Direct Mail Marketing

A Strata YouTube Original Series

In today’s marketing world, if you’re not using variable printing on your print marketing materials, you may be falling behind. Why? Variable printing can completely transform your marketing campaigns and increase their effectiveness. With even the simple addition of a name to your direct mail, response rates can increase by 135%, and purchases can increase by 62%!

If you’re new to variable printing, want to know more about it, or even if you’re somewhat experienced in it, it may be a good idea to follow along as our Data Graphic Specialist, Bryan Mathes, answers several frequently asked variable printing questions. We’ve written out some of his interview answers below, and the full interview can be found here.

Q: What is variable printing?

A: Variable Data Printing is printing that uses data to create personalized or unique print and mail pieces. Some common examples of variable data are things like names, addresses, monetary amounts, images, QR Codes, and other kinds of data that could be made specific to a person or product.

Q: Why is variable printing so important in today’s marketing world?

A: People really like to feel seen, heard, and special. They don’t want to feel like just another face in the crowd or one more number that may or may not make a purchase. Personalized print and mail pieces have much greater impact on the recipient than generic ones.

Q: What are the main benefits of variable printing?

A: Most obviously, variable printing gives you personalization down to the recipient level. Every printed piece can be totally different from the next one depending on your variables and what they control.

As we said above, Bryan answers these questions in more depth throughout the full interview, and he also covers the following the questions:

When should I use variable printing versus regular/generalized print practices?
What do I need to get started with variable printing?
What are the most common variables used/changed in variable printing?
How much, on average, does variable printing improve response rates?
Are special/specific printers needed for variable printing?
What is important to keep in mind when creating variable data files?
What are some signs of a good variable printing partner?

View the full interview by clicking the image below. And, feel free to explore our blog and YouTube channel for more information and printing tips!

If you’d like to connect with our experts or have additional questions, contact us today! Our team would be happy to help you make smart happen.

A Strata YouTube Original Series

In a highly digital world, direct mail remains a powerful way to connect with your audience. In fact, print is a great way to keep your customers connected by breaking up your digital campaigns with the physical! In Strata’s latest YouTube video, we sit down with Rob Krischker, one of Strata’s Strategic Sales Representatives, as he answers several frequently asked questions surrounding direct mail marketing and talks through how it can enhance your future marketing campaigns. See below for a snippet of the full YouTube video…

Does direct mail still work?

The short answer is…yes, of course it does! The biggest reason is because it always has and still delivers a measurable return on investment.

When is the best time to send direct mail?

Some things to consider are your goals, busy seasons (for you, your competitors, and others sending mail), and any time sensitivity surrounding your mail.

How do I decide on a direct mail size & fold?

This also heavily depends on your goals. But, at the very least, I’d recommend a size, fold, and dimension that stands out from a #10 envelope (which is the size and format of most of your mail).

In the full interview, Rob answers the questions above in more depth, and covers the following questions:

Who should I be sending my direct mail to?
What’s the difference between direct mail and junk mail?
What’s a key part of direct mail that’s becoming more important each year?
Why would I choose direct mail over just email, digital ads, or other digital tools, and what’s the value of including direct mail in my multiple touch points?

You can view the full interview by clicking the image below. Also, feel free to explore our blog for other direct mail tips and stats!