Personalized marketing is the key to increasing your return on investments.  Multiple studies have shown that when companies send relevant information to targeted portions of their target audience, they see higher returns on their investments.  But, how can you create and send relevant print and digital messages to your target audience?  Through Database Management Systems and Variable Data Printing, you’re able to offer your target audience relevant messages.

Tip 1:  Use every communication touch point you have with your consumers as a way of collecting more information about that particular consumer.  From a consumer’s demographic information to their likes interests to their purchasing patterns or habits — using an automated database system, you can have a consumer’s information filtered into one central location.

Tip 2:  Take the time to sort and analyze your data.  Your data is useless without sorting it and organizing it into a usable information resource.  Segment your core audience into even smaller subgroups of people based on demographics and other information such as interests and purchasing habits.

Tip 3:  Don’t create your brand’s message until you’ve sorted and analyzed your database. Use the information you’ve collected about your target audience to create a more personalized communication experience between your brand and its core audience.  Once you’ve segmented your audience begin to build messages based on the data regarding consumers’ purchasing habits — for example, if a subset of your consumer base purchases every three months, create a marketing campaign that reaches this audience during the time period that they’re most likely to buy.  Then, based on their past purchases, offer relevant product or service information to this portion of your audience during the time period they’re more likely ready to buy.  By doing so, your consumers receive timely and relevant information and you waste less marketing resources by sending fewer,  more targeted messages to your consumers.

The key to personalized marketing is having one centralized database management system that can allow you the ability to easily sort your consumer’s information and use it for relevant marketing communications.

Timothy Freeman
President
Print & Graphic Communications Association