The Power of Trigger Mailings

Author: Melissa Fransen, Marketing Manager

This summer, I placed an order on a website for a family member’s birthday present. Shortly after placing the order, I received a postcard with an offer of 20% off another order. I was looking for another gift for a different family member, so I placed another order, using my 20% off coupon. A few weeks later, I received another postcard with an offer and guess what? I placed another order. I also followed the company’s social media channels.

This is an example of a tried and true trigger mailing loyalty marketing campaign working its magic. And, yes, it works! I went from a first-time shopper to becoming a repeat customer, keeping this brand top of mind along the way. The product quality was great and I received excellent service throughout the process. I was also reminded of my mailed coupon offers through email marketing and through these trigger mailings, I have become a loyal customer to this brand.

How do Trigger Mailings Work?

Have you heard the term Variable Data Printing (VDP)? If not, variable data printing allows your printed piece to be completely customized to an individual based on data and triggers. It is basically the opportunity for 1:1 marketing using print. Check out our blog that is all about VDP and its advantages.

Think about the trigger mailing example I mentioned above. I was sent trigger mailings based on being a first-time customer. They lured me in after my first purchase with an offer. Then, they lured me in with another offer. I became a repeat customer right off the bat. I also plan to do some of my holiday shopping through this brand due to a great experience with all three purchases.

Getting Started with a Trigger Mailing Program Concept

There are many ways that trigger mailings can be used. Think through your customer’s journey with your brand and how you could use triggered mailings to drive business. Here are some examples of questions to ask yourself:

  1. How can I take a first-time customer and turn them into a loyal customer?
  2. How can I take a customer back to the buying journey with their abandoned cart items?
  3. How can I reach out to lapsed customers and bring them back as a customer?

After you’ve thought through these scenarios, then think about all of the marketing channels that you are using to reach that customer and what makes sense from a timing perspective to keep your brand in front of them through all of these channels. Think about where mail makes sense in this equation.

Working with a Printer on a Trigger Mailing Program

Once you have the strategy ready, the next part is executing it. We have a whole team of data experts at Nahan who can help with API integrations, CRM integrations, and custom programming. Once things are set up systematically, the rest is easy. The trigger mailings you have developed automatically take place based on the concept/behaviors you have identified on your plan. Our team at Nahan holds multiple industry certifications to ensure the protection of your data from beginning to end. We help our customers utilize triggered mailings to drive business, and we can help you too.

Ready to Get Started?

Find out more about our marketing services and how we can help you today!

At Nahan, we pride ourselves as being a tech-forward printer who drives results. We invite the opportunity to talk with you about the power of trigger mailings and how you can get started. Why work with Nahan for your trigger mailing program? Check out our 30-second video on what sets us apart. Contact us today!

Bio: Melissa Fransen is our Marketing Manager. She started with Nahan in May of 2017. Melissa is responsible for Nahan’s marketing initiatives, which includes everything from conference planning to social media initiatives. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and enjoying time in the outdoors with family and friends.

Print Marketing to Millennials & Gen Z

Author: Melissa Fransen

Did you know that Millennials spend more time reading their mail than any other generation?  And that 92% of college students prefer reading printed materials to digital material?  Yes, you read that right!  Even in a generation that grew up in a digital world, if your target market includes these generations, you may be missing a big opportunity if you are not utilizing the power of print within your omni-channel marketing strategies. There are a lot of misconceptions about the power of print marketing and today we’re going to explore ideas for reaching these generations with your print marketing strategies.

Millennials (Born 1981 – 1996)

Millennials are the largest generation in the US, representing a population of over 72 million. This generation is tech savvy, social savvy, educated, and spends $600 billion in the United States each year.

The following are some characteristics of this generation: [1]

  • Appreciate experiences
  • Care about values
  • Value purpose
    Print Marketing Millennials
    Photo by Ivan Samkov from Pexels
  • Budget-friendly
  • Want to stay connected
  • Choices are important to them
  • Value sustainability
  • Seek recognition
  • Instant gratification
  • Value speed and convenience     
  • Trust Influencers                                    

Stats: Here are some interesting Millennial stats:     

  • 77% of millennials participate in loyalty reward programs [2]
  • 90% are social media users [3]
  • 88% take the time to look through their mail to make sure they are not discarding useful information [4]
  • 75% say that receiving personal mail makes them feel special [5]
  • 62% have visited a store in the past month based on receiving information in the mail [5]
  • 65% like coupons for retail businesses and 69% like coupons for restaurants [5]
  • 82% cite print as a part of their purchasing journey [6]
  • 89% check their mailbox at their first opportunity [6]
  • 77% pay attention to direct mail [6]

Print Ideas for this generation:

  • Incorporate an omnichannel experience
  • Build trust and loyalty through incentives
  • Be authentic in your communications
  • Variable data printing – make it personal to them
  • Give them choices – “this offer” or “that offer”
  • Let them know what your brand is doing to make an impact to build a connection with them
  • Give them an offer that is quick to redeem and convenient
  • Include content about what are others saying about your brand to establish trust

Generation Z (Born 1997-2012)

This generation represents 20% of the U.S. population and has become one of our most technologically savvy generations, as they grew up with electronic technology and the internet.

The following are some characteristics of this generation: [7]

  • Focus on career/financial stability
  • Strong family influence
    Print Marketing Millennials
    Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
  • Thrifty
  • Value brick-and-mortar experiences
  • Appreciation for physical media
  • Value physical experiences
  • Prefer personal communications
  • High expectations
  • Values cross-functional communications
  • Instant gratification
  • Tactile experiences matter
  • Personalization matters

Stats: Here are some interesting Gen Z stats.

  • 98% of this generation owns a smartphone [8]
  • 2X more likely to shop on mobile devices than millennials are [9]
  • 65% of this generation sees value in coupons, discounts, and rewards programs [10]
  • 72% of Gen Z says price is the key factor in purchasing decisions [11]
  • 88% prefers omni-channel brand experiences [12]
  • 68% of Gen Z expects brands to contribute positively to society [13]
  • Spend about 1 hour each week reading magazines [14]
  • 92% of 18-23-year-olds find it easier to read printed content than digital and the response rate to direct marketing is 37% higher than for email [15]
  • Average attention span of 8 seconds (vs. 12 seconds for Millennials) [16]

Print Ideas for this generation:

  • Coupons to drive them into your store or online
  • Variable data printing – make it personal to them [17]
  • Give them several call-to-actions to different types of media sources
  • Make your offers easy to redeem
  • Consider a unique tactile experience or die-line to gain interest – something that stands out
  • Use multi-media experiences
  • Help them feel connected to your brand
  • Easy, quick visuals to catch their attention
  • Give them an incentive to collaborate with your company – reviews, interactive games, etc.
Print Marketing Millennials
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Reach Millennials and Gen Z with Print

If you are ready to reach these demographics, we are here to help. Whether it’s unique die cuts, tactile experiences, or something completely out of the box, let us turn your ideas into reality and help you tap into this market with your print strategies to drive results. Download our whitepaper on why direct mail prospers in a digital world and request a sample pack today to get your creative juices flowing!

Bio: Melissa Fransen is our Marketing Manager. She started with Nahan in May of 2017. Melissa is responsible for Nahan’s marketing initiatives, which includes everything from conference planning to social media initiatives. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and enjoying time in the outdoors with family and friends.

Cover Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels