can instantly set different pricing in their e-commerce tool, taking a fully hands-off approach while ensuring compliance with business pricing standards and protecting their bottom line.
Why Process Management Should Live in the Cloud
As mentioned, businesses have long recognized the benefits of globally available standards and controlled processes – which is why many still rely on a home-grown intranet for this purpose or – more simply – documents that are shared and have to be constantly updated and communicated about.
But many businesses are choosing cloud-based applications for process management, opting for advantages including:
- Greater scalability
- Greater accessibility
- Increased mobility
- Decreased strain on IT departments
And custom-designed, cloud-based process management systems can offer the best of both worlds: the advantages of the cloud plus the ability to build in very specific elements unique to what makes your organization successful.
Next Steps
For over 20 years, Strata Company, a Greater Philadelphia area marketing, communications and technology firm, has collaborated with clients to develop solutions that help take their business to new heights. We help them realize the full value of their data via cloud-based tools customized to their business goals and objectives. Through our applications they realize efficiency gains, reduce costs, improve the customer experience, and gain competitive advantage.
Why You Can’t Afford NOT to Automate
When it comes to customer communications, few industries escape the grasp of government regulations. Among the many benefits of automating processes surrounding customer communications is more reliable compliance assurance.
And in the not-so-distant future – indeed, present day for some organizations – is robotic process automation (RPA). The financial services industry is already tapping into the power of RPA in compliance monitoring and testing and improved process effectiveness and efficiency.
Organizations that don’t embrace process automation now risk being left behind competitively. And from a compliance standpoint, organizations without automation will increasingly struggle to keep up with constantly changing and emerging regulatory requirements.
Compliance Challenges Are Inherent in Communications
The risk of noncompliance looms for organizations undertaking mass customer communications – especially when they involve manual processes carried out by multiple employees across multiple departments.
- Human error opens the door to many avenues of noncompliance – inaccurate information, for example, or communications being sent to incorrect recipients.
- Meanwhile, slow, unwieldy processes strain staff resources and IT departments and can result in missed deadlines for time-sensitive regulatory updates.
How Automating the Customer Communication Processes Improves Compliance
Increases Accuracy of Data Output by Reducing Human Error
Process automation helps reduce the risk of human error by instantly processing complex data, preparing it for output into multiple forms of correspondence.
The source of the data and its hygiene are still underlying factors, of course. However, assuming the source data is accurate, robotics controls the integrity of that data and ensures it is intact as it passes through different process points.
For example, without a single central platform to store multiple data points, a customer service representative may have to navigate disparate systems to gather necessary information during a service call. Automated recording and transfer of data in a central location streamlines the entire process, eliminating possible entry points for errors.
Or consider a healthcare system that undertakes enterprise-wide physician announcement mailings. The time sensitive nature of such communications is prime territory for process automation. Or a call center responsible for setting appointments on behalf of hundreds of hospitals.
Increases Agility in Achieving Compliance with Regulatory Changes
Requirements under regulatory mandates can shift at any time, and businesses typically have a narrow window in which to adapt and ensure that business actions falling underneath it are compliant.
Process automation improves the speed and agility of compliance activity by:
- Facilitating quick, easy document retrieval
- Eliminating time-consuming hard file searches
- Better equipping leadership during audits with compliance status reports
For Large Businesses: Unify and Streamline Compliance Efforts
In large businesses and enterprises or matrixed organizations with many stakeholders, adapting to meet regulatory changes can be can be a slow-moving beast. Automation can help implement changes quickly so that new required procedures/communications are executed with more immediacy.
For Mid-Size Businesses: Proactively Address Compliance
For mid-size businesses, automation can be well worth the investment too. In some cases, a lack of compliance can be the death knell for a newer or less established large business with deep pockets. Mid-size businesses skittish about moving to automation should review the integrity of their quality control measures and perform a cost-benefit analysis. They may be surprised to learn how affordable a customer communications management system could be.
Boosts Customer Satisfaction – And Lowers the Incidence of Complaints
Customer satisfaction goes hand in hand with improved compliance. For example, in the healthcare industry, process automation surrounding patient communications increases ease of contact; better access to accurate, up-to-date information; faster service by call centers – all factors that, in turn, increase patient satisfaction. More satisfied patients mean fewer complaints – and reduced risk of audits by agencies like CMS.
Make Process Automation Work for You
Automated compliance-enabling functions that cater to industry- and organization-specific needs can be built into CCM systems, and should be considered from the outset. Work with a process automation technology partner that will take a collaborative approach and has the expertise to design automated processes that will support proactive and complete compliance.
Plymouth Meeting, PA-based Strata Company provides CCM solutions to clients in regulated industries where compliance, accuracy and timeliness are a must. Our correspondence management systems integrate seamlessly with a variety of systems to allow for the secure, seamless transition of data and output. Contact us to learn how compliant communications technologies can benefit you, your business, and your customers.
How to Effectively Communicate Your Martech Solution Choice to Leadership and Internal Users
You’ve found a martech solution that addresses some of your biggest challenges. It can save your department time; help you execute more effective campaigns; and generate quality leads. But, first you have to convince two key stakeholder groups that will use the new software – your executive leadership team and staff members who will be using it.
Internally “selling” a martech software implementation can be difficult, but most of the challenges can be traced back to two basic objections:
- CXO perspective: Is the technology worth the investment?
- User perspective: Do we really need to change things?
Securing buy-in from management and users will require effective communication of the software’s potential benefits, but what and how you communicate to each stakeholder group should differ. Here’s how to effectively communicate the benefits of the martech solution you are getting behind, which should help you save time by clearly and thoroughly demonstrating your rationale, addressing what matters most to these key audiences:
Justify the Investment to Leadership
Securing top-level buy-in is the natural first step. After all, there’s little value in spending time winning over employees if key decision-makers aren’t on board. That being said, you should be prepared to answer questions regarding how well employees might accept a system change.
Justify the spend by communicating to leadership how the marketing software investment will tie in to organization values and support top priorities. Make sure you can answer questions:
- What are the current problems?
- How are they holding your business back?
- What are the expected measurable benefits?
- What’s the scalability of the software?
- Are there sufficient training and IT support resources?
- How will the software integrate with existing systems?
- What is the cross-departmental value?
Distill Research and Evaluation Notes to Make Your Case
Research and evaluate various software options and articulate why your choice rose above the competition. Avoid bombarding the executive team with a massive spreadsheet of key features and pricing information. Hone your notes and research until what remains is a succinct list of benefits that address issues most important to the C suite.
Be Prepared to Explain How the Software Will Combat Pain Points
Be able to verbalize, if not already apparent to leaders, the problems the software will measurably resolve to justify the investment. Communicate the expected outcomes associated with the software and emphasize that you will perform continuous evaluation to ensure you are reaching your goals. Look for relevant case studies to support your reasoning. Investigate whether other departments within the organization are successfully using the same software or a comparable platform that saves time and resources.
Link Software Features to Measurable Objectives
According to a recent Gartner article, sound technology purchasing decisions should be grounded in SMART objectives. Develop objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound that you expect the martech to effect. Avoid broadly stated goals such as “Generate more inbound leads.” Rather, assign a percentage growth and a time period: “The new tool will help the marketing team generate 30% more inbound leads in 2018 compared to 2017.”
Secure Buy-in from Internal Users
Lack of employee buy-in is a major hurdle to overcome for successful martech adoption. The software champion first needs to generate acceptance of a new system, then maintain enthusiasm through the onboarding period.
There is always resistance to change, even if the change is positive. Even if that legacy system is rife with issues, they’re a known quantity to users. It can be a tough sell to convince employees that learning an entirely new way of doing things is worth the trouble. But adoption is essential in getting the desired ROI from the system – so this step is critical as well.
While conversations with the leadership team focus on specific measurements and business values, communication with potential system users needs to convey the idea of the software. Tell a story, in essence, of how the product can change their work lives for the better. Talk about time saving, elimination of headaches and other real pains they experience.
Start Early
Educate employees about the new software far in advance of the launch so that even the most tech-averse users will have time to warm up to the change. Meanwhile, advanced communications might win over more tech-savvy employees who tend to be early adopters; they can help generate enthusiasm among peers. Don’t forget that most decisions are base on emotions. Communicate the idea that the new software will make their lives easier rather than harder. This also helps make users aware early on that executive staff is committed to successfully implementing the new software.
Manage Expectations
Acknowledge that change is difficult and that the launch of something new is inherently messy. Recognize that employees will need to “retrain their brains” to adapt to the new interface. Then, stress that the long-term benefits will make the transition worthwhile. Frame an authentic story around how their workday looks today, highlighting inefficiencies and challenges. Contrast it with how their workday will improve post-implementation.
Listen to Users’ Concerns to Gain Valuable Input
Taking user concerns seriously is an important part of the implementation process. Gather information on what might be needed to help navigate potential barriers to a successful launch. Understand the challenges on the employees’ end, and foster a collaborative approach to achieving the end goal – easier, more efficient processes for users.
Follow Up with Extensive Training and Evaluation
Congratulations, you’ve secured executive sign-off and an implementation schedule has been set. Your role as project champion now transforms to project nurturer. The smoother the adoption period, the faster the new technology will start proving ROI.
Lack of proper training is a top reason martech solutions are underutilized and fall short of expectations. Ensure that the necessary time and attention are devoted to training and onboarding.
Also, check in frequently with users to identify any perceived issues or barriers to complete adoption. Assigning a tech-savvy early adopter to act as a liaison is a solid way to get smart feedback. If something isn’t working, address concerns immediately – don’t let issues fall through the cracks. This is a fast path to dwindling returns. Likewise, gather feedback on employees’ perceptions of the most valuable benefits.
How to Know What’s Best for Your Business
Not much about the martech and marcomtech world is black and white. One area that can be especially gray? Facing the decision to purchase an off-the-shelf software solution or to invest in a custom-built system.
Gaining clarity begins with a careful evaluation of processes and workflows to identify major pain points the software needs to address. With a customized solution, software developers will collaborate with you to develop components tailored to any unique aspects of your business. Upfront costs are typically higher than out-of-the-box software (OTBS). In the long term, however, the advantages of a custom build can justify that higher price tag.
It’s also important to recognize when SaaS will do the job. Custom-built software solutions can certainly give you greater agility and business-specific capabilities, but sometimes OTBS makes more sense in terms of less involved implementation and lower initial costs. Keep in mind that you’ll still need to do comprehensive research and evaluation to select the OTBS solution that will best fit your needs.
The points below can serve as a guide to helping you navigate this gray area.
A Fully Custom System May Be Best When…
- You’re growing and have evolving needs.
A growing organization or department will need a solution that’s scalable. Scalability refers to the capability of a system, network, or process to handle a growing amount of work, or its potential to grow to accommodate that growth. While OTBS can offer some level of adaptability via vendor updates and add-ons, a custom design in many cases can be more scalable to your specific changing needs. Developers can build in adaptability so that the software will be relevant and useful even as numbers of users and APIs grow and workflows evolve. - You need seamless integration with existing systems.
It’s true that many OTBS solutions support integration with commonly used platforms and applications (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Adobe Creative Cloud). However, if you need a solution that will integrate with a more niche program – and this could be a database, an internal application, single sign-on functionality – it will most likely put you in the custom build category. - Data transfer and compatibility is a concern.
With the colossal increase in data from different sources, as well as structure (or lack there-of), any move to a packaged solution should be carefully thought out. Organizations must know beforehand the potential difficulty of moving their data to the new system, and outlining processes for aligning the two. - Custom development is necessary to solve your most pressing problems.
You’ve determined that for a martech solution to truly enable your team to work faster, smarter and provide measurable ROI, a custom solution is the only way to go. The gaps are just too wide between your problems and standard features of out-of-the-box software. - OTBS solutions include too many features you wouldn’t use.
Too many non-valuable features mean you’re only using a small portion of what you’re paying for, which is not the way to prove ROI. While the price point of some packaged solutions may be low enough to negate issues of feature frivolity, it is not always the case and should be calculated before making any final software purchase decisions.
The Takeaway:
The sky’s the limit as far as functionality and capability when it comes to a custom build, as long as you have the budget and time to devote to the project. Involve analysts to help evaluate your current systems and processes and advise on whether custom is the right choice. Keep in mind that speed to market must take into account research, requirements, development and implementation phases (almost certainly more than a month, more often two months or longer depending on the scope of the project).
On the Other Hand, SaaS Can Work When…
- You have a fairly common challenge to solve.
If you need a solution to address a business challenge that most companies face, there’s likely a SaaS solution available. For example, a mid-size retail business seeking a platform to automate an email marketing program will have no problem finding a host of ready-made solutions. - The need for control and ownership is not a priority.
For some use cases, owning a custom system does not deliver enough value. The business need that the software will fill may have been identified by the business as short-term, and thus long-term ownership is not warranted. - A custom build wouldn’t give you a competitive edge.
It won’t help you provide a higher quality service or a lower-cost product. In other words, you can execute key business processes and create deliverables without the need for a system with custom-developed functionality. - An off-the-shelf product comes acceptably close to solving your issues.
You may have a wish list of custom features that will enable a platform to “do it all.” But consider whether those features truly justify a custom build. These gray areas can be hard to judge, but typically, if an out-of-the-box option solves at least 90% of your process issues, it makes sense to forego a custom build. This philosophy applies only if acceptable workarounds exist for the areas the solution doesn’t address. (This point is basically the inverse of number 4 above.)
The Takeaway:
If you have a fairly broad need, you’re likely to find a robust SaaS solution that offers a wide range of functionality. OTBS also tend to evolve over time as they undergo vendor updates to better serve a wide client base – and the allure of receiving new features can definitely drive satisfaction. But if you have a very specific need in terms of processes or deliverables, keep in mind that OTBS software may fall short of expectations.
Making the decision to go custom or out of the box is just the beginning when it comes to selecting and implementing marketing-driven software. For more than 20 years, clients have turned to Strata Company for both custom development and SaaS solutions that deliver optimal value and improve speed and efficiency of business processes.
How to Choose the Right Technology Solutions
Updated: June 1, 2023
As sales enablement evolves as a clearly defined business function, the necessity for marketing departments to align with sales teams becomes crucial.
Leading marketers are realizing that traditional methods of distributing content and collateral, such as email and network drives, are no longer viable. In fact, some industry experts estimate that sales personnel spend up to 30% of their time tracking down content or customizing it themselves.
Indeed, the market is awash with technology that enables sales teams with the content and tools needed to nurture customer relationships and increase closing opportunities.
Identify Best Practices for Aligning Marketing and Sales
The process of selecting your MarTech solution and vendor should be guided by a careful look at your organization’s sales and marketing goals. Identify where disconnects exist and define a set of best practices before you begin your search.
For example, Ruler identified several best practices of top-performing organizations regarding alignment of sales and marketing, including the following:
- Choosing software that works for your team
- Content creation for the whole sales funnel
- Utilize sales insight from closed sales
When your sales and marketing teams are operating within the CRM, like Salesforce, the data they access is consistent and aligns with campaign progress and engagement activities.
Choosing Your Sales-Enabling MarTech and Vendor
The right MarTech system can help facilitate and de-silo the relationship between marketing and sales, even giving marketing departments the agility to help sales teams be nearly self-sufficient when it comes to accessing the content they need, when they need it.
Select a vendor who will work with you to design a system around your vision of what the user experience should be. In general, here are some of the top benefits a sales-enabling MarTech solution can provide:
- Enable sales teams to access and customize content. With a central web-based marketing resource management portal to store content, marketing can connect the sales team with the most effective content for each part of the sales funnel. Also, the best content management tools will allow sales and marketing teams to track client engagement with content so they can collaborate on adapting it.
- Allow marketers to retain control over branding and compliance. By eliminating the need for sales reps to re-create content they can’t find or that isn’t relevant, marketers can rest assured that there will be no misuse of the company brand or violation of compliance requirements in highly regulated industries.
- Streamline distribution of collateral. Every step of the process, from ordering to fulfillment, can be centrally managed and automated to ensure that sales reps receive the right materials at the right time. Further, distributed local marketing solutions often provide online ordering and web2print capabilities. Sales teams can order materials in moments and have them shipped directly to them.
- 24/7 on-demand access. Cloud-based platforms are ideal for sales enablement given the increase in working remotely, field sales, mobility and globalization. Online marketing portals mean sales can access what they need whether they’re on the road, off-site at a client location, or working from home.
Empowering your sales team through a streamlined marketing content distribution system can help increase sales, improve your ROI, and close any disconnects via self-service portals. If you’re in need of a new vendor, or want to discuss how Strata can help your business establish a MarTech ecosystem that benefits your team, contact us today.