Direct mail used to be a mountain of work for marketers. They had to guess the personalized content they would send to potential customers on limited data. Also, they had to manage printing, track delivery, and establish optimal communication between all the departments taking part in this process.
Those were the days before direct mail automation, which simplifies the workflow and puts the entire mailing process on cruise control. With the additional integration of an Application Programming Interface (API), sending mail to hundreds of thousands of people every month becomes as easy as 1-2-3.
What is Direct Mail Automation?
Direct mail automation is the process of sending transactional mail, marketing mail, personalized letters, postcards, and checks on a large scale without the manual process that usually goes into mailing these documents.
Contrary to traditional direct mail, the new, automated way of sending mail enables marketers to personalize the content down to every receiver in their mailing lists. This way, businesses can develop meaningful connections with leads and clients even if they don’t have subscriptions to their email list.
Automated direct mail is effective in bridging the distance between businesses and potential customers and among the top sources generating sales and marketing leads.
How Does Direct Mail Automation Work?
Companies use automated direct mail because it is an inexpensive and effective way of finding out more about their target customers.
This process monitors individual user data, including online behavior and shopping history, to develop and send direct mail automatically bespoke to each customer.
Every piece of mail derives from client actions and particular demographic details, such as location, age, children, pets, or life events.
By using automation technology, marketers can automate the sending of direct mail, physical notes, and gifts with a high level of personalization. Some examples include:
- eGift cards
- Letters
- Postcards
- Checks
- Memorabilia
This type of direct targeting can be very effective for businesses looking to enhance customer loyalty. It also helps them optimize processes, generate leads and demand to increase sales, and improve customer retention.
What is Direct Mail API?
API is short for Application Programming Interface, a software intermediary that creates a communication bridge between two or more applications.
In automated direct mail, API enables quick and efficient communication between your CRM, eCommerce, marketing platform, and direct mail software.
By using API for direct mail, you can narrow down the triggers on which you send personalized direct mail, such as customer behavior, actions, or events.
With the right direct mail API software, your marketing strategy becomes easier to conceive and improve. Instead of following a lengthy and cumbersome mailing process, you can send automated mail with a click of the button and monitor the results with minimal effort.
Generally, you don’t even have to import the mailing lists in the direct mail software because the API automatically links all the necessary data.
API in direct mail automation enhances customer experience and reignites marketing funnels. It also helps you spend less time and fewer resources managing logistics. In return, you get better analysis tools and results to improve your outreach.
