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While we all know that personalizing your direct mail pieces can improve marketing results, the process can seem intimidating. What do you need to watch for? How can you make sure nothing goes wrong? Here are five tips for getting started on the right foot.

Whether you are creating a direct mail piece, an email, or a social media post, FOMO, or "Fear of Missing Out," is a powerful tool. Harnessing FOMO can drive engagement and conversions by creating a sense of urgency and exclusivity, compelling customers to act quickly so they don't miss out on something good.

You want to personalize your print communications, but you're just a small company. How can you create the level of precise targeting that is demanded by today's customers? How do you know what they're really interested in? Analyze your email metrics

You have a tight marketing budget and want to focus that budget on your best customers. How do you decide which customers are worth the most significant investment? You might think that the answer is obvious—the ones who spend the most money with you. But which metric do you use to determine that?

Whether you are sending direct mail only or integrating direct mail with other channels, marketing has many moving parts. The final “send” or “go live” is simply the last link in the chain. To ensure that the whole project stays on schedule, work backward to ensure each component is on schedule.

Direct mail is changing. This channel remains highly effective, but most people don't have the attention spans they used to. Mail that is fast and easy to scan is winning the day. According to Who's Mailing What! (WMW!), a database of nearly 300,000 direct mail pieces, the average word count used in marketing copy for envelopes, postcards, and self-mailers has dropped by 24%, 30%, and 29%, respectively, over the past 20 years.

In a world flooded with uncertainty and unrest, consider something radical: Embracing positivity! Themes centered around kindness, compassion, and optimism resonate with today's consumers. Here are five strategies to infuse positivity into your print and digital designs.

Nearly two-thirds (62%) of customers say their favorite brands treat them as individuals (Marigold, 2024). When you create experiences that resonate with your customers, you win their loyalty. That requires more than experience and gut instinct. It requires data.

A successful marketing campaign doesn't require a big budget. It just requires creativity and strategy. Let's look at seven smart ways to stretch your marketing dollars and get the biggest bang for your buck.

Direct mail is a versatile marketing tool that allows you to connect with your audience in a personal and impactful way. While digital channels are essential, direct mail adds a tangible element that cuts through the online noise.

Direct mail is a powerful tool for retaining customers and building loyalty. It can remind customers about your brand, offer exclusive discounts or promotions, and provide enticing content that keeps your consumers coming back. Let's look at five ways to incorporate direct mail into your customer retention efforts.

While personalization is all around us, not every marketer takes advantage of its benefits. A study from NAPCO Research found that if you aren't personalizing your direct mail, you're at a competitive disadvantage.

Lifetime Customer Value (LCV), also known as Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), is a metric that helps you, as a marketer, to understand the total worth of a customer to your business. By focusing on LCV, you can make better-informed decisions on allocating resources effectively, enhancing customer relationships, and driving long-term profitability.

When selling a product or service, the words you choose matter. It is not just what you say but how you say it. Whether you're fine-tuning a direct mail headline or crafting the subject line for an email, making subtle tweaks can make a huge difference.

Signage and large format printing are now produced at WhiteOak, providing top-quality products that make a strong and lasting impression. Whether you’re promoting a new product, guiding customers, or reinforcing your brand identity, our in-house solutions offer versatility and effectiveness.

As the temperatures rise and the days grow longer, it's time to embrace the season of sun, sand, and strategic thinking. While your competitors may be taking a marketing breather during the laid-back days of summer, you don't have to. Use this time to gain a competitive edge. While your competitors are cooling their heels in the sand, you can revamp your strategies for the months ahead.

In today's digital age, where screens dominate our daily lives, the value of print media like direct mail, marketing collateral, and print advertising is often overlooked. However, research has consistently highlighted the unique benefits of reading on paper compared to reading on screens.

If there are two envelopes on the counter, one in color and one in plain white, which one will you look at first? The one in color, of course. There are many statistics on the value of color in marketing, including mailing envelopes. But our own experience is often the most powerful evidence of all. We know what a powerful motivator color can be.

Pay close attention to the envelope to maximize the impact of your direct mail campaigns. The envelope is your mail's first impression, and optimizing its design can significantly boost your response rates.

In today's digital age, where we are used to hearing, "Go paperless! Go green," print unfairly gets a bad reputation. However, print is a sustainable choice for businesses looking to minimize their environmental impact. Let's look at some compelling data points that highlight the sustainability of paper.

Marketing personas can help tailor messages and product offerings to connect with consumers.

Did you know that loyal customers purchase more frequently, have larger basket sizes, and are more receptive to upsells? It's no wonder two-thirds of most businesses' sales come from existing customers. Once you win those customers, you want to keep them!

In recent years, circular design has gained traction in many industries, including printing and packaging. Circular design aims to minimize waste and maximize the lifespan of products by following the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle. Not only can embracing circular design lead to significant environmental benefits, but it can result in operational efficiencies, too.

In a new consumer survey from Braze, buyers were asked to share which factors motivate them to make repeat purchases. Product quality/brand trust shared the top spot with "affordability." Discounts came in a distant third.

The average donor retention rate for nonprofits is between 40% and 45%. That means for every 100 donors you have, only 40-45 will donate the following year. But what if you could retain more of them? Imagine the impact on your mission!

A well-defined business value proposition is crucial for attracting and retaining customers. This proposition communicates a company's unique benefits and value, setting it apart from competitors.

When it comes to input on which product to buy, who do shoppers trust most? Their friends and family. Sure, they are influenced by ads and marketing, but they are more likely to trust the people around them than the brands themselves.

Packaging is one of your most essential marketing tools if you sell products on the retail shelf. When buyers decide between two products, labels and packaging can be the deciding factor. When buyers plan to purchase one product, great labels and packaging can entice them to buy another.

Want to get your customers' attention? Incorporate creative folds that add dimension and interest. Gatefolds, in particular, are cost-effective tools that add high interest and engagement to your pieces. Whether you are producing marketing collateral, event invitations, or direct mail, these fun, creative folds can repeatedly engage your audience with your marketing content.

Consumers love direct mail, but just because your beautifully designed letter or postcard arrives in their mailbox doesn't mean they are automatically going to read it. Even with the most eye-catching pieces, common mistakes can hinder your success.

A strategy of regular, strategically timed communications can have a powerful influence on shopper behavior. That's why drip marketing is so important. In a drip marketing campaign, the business sends (drips) regular marketing communications, typically through multiple channels, to move a prospect through the sales funnel over time. It uses a combination of direct mail, email, mobile marketing, newsletters, or other content at the appropriate stage of the sales process.

Want to increase the effectiveness of your direct mail campaigns? Add a branded email with the same design components as the direct mail piece so that they are part of an integrated campaign. Adding branded email as a secondary touch doubles the customer.

More than 92% of U.S. businesses use social media for marketing. You may be one of them. But how intentional are your efforts? How should you be integrating social media with your other channels, such as print and email? Before answering that question, it's important to understand the role social media plays so you can put it in its proper place.

Your existing customers are your most profitable customers. They buy more frequently, and they spend more when they do. But are you paying sufficient attention to them? Could you be losing customers without knowing it? Understanding why customers defect to competitors is the first step in retaining them, so let's look at four key reasons you might be losing customers without realizing it.

Great marketing starts with knowing your customers. Knowing your customers starts with great data. So where do you get it? How do you find that “marketing gold” that helps you better understand your customers and refine your targeted communications? Here are five places you can start.

Succeeding in Business-to-Business (B2B) sales requires a nuanced understanding of the complex decision-making processes within organizations. Unlike B2C transactions, B2B sales often involve multiple decision-makers with unique needs and priorities. Navigating this landscape requires persistence, insight, and data-driven communications. Let's look at three “musts” for approaching B2B buyers.

When economic times are uncertain, different businesses take different strategies. Some tighten the belt, hunker down, and wait for things to improve. Others see opportunities. When their competitors pull back, they invest so they are way ahead when times get better.

Do brands have identities? Sure they do! Think about some companies most associated with a strong brand identity: Starbucks, Nike, Apple, and Coca-Cola. When you think about these brands, you think about more than products. Whether it's excellence and determination or the warm feeling of bonding with friends and family, each brand has a strong identity of which customers want to be a part.

We all know that personalizing your print marketing materials with someone's name yields higher open and click-through rates, but have you ever wondered why? It has to do with the way our brains work, and it's why name personalization will remain part of the marketing landscape for years to come.

In today's digitally driven world, it's easy to assume that everyone is connected, but the reality is quite different. Millions of Americans still lack access to high-speed Internet—42 million Americans, to be exact. (The FCC defines “high-speed” as download speeds of at least 25 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 3 Mbps.) This underscores the importance of keeping print in the marketing mix. Printed marketing materials like postcards, sales letters, and other direct mailers reach every American, regardless of their Internet connectivity.

In today's marketing landscape, the importance of data-driven marketing cannot be overstated. Gone are the days of relying solely on intuition and guesswork to make marketing decisions. Instead, successful businesses harness data's power to drive their marketing strategies and achieve remarkable results. What are some of the benefits of building your marketing strategy on data?

Marketing copy is the heart and soul of your advertising efforts. It connects your product or service with your audience, compelling them to take action. Let's break down five essential steps to writing effective marketing copy.

In the ever-evolving marketing world, getting caught up in the digital buzz is easy. However, there's a timeless charm to a well-executed print campaign that captures attention and makes a lasting impression. Print has unique qualities that can elevate your direct mail efforts. Let's look at five elements that make print special.

In today's digital age, does direct mail still have the power to influence buyers' decisions? According to research from the United States Postal Service, the answer is yes. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of mail recipients say that relevant direct mail has moved them to take some kind of action.

As you seek to break through the marketing clutter, the more channels, the better. Pairings such as print with email, email with social media, and social media with print will result in higher response rates than any single channel alone. As you plan your efforts, you may wonder about the terms “omnichannel marketing,” “multichannel marketing,” “cross-channel marketing,” and “integrated marketing.” What are the differences between them? Is one approach better than another? Let's take a look and find out.

Whether you are sitting down to design your first folding carton package or your hundredth, it helps to have a pre-design checklist. This ensures that your packaging looks and performs its best. Here are ten considerations you don't want to overlook.

Having consistent cross-channel branding is crucial to creating a strong and memorable company image. It helps your company stay top of mind with your target audience, establishes trust, and builds credibility. But how do you ensure brand consistency when channels like direct mail, email, and wide-format graphics have such different requirements?

Every time you turn around, someone is talking about artificial intelligence (AI). It can write the Great American Novel. Create masterpieces of art. Even write the music to that song you've had rattling around in your head for years. AI holds tremendous promise that we have only begun to understand.

In the world of direct mail, creativity is everything. You want to design pieces that stand out and catch the customer's eye. But be careful! Sometimes this leads to designing mail pieces in nonstandard sizes that, in some cases, can make the mailpiece undeliverable. Failure to meet minimum mailing dimensions is the number one mailing mistake cited by the United States Postal Service

In marketing, being "top of mind" means being the first brand or product that comes to mind when a shopper thinks of a particular industry, category, or need. For example, when someone says “soda,” what comes to mind? Coca-Cola? Pepsi? When someone says “electronics,” is it Apple? Samsung? LG? Whatever your product category, you also want to be top of mind.

Marketers learn from what some do well and from what others don't. Either way, they learn. Let's look at five “dont's” we can take away from the mistakes of others. See any you need to fix in your marketing?

The ability to tailor documents with precision, incorporating variables like gender, income, and geographic location, holds immense potential in print and email marketing. But savvy marketers know that data points, by themselves, don't make communication effective. So what does? Relevance.

One of the fastest-growing types of marketing is content marketing. Why? Because it works. Content marketing positions you as a thought leader, establishes credibility, and is often the gateway to your customers discovering your business.

As a marketer, you know the value of email. You may also see the value of print marketing. But do you know the areas where one is better than another? Let's look at four places where direct mail beats out email and does things email cannot do.

Whether you are writing copy for direct mail, email, or mobile video, it is essential to be authentic. Indeed, Stackla has found that 90% of shoppers say that authenticity is important when deciding which brands they like and support. But maintaining an authentic voice doesn't just “happen.”

For nonprofits, every dollar they spend on overhead, administration, and marketing is a dollar not spent on their mission.

If you are trying to sell costume jewelry and organic smoothies, price and opportunity might motivate customers to purchase spontaneously or switch from a competitor.

The global pandemic has had a profound impact on the world of consumer marketing, and one of these impacts has been to bring QR codes more into the mainstream.

Keeping your mailing list up to date is essential for making the most of your marketing dollars. It ensures that your messages arrive in a timely fashion and provides other benefits such as cost savings and better targeting.

Whether it is a highly targeted static campaign or a fully personalized one, great data is the foundation of every highly effective marketing effort. So how well is your data performing?

Understanding buyer psychology is key to grabbing consumers' attention and getting people to buy.

What does it take to create customer loyalty, the kind of loyalty that makes customers stick with you, even when their favorite sales representative, hair stylist or financial advisor moves on?

Motivate your audience to act by tapping into FOMO marketing

In today's times of uncertainty, it can be challenging to know how to strike the right tone.

Shoppers today expect their marketing messages to be highly targeted to their wants and needs.

Everybody wants to go green these days. Did you know that one of the easiest ways to do that is to switch to digital and 1:1 printing?

Targeted, relevant content! One of the most effective ways to do this is targeting by generation.

Most people automatically think about recycling, but what about composting? It's a little unconventional, but composting has lots of benefits.

Today more than ever, effective marketing is based on psychology. Whether you are using direct mail, email, or mobile, these five trends have been growing in importance over the past few years.

If you are like 61% of direct mail marketers, lead generation is your number one business challenge. Indeed, a HubSpot survey found that more than half of marketers spend at least half of their marketing budgets on generating leads.

If you aren't already using an e-commerce portal to archive, order, and manage your print materials, you are leaving money on the table.

When a shopper walks into the store, even if they aren't looking for something in your product category, the proper packaging can entice them to make a purchase they hadn't planned.

Do you know who your best customers really are?

Build an emotional bond with your customers and make an impact on the bottom line.

Consumers are increasingly showing a preference for products that communicate a sustainable message. Two-thirds of consumers say they will pay more for them.

According to the research firm McKinsey, 76% of consumers say that receiving personalized communications is a key factor in prompting their consideration of a brand, and 78% say that personalized content makes them more likely to purchase from the brand again.

The United States' 2022 Emerging and Advanced Technology Program is here. The USPS always offers postal discounts to encourage mailers to add interactive technologies

You increase your response and conversion rates by personalizing your message, whether in print or email.

Have a limited print budget and want to make the most of it? Even if your dollars are limited, your impact can be significant.

You come home from work and discover that you received a direct mail piece. Nice! We all love mail. But then you talk to your neighbor, and they got the same piece in their mailbox.

Got a silo problem? If you're like most companies doing targeted and personalized marketing, you do.

Targeting is the foundation of any highly effective marketing campaign, but there are different ways to slice and dice your list based on your marketing goals.

When two companies offer similar products, what differentiates one from another? It's more than the price. There is something even more critical when it comes right down to it. It's the customer experience.

For B2B marketers, integrating brand identity into marketing and sales collateral can be a real challenge. According to Provoke Insights, there are three main reasons...

WhiteOak has significantly expanded digital printing capacity with the addition of a new HP Indigo 12000 Digital Press.

In marketing, there is one thing worth more than gold. It is top of mind. Being top of mind means that when someone thinks about your product category, they think of you.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the way shoppers live, work, and play. Experts say many of those changes are permanent when it comes to packaging.

Understanding Customer Acquisition vs. Customer Retention and why you should Communicate to both audiences.

Online ordering is a great way to streamline your ordering process and reduce your costs at the same time. This process can benefit any type of business.

Never has trust between customers and brands been more critical. As e-commerce continues to grow, both for health and convenience, a gap is growing, too.

Creating a great first impression with your brand is more important than ever. In a world defined by virtual and digital interactions, positive, tactile experiences...

If you had to name the top priority for marketers today, what would it be? If you said creating a positive Customer Experience (CX), you'd be right. Sure, everybody wants...

When you hand out a piece of marketing collateral or send a direct mail piece, the first thing recipients notice is the color.

You've heard people talk about the value of content marketing. It's one of the most important ways that people find you.

When it comes to ROI, some channels are just more effective than others. Knowing the effectiveness of each channel puts you in control.

From wheat straw to recycled PET, here's the scoop on the unique stuff that makes up EcoSmart® products. Sustainability is more than a trend.

Take a long- term view by marketing to people, not demographics. As marketers, we are surrounded by data. From in-house customer information...

Great tips for how to reduce customer churn. Let's be honest. Customer churn is part of business. The question isn't how to stop customer churn.

Engage B2B buyers throughout the sales cycle. The world of engaging B2B buyers has changed. DemandGen's “B2B Buyers Survey Report” uncover...

In today's world, where social distancing and extra health precautions have become part of everyday life, consumers are embracing touchless options...

Want to be the best? Compete with the best. That's a powerful motto, whether in sports or business. Here are five marketing strategies used...

One of the most powerful consumer trends of 2020 has been the move to the suburbs. Yes, the ‘burbs. The suburbanization of America is changing...

In today's world of social distancing and working from home, marketers are seeing an exploding use of QR Codes, which connect buyers to...

Are you their destination? In today's world of “information everywhere,” marketers are no longer in the driver's seat. uyers have the world at their fingertips...

As a marketer, you invest a significant amount of time in your print and multichannel campaigns. It's essential to understand what (and who) brings in the most revenue.

Very often, buyers need more than one contact before they make a purchase. Sometimes, especially with more complex sales, they need an entire series of contacts...

Try two new targeting approaches that are bound to boost growth. Everyone's marketing strategy needs a tune-up now and then.

5 psychological marketing principles to engage customers. While every buyer is unique, there are certain principles about human behavior...

When it comes to ordering print or promotional products, did you know that you can save money by changing from traditional ordering methods...

When everyone else is quiet. What do we mean by that? When you continue to communicate with your message is powerful.

When it comes to choosing marketing channels, marketers can make many assumptions. Millennials always want digital, the Silent...

Think you have to go out and drum up new customers in order to increase your sales? Prospecting is an important tool for...

When do you engage with your customers? Is it only when you want to sell them something? If so, consider extending...

Multichannel marketing made easy and affordable with Informed Delivery by USPS.com. The United States Postal Service...

Want to make your marketing campaigns the most effective they can be? Be sure to hit all of the key marketing components. Most marketers...

Use storytelling to engage customers. People like to connect with the people they buy from, which is why storytelling is such a powerful...

Do you know who your buyers are? Are they trailblazers? Status seekers? Do they play it safe? Different messaging appeals to different...

If you are serving the business-to-business marketplace, understanding your customers' vertical markets can make the difference between...

You've spent weeks developing the messaging for your Spring Fling mailer or your annual fundraising letter. You know your audience.

Want to stay on the forefront of marketing? MarketingProfs interviewed nearly two dozen industry leaders to learn what top executives...

In today's world, customers want easy. Whether it's shopping, researching products, or hearing about products for the first time...

Whether it's direct mail marketing or transactional communications, customers say that personalization makes direct mail seem more...

What does it take to create customer loyalty, the kind of commitment that makes customers stick with you, even when your competitors become...

Ever wonder what your customers really think about you? Instead of guessing, it's a good idea to ask. Customer surveys sent by direct...

5 Tips for Winning Back Lost Customers. Despite your best efforts, a certain percentage of your customers will lapse. f you are on the ball, you can win them back.

Is your marketing getting tired? Is your target audience tuning out your mailings because you're sending the same campaign over and over?