One of the first questions B2B marketers have when considering a direct mail postcard campaign is whether such a piece can be effective in getting customers to convert. While this skepticism may have been warranted in the past, as digital marketing tools like email have risen to prominence, they have also become more congested. This, along with the continued decline of email delivery and response rates in the B2B space, has prompted marketers to revisit postcard mailing programs as a viable way to drive conversions.
One of the strongest arguments for email marketing in the B2B space is its return on investment — email campaigns are relatively inexpensive to create and can come together in a fairly expedient manner. But in order to achieve the robust ROI email marketing can provide, these digital communications actually need to reach inboxes, and deliverability is quickly becoming a big challenge for marketers in engaging their target audiences.
Here’s the good news for marketers seeking a viable alternative to crowded digital channels: Postcard direct mail programs are a simple, cost-effective way to create personalized marketing communications that can speak to highly targeted audiences in ways that drive robust response rates and meaningful ROI.
A recent study found that 82% of those surveyed trust print advertising over any other communication channel. Additionally, a related survey revealed that 79% of consumers are more apt to respond to a print call-to-action compared with just 45% with emails or other digital channels.
It’s clear the pathway for print is wide open, and print-on demand (POD) has emerged as a valuable tool in helping companies leverage the flexibility, speed, and real-time consumer data necessary to deliver timely, highly targeted, and personalized print that can help drive growth.
The insurance industry is one that’s predicated on print. Even as many other industries make the transition to digital channels for transactional documents like account overviews and statements, it makes sense that insurers continue to rely on print communications as almost 75% of consumers prefer print for things like bills or invoices; and more than one-third of those surveyed are more favorable toward print specifically for insurance information.
Sustainability in print means something drastically different today than it did just a few years ago. What this difference looks like is exactly what Quantum Group’s Supply Chain Manager Paul Fillmore found himself wrestling with in the latest issue of LeadingPRINT.
Offset. Digital. Inkjet. These are likely the kind of commercial presses you’ve heard of and are familiar with — in fact, odds are you’ve likely printed a project on one of them, which means you’re probably familiar with each and the kinds of print that is ideal for each press.
Almost every digital print platform has some limitations with media compatibility and whether some level of pretreatment is required before the substrate goes to print. This can create significant challenges during the print process, because it means that unexpected paper issues can easily extend production time or increase costs.
The world of commercial print is constantly changing and evolving. The last 30 years have seen massive leaps in print technology, from digital and inkjet presses that can achieve the same quality as offset to robotics and advanced automation, and Quantum Group makes strategic investments in these print technologies to provide our customers with the highest quality print work, at the fastest speed and with the lowest environmental impact.
It’s been an interesting first quarter here at Quantum-so interesting in fact that we had to table our First Quarter outlook to get some customers taken care of. The phones haven’t stopped ringing, the email alerts ping away, and print demand is back. That leaves us with the following question: what about the paper?
