How to Create a Direct Mail 'Thank You' Card Strategy

'Thank you' cards are a perfect way to create a relationship with customers. Marketers often use postcards to get prospects in the door. But shouldn't they expend effort to keep them happy once they're in? After all, it costs at least five times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one satisfied. That's why we're sharing our guide to leveraging postcards in a 'Thank you' card strategy.

Decide on “when” and “what for”

If you’re going to send ‘Thank You’ postcards, you have to decide when you’re going to thank customers, as well as what you’re going to thank them for.

• When -- You might thank prospective customers after they meet with your team, but before they sign a contract. You might thank customers only if they’ve been using your services for one year or more. The choice is up to you, but choosing when you’ll say thanks will allow you to setup automated process to ensure postcards reach recipients at the right moment.
• What for -- What have customers done that makes you want to say “thanks”? When you offer a thank you, you should be specific about what you’re thankful for. Offering a generic “thank you for your business” isn’t going to have the same positive effect as a personalized message.

Choosing “when” and “what for” will allow you to automate your postcards. When direct mail is automated, your marketing team won’t have to lift a finger.

Personalize each message

Want customers to feel warm inside when they receive your ‘Thank You’ postcards? Of course. That’s why you need an effective personalization strategy.

While it’s true that 98% of Americans check their mail every day and 77% of people sort through their physical mail as soon as they receive it, your ‘Thank You’ postcards should do more than land in a mailbox. You need to speak to directly to your target audience in a way that resonates with their experience.

You can personalize your postcards based on customer actions. For example, if your customer works with a real estate agency to BUY a home, they should receive a different thank you message from those who work with the same agency to SELL a home.

Offer a next action

Even though the primary goal of a ‘Thank You’ card is to say thanks, it’s a good idea to offer a next call-to-action for recipients. After all, the goal of a ‘Thank You’ card is to build a relationship, and a call-to-action provides your audience with a way to stay in touch.

For example, you can offer:

• A discount for future purchases
• A code for referring friends and family
• An ask to review your services or products online
• An offer for a free gift

When customers take action, you’ll be able to track the success of your ‘Thank You’ postcards. If everyone who receives a card comes to your website and uses the card’s promo code, you’ll know that recipients not only received, but engaged with your direct mailing.

Automate your thanks

With the right technology, your direct mail strategy can be as easy to manage as your email campaigns. You can set up automation so that ‘Thank You’ postcards are sent automatically based on a customer’s action.

The key is to use an API that automates processes such as design, segmentation, form field completion, and A/B testing. Using an API, you can personalize postcards, launch geo-targeted campaigns, and segment your outreach with a few clicks—just as you would with your CRM and marketing strategy. No more manual processes or spreadsheets.

Couple this technology with a high quality customer list, and your ‘Thank You’ card strategy will be successful.

Experiment, test, and iterate

Just like any other marketing campaign, your ‘Thank You’ card strategy will benefit from experimentation. You can experiment with colors, design, and overall messaging using today’s advanced direct mail tools.

In order to track the success of your postcards, make sure you experiment with your offers. Which ones result in the most conversions? Figure out which ‘Thank You’ postcards are performing best, and iterate. Remember-- your direct mail strategy is part of your business’ overall growth engine.

Say thanks at scale using automation

Marketers want to create more leads, make more sales, and increase customer lifetime value. In order to do this, we need to connect with customers and thank them for their business. Saying thanks inspires warm feelings, helping you build a relationship with customers that will stand the test of time.

Most businesses have too many customers to thank every individual with a handwritten note. Marketers need a ‘Thank You’ card strategy that can scale up, one that works whether you have 100, 1,000, or 100,000 customers.

This starts with having the right technology in place. With Lob, you can integrate your ‘Thank You’ card strategy with your CRM in order to thank customers at exactly the right time. This allows you to create a ‘Thank You’ card strategy, then let it run as customers interact with the business.

By automating your ‘Thank You’ card strategy, you won’t need to manage a spreadsheet-- you can sit back, relax, and thank your customers, no matter how many you want to reach.