I just love the Internet and all it has to offer. Case in point, I am reading up on facebook, so far I have found two good sites for learning best practices for creating and marketing a business facebook page (more on that in future posts). While I was on one of the sites, I was reading this cool online book, you have probably seen them before, looks like a book spread showing 2 pages at time, click to advance to the next set of pages. Anyway I notice there is a link which takes me to the site Issuu – You Publish., turns out anyone can create and publish their own virtual book just by uploading it to this service. I haven’t read all about it but it seems very cool. I am sure that one day I will take advantage of this and wanted to share my finding with all of you.

digital publishing · virtual book making

Ah technology, you gotta love it. I remember the days when direct mail meant sending out your marketing message via the USPS with special offers, toll-free phone numbers and instant saving coupons.

Mailers on Steriods – Now it’s personal
Not long ago direct mailing advanced with the introduction of Print on Demand which made it possible to personalize each mailer with demographic information via a database. The amount of personalization limited only by the data collected on the prospect or customer. Car dealers that know when their customers historically are in the market for a new car can now target the release of their message around those anniversaries. The mailer contains a personalized greeting, if the dealer knows the receipient’s favorite color and type of vehicle the customer lends toward the mailer could display the latest model in that color. On and on. You get the picture.

A new way to improve direct mailing results – Personalizing the Internet.
Well today you can add what might be the most powerful incentive to act on a mailer’s message yet. “1:1 marketing” provides a link (URL website address) to a special offer that’s waiting online at a website specifically created for the person receiving the mailer! These new hybrid websites are referred to as Personalized URLs or PURLS. Not only can this be printed on conventional mailers but a hot link can to incorporated in an electronic message as well (email, PDF file, etc.)

But there’s more…
Wow, this is great! I have a special offer on a personal website built just for me (look, it says abccompany/Jane_Doe_special_offer) and all I have to do is click to get it, right? Well yes… but before we give you that carrot on a stick, you just need to provide us with just a little bit of information [so we can make our future marketing messages and offers to you even better!]

A win-win situation if you think about it.
So the customer or prospect can now get the special offer simply by visiting their personal web site (and who would not want to do that – just out of curiosity if nothing else). The business doing the mailing gains more demographic info on the target AND is able to track how many people responded to the marketing effort. Trackable direct marketing that recent industry data shows a significant rise in results compared to equal mailings with no Internet ties.

What’s been your experience?
Direct mailing with an Internet tie. Have you done it? If so, how has helped your marketing efforts? What are the Pros and Cons from your experience? I’d love to get your insight!

direct mailers · personalized URLs · Print On Demand · PURLS · variable data printing

Thanks for visiting my website. I am just getting started with my blog but my plans for this category are to keep readers up to date with the new and innovative ways to brand and market small businesses.

My first entry will be on 1:1 Print marketing. A way to personalize direct mailers to increase response rates. So stay tuned!

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