Combine Hand Addressed Mailers with Personalized URLs (PURLs) to Increase Direct Marketing Response Rates

Your customers want to feel special. Everyone does - it’s a basic human need. So why do we continue to send out mass marketing pieces that treat our audience like they’re just part of the crowd? Email blasts and bulk mailings may appear to be less expensive up front, but they don’t provide the return on investment you receive when you take a more personalized approach with your marketing.

As competition for customer loyalty heats up, an increasing number of businesses are looking for new ways to personally reach each member of their audience. One successful approach marketers are taking is to send their clients a personalized URL (PURL) in a real, hand addressed envelope. This customized marketing piece is eye-catching and extremely effective in capturing your audience’s attention and pulling them in to your website.

What is a Personalized URL?
A personalized URL is a customized web address that includes the first and last name of the person you’re sending it to. For example, if you had a customer named John Sample, you could send him an invitation to visit www.WriteOnResults.com/JohnSample , which displays his first and last name after your brand. Since people love to see their own names, odds are good that John Sample’s curiosity would take over and he would get online right away to visit his customized web page.

Once John Sample visits his personal URL, he would see a customized welcome screen with information about your services. Since you can collect real-time data on all of the people who visit their personalized URLs, you’ll immediately know who is visiting your site and learning about your services. You can then follow-up with Mr. Sample and your other newly engaged leads while the personalized web page is still fresh in their minds.

Why Handwritten Envelopes Make Personalized URLs a Success
Personalized URLs are incredibly effective – but only if your recipient visits their customized web page. For these URLs to work, you need a creative way to get them in front of your target audience. This is where real handwriting comes in. One of the best ways to improve your direct marketing return on investment is to use hand addressed envelopes (real pens, no fonts) – as they can increase response rates by as much as 300%. When your customer sees their handwritten name and address in their mailbox, they will open your envelope. With hand addressed envelopes, you greatly increase the odds that your audience will see their personalized URLs – driving them to your website and dramatically improving the overall success of your campaign.

Outsource the Handwriting and Personalized URLs to Save Time
Since both pieces of this campaign will take some planning, you should consider outsourcing to streamline your efforts. There are a number of Personalized URL service providers and software packages available –simply Google "Personalized URL" to find the options that fit your needs and budget. You can also save time by outsourcing the handwriting to a company that specializes in "handwritten mail". They will be able to insert your personalized URL mailer, hand address your envelope, and apply a colorful first-class stamp. Most handwritten mail companies have relationships with printers and mail houses if you need assistance with creating your mailer.

A Powerful and Personalized Direct Mail Combination
There are two important parts to any direct mail campaign. One is to encourage your audience to read your message. The other, is to give them a compelling call-to-action. Most direct mail pieces are good at one or the other, but few succeed at both. When you combine a hand addressed mailing with a personalized URL, you will find that a higher percentage of your contacts will open your handwritten envelope, view their URL and respond to your offer by visiting their customized web address.

The next time you need to attract new customers, think twice before sending out an impersonal mass mailing or email blast. With a little planning, you can send an effective, personalized message that reaches many more potential customers and greatly improves your marketing return on investment.