What Is Variable Data Printing, and How Can Businesses Benefit From It?
In a study, more than half of Australian customers said they could trade their preference data with companies to feel they are a part of the brand’s community. Yet, 50% more Australians are frustrated with businesses that do not consider their unique needs and desires. So what is missing here? The answer is variable data printing capabilities!
It is common for brands to fail to deliver personalised experiences to their customers. Therefore, it is high time businesses learn what variable data printing is and incorporate it into their marketing strategies!
Read on to learn more about this digital printing technology to help your business improve customer experience and satisfaction!
Let us begin!
What Is Variable Data Printing?
VDP or variable data printing is an on-demand, digital printing type in which printers may change specific elements using customer data from an external database. These aspects include graphics, background images, texts, offers, CTAs, etc.
For instance, you can print a set of marketing letters with the same format but with different names and addresses. Businesses use this printing technique for customer acquisition, retention, direct marketing, advertising, addressing, invoicing, etc.
If done right, variable data printing services can help you save money, effort, and time by personalising your materials in one go. There is no need to slow down or stop printing to customise every item according to the customers’ preferences.
Variable Data Printing and Data Mining
The variable data printing method starts with a well-managed and updated database, which companies often refer to as ‘big data.’ It means exploiting all the customer details available in a system for a specific project.
For example, if you want to close a deal with a high-ticket client, you would start by gathering enough information about them. Then you use this data to personalise your communications and curate deals they cannot say no to—increasing your chances of getting a conversion!
Similarly, variable data printing allows you to personalise a printed item—to send it to your audience via direct mailing. To make it happen, you require data mining—filtering out customer information that interests you and can help convert a prospect.
The success of your variable data printing project depends on how well you manage your data mining activities. It also depends on how you cleanse your database, the quality of the search engines you use, and your algorithms.
Most businesses manage their database and employ data mining for variable data printing using the internet. But you should constantly cleanse and update your customer details to get all the data you need whenever you want to complete a personalised print project!h
It can be hard to keep up with the requirements for incorporating variable data printing, meaning you may never explore your database’s full potential. PostGrid helps companies of all sectors overcome this challenge and personalise their mailers without doing anything on their end!
Please note: While using variable data printing, you must balance tailoring your items and invading someone’s privacy! It may be tempting to use an intimate tone, but it might put some customers off as they might think the information you used is too personal.
So try using variables in a way that respects your audience’s integrity and does not take it too far.
Why Use Variable Data Printing?
Imagine sending 5,000 generic mailers for your promotional campaign and not getting the desired results because your audience could not relate to your messages. Such marketing programs can waste your precious time, resources, and effort.
Instead, you can employ variable data printing companies like PostGrid and personalise your mailers. It allows you to get guaranteed results, making your investment and time worth it.
- Getting personalised items in the mail creates a long-lasting influence on your potential and existing customers. They have an instant appeal that intrigues your audience and gets them to respond.
- When you use variable data printing as part of your direct mailing campaign, you leave behind the limitations on background images, texts, colours, etc. You can make your design look how you envisioned it—unique to every prospect on your mailing list.
- You can reach your targeted audience directly and offer relevant solutions to their problems. And variable data printing services make it happen!
How to Do Variable Data Printing?
Many companies think the print stage of variable data printing projects is puzzling and expensive. It will be easy and quick to complete this part if you plan properly and have the right tools handy.
Technically, you require an extracted database with your artwork to start such a project. Small and non-complex personalised print jobs need a spreadsheet with the relevant customer variables. Large runs demand a dedicated variable data production solution because of their complexity.
Think of the variable data printing process as filling in the blanks on a direct mail item. You leave ‘blank spaces’ for the details you want to customise, and the software automatically fills them with tailored customer data.
Here are some examples of the variables you can choose
- Customer name.
- Gender.
- Age.
- Location.
- Marital status.
- Purchase history.
- Interests and brand preferences.
- The number of children, etc.
PostGrid’s variable data printing services help businesses streamline their data management activities and automate the legwork. So companies do not need to deal with the technicalities and can focus on other parts of their business and marketing operations.
Variable Data Printing Examples
Now that you know – what is variable data printing and how it works. Let us now discuss some examples and applications to give you a more practical understanding.
Here is a simple use case- name badges for an event! Imagine you want to participate in a trade fair and invite your top-tier clients and prospects to visit your stall. You need to send out badges at least a week in advance to ensure they get entry into the event smoothly.
Businesses print these name badges one after the other with analogue screen printing or using the services of a small digital printer that can do the job. But what if you want to complete the task at lower rates and faster turnaround times? In such cases, variable data printing offers a solid solution to help businesses create these custom items without much effort!
Below are some more items you can personalise:
- Postcards.
- Letters.
- Greeting cards.
- Coupons or vouchers.
- VIP passes.
- Calendars, notepads, and other corporate gifting items.
- Booklets.
- Brochures.
- Flyers and leaflets, etc.
You can employ many types of variable data printing, like
Sending Direct Mailers With Unique Barcodes or QR Codes
Adding or printing unique codes on your printed materials is the best way to track customers’ responses during a campaign. You can trace back the response to individual respondents and take the conversion process further—pushing prospects ahead in the marketing funnel.
The services of variable data printing companies like PostGrid allow you to use such features for your campaigns effortlessly!
Invitation Printing
Inviting customers and prospects to a conference or product launch can be daunting. And you cannot get people to RSVP unless you put in additional effort and use variable data printing for your campaign.
People are more likely to visit an event when they get a personalised invitation. Luckily, variable data printing services enable you to print the receiver’s name and additional details to make them feel special and appreciated.
Specialised Offers to Persuade Customers to Complete Transactions
Australian retailers face up to 76% of shopping cart abandonment! Such astonishing figures can impact their business negatively and bring down revenue. But sending specialised offers to these customers can get them back to their carts and convince them to complete the checkout this time!
An effective variable data printing solution can help you print curated offers unique to every customer. For example, a prospect added products from your new Winter collection and abandoned the cart. You can mention the items they selected and offer a 10% discount to induce the sale.
Similarly, you can provide cashback offers, buy one get one free discounts, etc., to make your deals irresistible. The concept of variable data printing helps you understand what can make a customer purchase from you and implement a method to persuade them accordingly!
Target Customers Based On Earlier Purchases From Your Brand
Some customers stop buying from you when they no longer get what they want. They might have purchased from you earlier because of free shipping but switched brands when you stopped offering this feature. Or they might have used your services because they liked your customer support system, which is no longer functional.
Incorporating variable data printing services into your marketing strategies helps you target these people based on past purchases. You can offer them other incentives to compensate for what is missing and get them back on board with your brand!
How Can PostGrid Help Companies Employ Variable Data Printing in a Few Steps?
PostGrid’s print and mail API and automation software allow businesses to personalise their mailers, produce them in any volume, and ship them. Such all-in-one solutions for variable data printing help them streamline their direct mail marketing programs and save money!
The best part is that you can add as many variables as you want for your variable data printing project! You can add them to a spreadsheet, and PostGrid auto-fills these custom details into your artwork.
The result? Every prospect gets an eye-catching mailer with their name, address, and other personalised information. Thus, they know you care enough about their likes and requirements to design a specialised item and send them!
One of our clients was keen on using variable data printing for their upcoming direct mail campaign. Before this program, they sent generic mail items, like postcards and flyers and got below-average results. This spray-and-pray method was expensive and unpredictable, so they contacted PostGrid to help them with this dilemma!
Our print and mail API allows them to use variable data printing for every customer—helping them increase responses by a whopping 45%. Another 20% of recipients also showed interest after the client sent them triggered reminder postcards.
They integrated our API into their Hubspot account to fetch all the customer data they had for the campaign. The process was quick, painless, and effective- making the client earn 10x more ROI than expected!
Conclusion
Many businesses have ditched their traditional, generic mailing activities and switched to variable data printing to enhance their campaign performance. This printing method allows them to avail of several advantages, including
- Increasing customer loyalty.
- Grabbing the attention of new leads with personalisation.
- Driving instant orders.
- Improving online traffic using direct mail.
- Gather more accurate customer data.
- Improving acquisition and renewal rates, etc.
We hope the variable data printing examples discussed above inspire you to experiment with your direct mail campaigns and explore all opportunities.
PostGrid’s variable data printing services can assist you in doing so—at competitive pricing and using advanced features.
Are you interested in employing variable data printing for your upcoming direct mail campaign? Talk to us now!
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source https://www.postgrid.com.au/variable-data-printing/
source https://postgridaustralia.blogspot.com/2022/12/variable-data-printing.html
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