3 Steps to Optimized Omnichannel Campaigns

A 3-Step Guide to Effective Omnichannel Campaigns

Following a few best practices can help brands create effective and innovative omnichannel campaigns that move customers to act:

1. Coordinate and connect marketing channels

The most effective omnichannel campaigns will be well-connected and coordinated, with distinct touchpoints at various stages of the customer journey. Tapping into the latest innovations can make it easy to bridge direct mail and digital channels.

With AI overviews becoming increasingly prevalent—and driving fewer click-throughs in search results—getting customers to your website can be harder than ever. That’s where innovations like QR Codes and personalized URL (PURLs) come in play. Including a QR Code^®[2] on a targeted mailer allows recipients to scan the code with their smartphone and be led right to the brand’s online shop. Personalized URLs (PURLs) serve a similar purpose; these URLs are customized for each customer, often with their first name, and can lead to a specific landing page with personalized product recommendations and other content tailored to their needs.

For today’s distracted consumers, however, multiple touchpoints may be needed to keep their interest and move them toward a transaction. With retargeted direct mail, automated, customized mailers can be sent out within a few days of a customer taking a specific action on a digital channel. This is a popular tactic for cart abandonment; if a customer adds an item to their online cart but fails to make a purchase, a mailer can be sent out reminding them of the item and perhaps offering a discount code. Including a QR Code or PURL that leads right to the item can make the experience seamless.

The Informed Visibility^® featurearrow_right_alt can also serve as a valuable asset in the savvy marketer’s toolbox. This free tool allows brands to track the progress of their mailers through every stage of the mailing process—from initial scan at the Post Office^™ facility to final delivery in customers’ mailboxes. With this near-real-time delivery information, brands can then launch complementary campaigns like emails or social media ads that target the same customers, following up when the mailer is still top of mind and making it easy for them to act.

2. Evoke customer emotion

Campaigns that elicit customer emotion can leave a lasting impression and set a brand apart. Where digital ads are fleeting and ephemeral, direct mail is tangible and personal—creating experiences that resonate with today’s distracted consumers and evoke a sense of exclusivity. In fact, research shows that mail engages the brain more deeply than digital media, resulting in stronger emotional responses and better memory retention.^[3]

Incorporating sensory elementsarrow_right_alt like unique textures, varnishes, specialty inks and even scents into mailers can encourage handling and engagement while providing a novel experience that activates the senses.

A spa may include scratch-and-sniff elements to showcase their signature aromatherapy options, an interior design company may include textural samples of various upholstery options, and a premium credit card company may use metallic embossed lettering to exude luxury and exclusivity. Velvety finishes, die-cuts and more advanced innovations like temperature-activated inks that change color when touched can all lend distinct sensibilities to campaigns.

Sending something worth saving can also help marketing messages “stick”—lingering not only in customers’ homes but also in their minds. In fact, mailpieces are kept in people’s households for 17 days on average,^[4] and 36% of consumers have a specific place in the house where they save print ads of interest.^[5] Useful add-ons like branded notepads, bookmarks and mini calendars can provide real value to consumers, while human touches like handwritten thank-you notes and branded holiday cards may remain on customers’ fridges or desks for weeks.

3. Focus on precision customer targeting

Today’s marketers are always looking for ways to boost ROI while providing measurable results that prove campaign effectiveness. But between rising ad costs and third-party cookie deprecation, digital marketing may no longer be providing the results it used to. Strategic marketers can use direct mail to create precisely targeted, relevant campaigns that encourage customers to act.

Delivering personalized, relevant content backed by data can help capture the attention of today’s digitally fatigued consumers. Trigger-based mailpieces offer a simple but effective way to connect with customers more deeply—for example, sending out mailers with happy wishes to mark birthdays, loyalty anniversaries or other major milestones. These mailpieces may also include special discounts, promos or personalized recommendations based on past purchases and browsing habits.

For businesses looking to optimize their local marketing efforts by reaching consumers within a certain geographic area, the Every Door Direct Mail^® (EDDM^®) online tool offers an accessible way to target entire neighborhoods, ZIP Codes or carrier routes. Based on U.S. Census data, the EDDM tool allows marketers to choose routes that align with their target customers’ demographics; results can be filtered by age range, income level and household size.

EDDM can also be very effective for smaller local or regional businesses, with U.S. consumers reporting that they’re willing to pay an average of $150 more a month to make sure their local shops survive.^[6]