Think of postal mail as an interstate highway system for your communication strategy. Just as on-ramps provide access to highways, physical mail can serve as an on-ramp to drive customers to your digital channels. Similarly, when digital links falter — emails bounce, customers stop opening messages, or they opt out of SMS updates — postal mail can act as an off-ramp to refresh those lagging digital customer connections and revive engagement.
"We should view postal mail as an integral part of a successful omnichannel strategy, not a standalone method of communication."
You are probably sick of hearing that statement from me and countless other consultants, advisors, and pundits. This message has been broadcast within the mailing community so much it has little effect anymore. In today's column I suggest your company (or your customers, if you are a mail service provider) consider just two small parts of a customer communication plan. Consider how physical mail can keep the digital conversation alive, avoiding the roadblocks and traffic jams that can cause a strategy to detour.
Mail enhances the effectiveness of digital outreach. It is not just what the mail pieces say, but what they can do. Use the mail to support lasting connections with your customers while ensuring seamless transitions between communication channels, much like navigating an interconnected highway system.
The Postal Mail On-Ramp
When customers receive a well-crafted piece of mail, the texture and weight immediately draw their attention. It feels different from the endless stream of digital notifications that come their way. This tangible connection creates an opportunity. Vibrant designs and interesting messages on your mail drive recipients online, where you can track their activity, identify them, and present content that works best online. Use interactive online forms, videos, audio, and personalized landing pages that amplify your message and allow you to forge deeper relationships with customers and prospects.
Include QR codes or personalized URLs (pURLs) on mail pieces to direct mail recipients to specific content. Augmented Reality (AR) elements can add an interactive layer, turning a simple piece of mail into an engaging online experience.
Concentrate on using the physical mail experience as a gateway for digital interaction. If most of your conversions happen online, then getting customers to jump from the mail piece to your online environment should be the principal focus.
Of course, you can include an immediate conversion option in the mail piece. Some of your target audience may be ready to donate, sign up, or make a purchase based only on the content of the letter or postcard. Prior experience with your brand can spark such activity. Today, however, most people will get online before they make decisions like that. Don't allow the conversion language to overshadow your goal of making a digital connection that opens multiple lanes for communication and persuasion.
Mail provides a unique tactile experience that helps your message stand out in an otherwise crowded digital space. Make it easy for customers to transition from mail to their screens, driving meaningful actions and engagements online.
Stall Ahead -- Take the Off Ramp
When digital links to your customers break down, it can feel like you’ve hit a roadblock on the communication highway. Messages fall on deaf ears, emails bounce, and texts go unanswered. This disconnect happens for several reasons: they may unsubscribe from your lists, change their email addresses or phone numbers, or simply become overwhelmed by the barrage of digital messages they encounter every day.
Postal mail can rescue customer connections that have broken or gone stale. Sending a physical letter or postcard can capture the attention you've lost through digital channels. People check their postal mailboxes regularly, often with a sense of anticipation. Postal mail avoids the cluttered and overwhelming experience of an email inbox or an SMS app filled with notifications. These electronic messages are easy to ignore or delete.
A well-designed piece of mail can reignite your relationship with a customer. Include a call to action in your physical mailings, such as a QR code linking to an online survey or offer. The same methods that work to initiate digital connections with customers are effective at re-invigorating those that are idling. QR codes, pURLs, and AR will be effective in this instance.
Even if someone changes their contact information, a tangible piece of mail can make it through to them. People don't change their home addresses as often as they abandon digital ones. Even if they have moved, you can still locate most of them via the USPS National Change of Address (NCOA) database or proprietary change of address (PCOA) services. Postal mail even provides a way for you to verify and update digital contact details. Include a response mechanism, such as an easy-to-follow URL, prompting them to confirm or update their info.
Mail Doesn't Need to Do All the Work
You probably have plenty of examples showing how postal mail converts at rates higher than all the digital channels. But if your customers are digital-enthusiasts, they may not be open to diverting more of their digital budget to physical mail. You'll need to show them how postal mail can fit into their strategy.
Customers who rely primarily on digital communication might underestimate the value of the postal mail you can produce for them. Show your customers how to use the mail’s effectiveness as a tool to guide customers to their online platforms and maintain customer engagement when digital strategies stall. Encourage customers to think of postal mail as on-ramps inviting prospects to their digital space and off-ramps that renew connections when digital interactions stumble.
Mike Porter at Print/Mail Consultants creates content that helps attract and retain customers for companies in the document industry and assists companies as they integrate new technology. Learn more about his services at www.pmccontentservices.com. Follow @PMCmike on X, or send him a connection request on LinkedIn.
