Why print in your customer communication strategy?
As the world becomes more digitally oriented, print communications can often be downplayed or overlooked as an effective means of connecting with your customers. Despite the decline in printed mail, tangible, offline experiences offer powerful opportunities to foster meaningful connections, build trust, and drive engagement with customers as well as clients.
Adding a physical touch to a rapidly growing digital world
With the overwhelming rise of digital touchpoints print is tactile, personal, and incredibly effective in connecting with customers. Research shows that direct mail has the highest response rate among all communication channels.
Print communication can help businesses stand out, as it offers tactile, emotional, and shareable experiences. It’s stickier than digital communications and has no chance of getting lost in an email inbox. Understanding the value of print can help you make a compelling case for its inclusion in your overall business strategy. Customer preferences for print communication have grown particularly as life becomes increasingly screen-heavy. Despite the push for paperless transactions, print remains a preferred choice for many customers. 74% of millennials say that they receive too many emails, and 70% are frustrated by irrelevant emails sent by brands, according to a study by SmarterHQ.
Making the most of the 'mail moment'
The "mail moment" is the impact of printed mail on your customers. Print continues to demonstrate its value as an essential component in a customer communication strategy. People are seeking offline experiences, making direct mail, print, and trans-promotional marketing pieces valuable tools for creating impactful offline customer interactions. Printed mail achieves faster response rates and higher engagements and appeals to a wide range of demographics including Millenials and GenZ, not just older generations.
Direct mail is read more often than email among all age groups, and 71% of all consumers are excited to discover what the mail brings every day. USPS (2021)
Balancing online and offline experiences
Print can play an integral role in customer communications when properly planned and executed. Businesses should explore ways to combine marketing efforts, such as inserts or trans-promotional components within transactional documents, Combining these applications make business sense and can help you leverage printed mail and even guide your customers toward digital channels for further engagement.
Meeting customers where they are and engaging with them through various channels according to their preference is crucial. The challenge lies in identifying and optimizing these delivery channels to fit the needs of your audience, whether they are customers, partners, or suppliers, as the term "customer" can encompass many different forms.
Businesses need to ensure they effectively reach their audiences through a well-rounded approach. Utilizing print as well as digital channels enables you to offer your customers a choice of communication methods that meet their specific needs and preferences.
Take advantage of innovations in print technology
With today's technology, creating these experiences can be easy, affordable, and secure. The latest hardware and software solutions, and document automation tools can guarantee the integrity and security of printed documents.
Advances in print technology and mail processing equipment make printed mail more impactful and efficient. The inkjet universe has better inks, substrate capabilities, and throughput, replacing analog and toner-based technologies. This has led to more options in terms of speed, paper sizes, and sheet sizes, making it accessible to a broader range of businesses. innovations in mail processing equipment such as folder, allows businesses to handle shorter runs and a more significant number of jobs.
Automation tools including both hardware and software make print communications more efficient and accurate. It’s not just about completing jobs faster it’s about optimizing team productivity, reducing errors, and mitigating compliance risks. barcodes and closed-loop verification (link)
Building trust is key
Good experiences breed loyalty. Trust is a crucial aspect of the customer experience. Customers expect coordinated and consistent experiences. Businesses must recognize their customers as individuals, providing experiences that make them feel understood and supported.
Balancing personalization and privacy. According to a study done by Marketing 82% of customer across all age groups claim they print over any other type of media. https://hbr.org/2022/04/why-marketers-are-returning-to-traditional-advertising
Factors such as company size, industry, campaign budget, staffing situation, and project complexity should be considered when determining which approach best suits your business. Ultimately, a well-considered approach to print and mail operations can lead to significant savings in time, labor, and budget.
A trusted mailing partner can help you navigate industry regulations, reduce labor costs, and improve customer experiences through automation tool and cloud solutions. When selecting a partner, it is essential to consider their ability to ensure business continuity and security, as these elements can significantly impact a company's brand equity.