Ever see that email meme? It’s split into two panels that compare getting email and postal mail 15 years ago versus today. The top panel shows someone unenthusiastically holding a stack of postal mail, but thrilled over getting an email—15 years ago. The “Today” panel shows the exact opposite, and with good reason. The average household receives only two pieces of direct mail per day compared to 157 emails!

This meme isn’t just about nostalgia. It shows the value that direct mail can provide in a modern marketing strategy by providing key support to emails, notifications, and other digital channels. A mail piece can truly reach customers when they are tired of online communications, stop reading through their inbox, or want to digitally detox.

That’s particularly effective when it comes to executing on engagement strategies. Because direct mail has a 10x higher response rate than online communications, it increases your odds of being noticed. When holding an appealing mail piece in their hands, many people find that they cannot resist their curiosity, making them more likely open it. And this successful first interaction can help you engage a customer and move them further through the sales funnel.

Moreover, with the right customer engagement platform, direct mail can be highly personalized. Every mail piece is backed up with customer data obtained through other channels, allowing for precise targeting and relevant, personalized content within the mail itself.

By combining direct mail with online channels, marketers can build data-driven cross-channel campaigns designed to effectively bolster customer engagement and encourage users to proceed into other stages of the customer journey. Let’s take a look at the benefits, uses, and integration of cross-channel personalized mail and how they can enhance your marketing efforts.

Why Personalized Direct Mail Makes the Difference

In a world dominated by digital, direct mail provides a physical connection to your brand. But before you head to the printer, it’s important to keep in mind that the days of sending out generic flyers are over. Customers have come to expect personalized messaging from brands that meet their needs and interests. And here’s where your data from digital marketing comes into play.

By strategically coordinating direct mail sends with your other customer outreach (push notifications, email, Content Cards, etc.), you’ll increase engagement over your other digital channels. This sort of coordination can seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. If the customer engagement platform you use can integrate with a direct mail platform, it’s possible to build cohesive cross-channel campaigns and trigger the delivery of digital direct mail based on individual customer behaviors.

How Digital Messaging and Direct Mail Can Add Value Together

As your prospects move through the customer lifecycle, direct mail can enhance your marketing efforts at every stage. Let’s take a look at a common problem at the Conversion stage: Cart abandonment. People often add items to their cart, but don’t follow through with the purchase. Maybe they got distracted and forgot to complete the order. Or maybe they were on the fence about buying. But that’s no reason to lose hope. There are several ways to bring them back to complete an order.

Web and mobile push notifications are a great first reminder because you can send them immediately. However, this may only be the first step for some sales. Your potential customer may not have them enabled. Or they may just ignore them. Emails also serve as a great reminder, but everyone’s inbox is flooded with them. Even if your potential customer opens yours, they may need another nudge to buy. You’re still competing for their attention as they read other emails or browse the web.

If neither push notifications nor emails have prompted them to buy, an eye-catching direct mail piece can add the finishing touch to your cart abandonment campaign. Add an exclusive promotion or discount, and you’ll be even more likely to snag a new customer.

Automation is the key to making this work. You’ll need to quickly trigger a customized direct mail piece before your potential customer completely loses interest or buys from a competitor. Inkit’s custom postcard builder and variable data printing can create the right message, and Braze can trigger delivery of that printed message based on the criteria you set. Integrating Inkit with Braze is an easy three-step process that will save you time and effort when you want to bring offline customers back online.

Integration Is Easy with Braze Alloys

Braze Alloys offers a simple, scalable way to add new technology partners—such as Inkit—to our Braze Partnership program. Clients can use Braze in conjunction with a wide range of technologies (through direct integration, API, and webhook) to support personalized brand experiences at scale. When connected with Inkit, Braze enables marketers to send tailored mail pieces based on real-time behaviors or events.

If you’d like to learn more about Braze Alloys and how we can work with you, visit our partnership content hub.