Just a few months ago, no one could imagine that the world would look so much different. Many companies have developed marketing plans and started implementing them, but the pandemic and unfolding economic crisis drastically changed consumer behavior. So far, over 40% of the US population may be ordered to stay at home, and the chances are, this will remain so for at least several weeks. Events, trade shows, in-store shopping, and a bunch of other activities are paused to meet regulatory requirements.

Even after the world wins against coronavirus, the return to normal will take a lot of time. Many customers will continue to be super careful in their buying decisions and offline interactions. At the same time, after spending weeks or months at home, people will start craving offline communications even more.

Fortunately, direct mail is one of the traditional means that can still be used under quarantine conditions.

But note that to launch direct mail right, you will need print & mail automation software. It allows minimizing manual processes and helps to make mail pieces safe and effective.

Read on to learn direct mail marketing tips and discover:

• How does coronavirus influence the main marketing channels, including mail (letters, postcards, catalogs, and other printed mail pieces)
• Automation software for compliant and efficient direct mail
• 5 ways in which print & mail automation benefits your compliance and marketing campaigns
• Additional direct mail marketing tips to stay compliant and mail effectively in the times of quarantine

How Does Coronavirus Influence the Main Marketing Channels, Including Direct Mail?

With the increasing number of quarantine limitations and the shift of global trends, every marketer takes steps to adapt. Some of them cut expenditures, others – switch to new channels they have never used before. Talking numbers, the current market looks as following:

• 57% of US marketers delay or review the launch of products and services
• 48% of marketers expect the reduction in marketing budgets, whereas 46% believe that no change will happen
• 44% of marketers reduce spend on content, whereas digital channels attract more interest. Paid ads (31%), video (31%), and broadcast (28%) are expected to grow
• 69% of US marketers predict that their customers will delay spending decisions
• 82% of US and 91% of UK marketers state their customers prefer to meet online and are reluctant to arrange in-person meetings
• Over 70% of marketers predict an increase in social media activity and e-commerce services usage

On the one hand, the growth of digital advertising is an undeniable quarantine trend that anyone should take into account. Today’s target market is focused online. On the other hand, it creates a void in offline advertising that can help you gain a competitive edge. How to do that? Start sending direct mail.

When other professional services are abandoning their offline marketing efforts, you get a chance to make your offer stand out. As the number of marketing print in mailboxes reduces, your mail pieces become more noticeable. Remember that although the world is now spending most of its time online, we all miss offline interactions.

Use letters and postcards to cheer up your home-isolated customers. Send them postcards with QR codes to attract more traffic to your web resources. Mail official documents to organize business remotely while meeting regulatory requirements. With tools for print & mail automation, you can adhere to the limitations of the quarantine and do your thing at the same time.

Print & Mail Automation Software for Direct Mail

If you want to make sure your mailings meet the compliance criteria, there are two key steps to take. Pay attention to customer data handling and eliminate manual processes in mail printing and delivery. Both tasks are easy if you implement automation software for direct mail.

Inkit is one of the few tools that allow marketers to fully automate every step of mail production and delivery. Just connect the tool with your CRM or upload mailing lists, pick the design you’d like to send, and launch shipment. Inkit will automatically print and deliver the mail pieces to the necessary recipients without putting you or your customers at risk.

Besides, the data processing practices used by Inkit meet the requirements of the GDPR and other major laws regarding data security. Every time the tool accesses your customer data, you may be sure that the world’s security standards are followed.

5 Ways in Which Automation Benefits Your Compliance and Marketing Campaign

By using print & mail automation, you do much more than respect the law. If you automate right, this will boost your company in many additional ways, which will have a long-lasting impact even after the quarantine (finally) ends. Here are the main advantages of using automation software:

#1. Print & mail automation improves marketing performance

In addition to helping you make your mail safe and compliant, automation software also provides broad personalization capabilities. In particular, Inkit supports variable data printing and can tailor the content of every mail piece. This increases response rates, return on investment, and other marketing metrics.

#2. Marketing software enables you to run advanced marketing campaigns

Once you implement automation, you will be able to easily connect quarantine mail with other marketing channels. It’s essential to launch complex cross-channel or omni-channel marketing campaigns (For more information about Inkit’s integrations visit this page or read the related articles and direct mail marketing tips on our blog).

#3. Automation software helps to boost your brand reputation

When customers see that you take steps to protect their health, they will definitely appreciate such an attitude. Social image is crucial to promote your brand and build trusting relationships with customers.

#4. Automation makes your marketing communications more secure

Quality print & mail automation with user identification, authorization, and restricted access makes data processing better protected. You can send highly personalized messages and use customer data for marketing purposes, abiding the law.

#5. You have a great chance to outperform your competitors

When the economic crisis is about to hit the world again, optimization of business processes is essential. It will not only allow you to withstand the rough but can also help to advertise more effectively than other companies in the targeted market.

Basically, automation software has already been a trend benefitting compliance and marketing for the past few years. With the spread of coronavirus and the resulting quarantine, nothing has changed. The only thing is that under current conditions, you have much less time to make your mail regulatory compliant and efficient. Flexibility and automation are going to determine who leads the market within the next few years for sure.

Additional Direct Mail Marketing Tips to Stay Compliant and Mail Effectively in the Times of Quarantine

When all – and marketers – need to stay out of the office and work from home, automation has become one of the most important things to implement. But still, there are some other tips and tricks that will reinforce your mail campaigns:

• Complement mail pieces with a QR code leading to the main of your web resources. It will generate extra web traffic and bring new customers
• Let people know that you are automating mail production and delivery, which makes it 100% secure
• Consider using direct mail both for B2B and B2C marketing. It’s an optimum way to exchange official communications if you self-isolate or cannot meet in person
• Include a #stayathome call-to-action on your mail pieces to remind your customers about the best protection method
• Instead of spam, bulk mail and opt for high-quality personalized mail pieces

Want to send direct mail and stay compliant? Start testing Inkit’s demo right now! Don’t hesitate to contact our support team should you need any integration or direct mail marketing tips.