9 Marketing Automation Triggers For Direct Mail and How to Use Them
What is marketing automation triggers and why apply them in mail campaigns ✅ List of customer activities marketers should use to initiate triggered direct mail
Is there a perfect time to send direct mail? Despite the highest response rate compared to digital marketing channels, mail still must be time-sensitive to get opened. Therefore, you should make every communication relevant and connected with the past activities of the recipient.
Fortunately, marketing automation triggers simplify this task. They allow synchronizing mailing campaigns with real-time user actions or events across other channels. As a result, instead of standard messages, customers receive personalized triggered direct mail at the best moment. Its content and delivery seem just right, encouraging the recipients to convert.
Would you like to learn how to use marketing automation triggers for direct mail? Find trigger-based marketing examples and instructions here.
What are Marketing Automation Triggers?
Marketing triggers are commands that make software complete specific actions automatically. These typical actions or events instruct the connected marketing tools to respond. For example, when a user adds a product to favorites, it triggers an integrated email automation software to send them a related offer. It may be an email with a discount, selection or similar products, reminder, etc.
Marketing automation triggers allow companies to build complex omnichannel campaigns that offer tailored communications. Each customer's step determines how the brand treats them next and how the communication happens. This way, marketing automation triggers maximize the effectiveness of any campaign, including triggered direct mail.
Marketers have tons of reasons to use triggers and direct mail for marketing automation. It benefits many fields, from customer communications to sales. Here are the most renowned advantages.
Triggered Direct Mail Helps Reach and Activate Customers
When the message arrives at the right time, people are more likely to react positively. Therefore, triggered direct mail, as well as other time-sensitive communications, is more effective. It's good at every customer lifecycle stage, from initial engagement to nurturing or remarketing.
It's as Easy to Manage as Online Marketing
The use of direct mail for marketing automation is as easy as delivering messages online. You only need mail automation software for that. Such tools automatically print custom mail pieces, organize delivery, and track the progress. Integration is also simple. With an API, you can make automated direct mail functionality a part of your existing software.
You Get an Alternative Communication Channel
81% of people look forward to seeing what's new in their mailbox. This interest almost guarantees that customers will hold your mailing in their hands and makes direct mail a great alternative channel. Email, online ads, blog posts, and other digital communications have less impact on recipients.
Triggered Direct Mail is Cheaper in the Long Run
Since triggered mail is more relevant than bulk mailings, it nudges people to take the mail piece out and read it. Hence, marketing automation triggers allow sending fewer mail pieces with higher success rates. It cuts mailing costs and repays for the investment in mail automation software.
9 Trigger-Based Marketing Examples for Mailing Campaigns
Different triggers yield the best results in different marketing campaigns. Below are the most common marketing automation triggers for direct mail, both customer actions and events. Rely on these trigger based-marketing examples to implement triggered direct mail in your company.
1. New Customer Joined
If you are lucky to engage a new customer, show them you appreciate it with triggered direct mail. The moment when the lead completes creating their account may be the 'new customer joined' trigger. Configure software to send a welcome postcard with valuable information in response automatically.
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2. Renewed Subscription
When someone decides to stay with you for another month or year, be sure to say thank you. An email is a good option, but postcards feel more personal and strengthen your brand image. Hence, ‘Thank you for staying with us' mailing with some bonuses is preferred.
3. Saving an Item to a Wishlist
Use adding the product to favorites as a trigger to deliver related offline marketing. You can offer a discount on the saved product or print custom catalogs with similar items to make the lead convert. Note that personalized catalogs are best for B2B.
4. Abandoned Cart
Use marketing automation triggers to send print reminders when people drop off at the checkout. Cart abandonment reasons are versatile, from high shipping costs to personal doubts. The right mailing can make the buyers reconsider their decision and return to complete the purchase.
5. Special Events in the Customer's Life
Use it as a trigger if it's New Year, Christmas, your customer's birthday, or any other significant event. When the date X comes, marketing software will automatically deliver a personalized greeting postcard to the person. Such mailings help nurture customers and grow loyalty.
6. Low Email CTR
When leads start ignoring your emails for any reason, it's a sign you should try another tack. Send them a similar message via direct mail to increase the chances of reading it. To configure this, you will need to monitor the email CTR and initiate direct mail campaigns when it's too low.
7. Browsing Specific Website Pages
The choice of the pages to browse can tell you a lot about customers and their needs. Use visits to specific website pages as triggers. For example, when someone shows interest in the sales page, try sending them mailings dedicated to discounted products or special offers.
8. Subscription to Offline Communications
Subscription to offline newsletters is one of the common trigger-based marketing examples. If users directly request print materials, set it as a trigger to automate mailings.
9. Participation in the Loyalty Program
As soon as customers register in the loyalty program, show them they have advanced opportunities by sending triggered direct mail. A postcard or a letter is an excellent way to treat people who have expressed loyalty towards your brand.
You don't need much to use triggered direct mail for marketing automation. Some analysis and good mail automation software are enough to build and implement the strategy. Follow these steps to do it:
Step 1. Decide what you want to achieve with the trigger
Even though triggered direct mail is effective, you cannot use it for everything. Therefore, you need to choose the business aspect(s) this mailing campaign can improve. For example, if many customers bounce at the checkout, make your triggered direct mail targeted at this problem.
Step 2. Understand how to implement it
You will need software to capture triggers and use them to activate mailings. One tool will track user activity (e.g., a subscription or email click), and another, mail automation platform like Inkit Send, will manage automated mail printing and delivery.
Step 3. Connect software and create the necessary workflow
You need to integrate the chosen software solutions and align their actions. Create the marketing workflow that instructs software on sending triggered direct mail and its content.
Step 4. Test the marketing automation triggers
After finishing the initial settings, test how everything works. If you make a mistake configuring marketing automation triggers, it can harm the relationships with many customers. Hence, testing the campaign on a small group of users is essential.
Why Inkit Send Direct Mail for Marketing Automation
Send is a direct mail automation tool provided in Inkit's platform. We offer it as an API you can integrate with other currently used software to implement triggered direct mail. Send fully automates mail printing, delivery, and tracking. It allows marketers to build omnichannel campaigns with automated mailings as one of the components.
