How direct mail can improve customer retention

When it comes to Customer Relationship Management (CRM), information makes all the difference. The more you know about your customers, their interests, lifestyles and buying habits, the more you can anticipate their needs and get closer to them.

Relationship (re)building

A well-crafted and perfectly timed mailing is an ideal way to let your customers know that you’re thinking of them. You can say as much or as little as you like, remind them of their history with you, give them a special offer on a product or services that’s connected to a past purchase. You can even supply them with new ways to use the product or make the most of different features. For a cosmetics firm, this could be a set of beauty tips. For a utility provider, it could be a list of ways to save energy during the winter months. Or, you might want to entice customers with an upgrade or a new product.

Make it personal

Personalised Direct Mail can make consumers feel special and valued. You can use customer data to create infinite variations on a single mailing, each one tailored to the individual customer. For example, you can send a special birthday offer, or remind customers of a past purchase – and that it may be time for something new.

Measuring the cost of response

When you collect and analyse the results of your Direct Mail campaigns, you’ll get to know your customers better. The information you gather can help refine your next campaign. Each mailing can be more effective and more precisely targeted than the last.

Create a loyalty programme

A loyalty programme gets you closer to your customers by recording data on every purchase they make. You can reward their purchases with coupons or discounts that are based on their buying habits and patterns. And, if those patterns change, you can create a Direct Mail campaign that re-establishes that relationship before their loyalties have permanently moved elsewhere.