high-quality variable data printing (vdp) gives you a wealth of possibilities to create powerful and relevant direct mail that targets people on a truly 1:1 basis.
how?
leveraging data, the lifeblood of direct marketing.
Think about how much digital marketing relies on personalized data that creates a unique and individual experience for you every time you’re online. Personalization is a major driving force in direct mail today because businesses want to move beyond the days of mass mailing and “spray and pray” direct mail.
Instead, they want to create messages and offers based on customer preferences and history, as well as where they are in the sales funnel (or customer journey).
what is vdp?
Variable data printing is a digital printing process you can use to create individualized direct mail pieces in a single run based on one or more pieces of data you have about a customer or prospect.
These data points can be anything:
- customer name
- address
- purchase history
- sex
- age
- income
- and many more.
On their own or in combination, these unique custom elements grab attention and ultimately convert when printed on a unique mailing piece.
how does vdp work?
variable data printing works by extracting dynamically generated titles, addresses, personal names, offers, graphics, or images from a file and inserting them into a static mail layout or template based on a variable data piece they relate to . in your print files before the preflight stage.
For example, if you’re sending an invitation to visit a new retail store, your data files may include custom maps that show the best driving route from each customer’s or prospect’s home to the matching store location with your exact mailing address. the custom map is then inserted into the mail piece along with any other individual details found in your data files.
With the right digital press and software, a run of hundreds of thousands of mail pieces can be printed at high speed, each with whatever custom elements you decide to put on it. all that is required, aside from clean, accurate data, is software (and a press) that can handle large amounts of data and respond quickly to every change from one printed part to the next without significantly slowing down the printing process. /p>
best formats for vdp
vdp works great with direct mail formats that are easily customized.
so what can vdp be used for?
These popular direct mail formats can engage customers when they use vdp, as noted above, to capture attention and convey value.
- postcards
- envelopes
- folded auto-shipping
- brochures
Almost every component of a direct mail piece can possibly be customized, such as letters, headlines and subheads, body copy, inserts, images, graphical tables, cta response devices, and offers. Anywhere there is data that differentiates one lead or customer from another, there is an opportunity to use a variable element.
vdp effectiveness
according to surveys conducted by the data and marketing association (dma), mail campaigns using personalization achieve response rates of 6%, a vast improvement over an average of 2% for non-personalized direct mail .
However, keep in mind that it’s not just the response rate that determines the success of a campaign, but its return on investment (roi). When you factor in the total cost of the campaign and the dollars generated per order, vdp, when executed well, can produce an excellent return on investment.
Compared to a standard direct mail campaign, narrowly targeting certain demographics with highly personalized elements and offers in an email makes the campaign more relevant and valuable to the customer, leading to greater response. lower volume mailing campaign increases return on investment due to lower postage and printing costs.
variable data printing example
vdp can be used in a wide variety of industries, including financial services, retail, nonprofit fundraising, telecommunications, utilities, and healthcare.
In this example, a potential customer was sent a postcard with several vdp elements on the front to promote a homeowners insurance quote:
- personal name
- personal address
- house details
- image of house address
- budget personalized insurance
wrapping it
vdp is more than just customization. it is targeted marketing based on micro-level data, part of an overall strategy that treats each individual as a person, not as part of a group or mass audience.
In short, vdp turns traditional marketing on its head by centering product and service offerings, among other things, around each customer’s individual needs and wants. focuses on customer preferences, experiences, and more, and builds the email around how your business can meet those wants and needs.
Would you like to know how to incorporate personalized data into your direct mail campaigns? Our data team at mailing.com would love to talk to you about variable data printing and share our experience!
Call or contact us today for a free quote!