Using Database Marketing for Better Direct Mail

From a consumer point of view, the amount of data companies can retrieve on a person can be frightening. From a marketers' point of view, it's amazing. Now as never before, you have an incredible wealth of information you can use to make your marketing truly personal for each and every customer. And it's probably easier than you think.

Let's take the example of auto refinancing. It's a hot, growing industry right now and Direct Mail is a popular way of getting attention. But how can you make your piece stand out? One great way is to put a picture of the recipients' own car directly on your direct mailer. All right, maybe it's not exactly their vehicle sitting in their driveway, but working with a car dealership or even records from the DMV, it's easy to determine what make and model they're cruising in. Add in a picture library and a glorified mail merge, and suddenly you've got a piece that will stop people in their tracks. It shows that you don't just market to people like them, you're speaking directly to them and understand the challenges they're going through. It shows you cared enough to find what they drove. It shows you have what it takes to get the job done.

As a marketer, the real challenge isn't getting the data. The real challenge is determining what data is most important to your customers and delivering it to them in a way that's helpful, powerful but not creepy. The questions you must ask yourself are, "how can I quickly show people I care about them? How can I show that I have a unique handle on their needs and the resource to help them?" Once you've figured that out, then go about finding the right databases and purchased marketing sources that'll let you find that information.

Remember, whenever possible, you should include a photo or other image, the more personalized, the better. For instance, if you're selling mortgage modifications or home refinancing, you can get access to Google Street View images of the home in question so their house is right there. If a customer has made a major purchase from you in the past, include a picture of the latest and greatest model of that particular item to show you remember what they bought and want to help them make it even better. It's about taking small steps that make a big difference.

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