What marketing processes do you automate? How many tools are used to optimize your operations?
With the increasing number of companies that transfer processes to third-party tools, marketing automation has become a common practice. Most marketers combine several services with complimentary functionalies to amplify their marketing efforts.
Still, there are also a bunch of companies that don’t fully benefit from the integration of automation tools. They choose services that don’t integrate well or fail to synchronize promotion channels to launch an omni-channel marketing strategy.
Inkit recognizes the strong potential of integration. Therefore, we continuously strive to expand our partnerships with marketing tools and CRMs.
For example, Customer.io is one of our multiple partners. Using the combination of Customer.io+Inkit, you can start automating direct mail and align it with other marketing channels.
Add the Inkit webhook to Customer.io and run a triggered direct mail campaign synchronized with targeted emails, SMS, push notifications, and more. This type of mail campaign is much more effective than sporadic, inconsistent mailers that are very likely to be tossed in the garbage.
When mail pieces are triggered by a webhook action they are sent just at the right moment. As a result, when your customers receive your mail piece, they are very likely to notice, open, and appreciate it.
Continue reading to learn about the benefits of Customer.io + Inkit direct mail campaigns and Inkit webhook integration.
Why Should Marketers Combine Customer.io and Inkit?
Although Inkit can be used separately, direct mail generates maximum results when sent in conjunction with digital marketing. Customers get a seamless experience across all channels and receive receive regular touchpoints from your company.
Since an omni-channel marketing strategy is impossible without automation tools, Inkit’s integration with other services is an excellent solution. Speaking of Customer.io, Inkit’s integration allows you to send direct mail based on events or webhook actions to improve customer engagement and retention.
Customer.io has handy functions you can use with the Inkit webhook to boost your marketing efforts in the following ways:
Perform advanced segmentation
With Customer.io’s platform, you can group people by viewed pages, personal attributes, webhook actions, and any other information sent to Customer.io. All data is tracked in real-time, which allows you better control over your direct mail marketing.
How does it work?
When a certain event occurs within Customer.io (e.g., the tool records that a visitor has abandoned the cart when they learned the cost of delivery), the Inkit webhook is triggered to send the relevant mail piece.
Using the customization capabilities available in the Inkit dashboard, you can personalize direct mail even more. Inkit supports a custom postcard builder with professional templates and offers variable data printing. Using this tool, you can customize the content of postcards, letters, and every other mailpiece to each of your recipients.
Set up a workflow
Workflow automation is probably the best thing about Customer.io+Inkit direct mail campaigns. Customer.io includes an intuitive workflow builder where you just drag and drop actions to plan your marketing campaign. You can add the Inkit webhook to the workflow and automatically send direct mail at the right moment.
This eliminates the need to upload CSV files and make tedious manual settings. The workflow builder has another significant advantage – it allows you to visualize your marketing campaigns and the customer journey. Seeing your customer’s path is extremely helpful when trying to understand the behavioral patterns and common reactions of customers.
Customize online and offline ads
The use of the Inkit webhook with Customer.io is an effective way to create a powerful mix of digital and offline advertising.
Although these two marketing channels are rarely used together, you can significantly benefit from their combination. For example, you can track when users click on a specific ad to track what interests them the most with Customer.io.
If they check out the advertised product but don’t complete a target action, you can send a direct mail piece to remind them to go back and finish their purchase.
If you aren’t sure which mail design is the most persuasive, Inkit has something for you. Unlike many other direct mail tools, Inkit provides an unlimited batch size that allows conducting A/B testing. You can print and deliver a few mail pieces to several target groups. Once you’ve seen which piece converts the most customers, you can scale your efforts with your final choice.
Measure your marketing efforts
Once you complete the Inkit integration with Customer.io, you will receive detailed information on the number of conversions and revenue you’ve made. This will allow you to evaluate the results of the Customer.io direct mail campaign and see how it performs in combination with other marketing channels.
Monitoring your customers’ reactions to your marketing is an important part of your ongoing process. It gives you the flexibility to be able to adapt quickly to what your customers want. In addition, it helps to maximize your return on investment and know when to redistribute your marketing budget if necessary.
As you can see, Customer.io + Inkit provides a solid foundation if you are ready to start automating direct mail marketing. This combination allows you to benefit from the strengths of both services and easily outpace your competitors with a unique marketing approach.
How to Run a Customer.io + Inkit Direct Mail Campaign with the Inkit Webhook
Before diving into the nuances of the Inkit webhook integration, let’s clarify what is a webhook and how it works.
To communicate and interact, applications need to exchange signals. Webhooks are user defined HTTP callbacks activated when a certain event occurs. They usually have a JSON format and are triggered as an HTTP POST request.
To put it more simply, webhooks are automated messages that applications sent after something happens. The Inkit webhook allows you to integrate Inkit’s functionality with other tools and launch a direct mail campaign tied to a webhook action.
How to Configure the Inkit Webhook in Customer.io?
The process of integrating the Inkit webhook with Customer.io is simple and doesn’t take a lot of time. After a quick customization, you will be ready to start automating direct mail along with other marketing channels. To complete the integration procedure, go through the following steps:
- Go to the Customer.io dashboard > Workflow Section > Click Create New Workflow Item.
- In the window that opens, select Webhook.
- Name the selected webhook (e.g., Inkit webhook).
- Click Add Request on the right side of the screen.
- Login to your Inkit dashboard to continue the configuration.
- On the Inkit dashboard, find your API key and Template ID. To get your API key, follow this link. Your Template ID from the Inkit dashboard is located within the URL for each template (e.g., https://app.inkit.io/#/templates/design/bd9b0b8c-c47b-40ae-8787-80dd76f6d2bb).
- Indicate the necessary details in the webhook:
- Endpoint: https://internal.inkit.io/integrations/webhook
- Indicate an HTTP header for the Authorization key value pair with your Inkit API.
- Specify properties for the following user profile fields: api_token (Inkit API key), template_id, first_name, last_name, company (optional), email, street, unit (optional), city, states (e.g., NY), zip code, country (e.g. US).
Note. For state and country use 2 character codes.
- You can add a custom data field into any request, such as promo code, repost, etc.
Webhook Request Example:
{
“api_token”: “xc02a5f2fbxc5db3a9xdx3axb396159x”,
“template_id”: “8x4dx59x6xeex1d6x15x84cx4x1x2x9x”,
“first_name”: “Jane”,
“last_name”: “Paper”,
“company”: “Top Grocery”,
“email”: “janepaper@grocery.com”,
“street”: “101 Pigeon Lane”,
“unit”: “”,
“city”: “New York”,
“state”: “NY”,
“zip”: “10030”,
“country”: “US”
“promo_code”: “BANANA”,
}
8. Integration completed! Now you can start a Customer.io direct mail campaign and power it with Inkit’s functionality.
In case you need a more detailed integration guide, visit Inkit’s Help Center to view an extended manual.
