We may live in an almost completely digital world, but as we mentioned in a previous blog post, direct mail is still seeing great returns — and in some cases, it’s doing better driving sales than many other marketing channels. One of the perks of our digital existence, though, is that we can combine the latest technology with traditional methods in order to get more attention for things we want to promote. You can go beyond the standard catalog or postcard mailer and add some new-age interest to it.

These 5 tips show how you can grab your clients’ interest with technology enhancements to direct mail campaigns.

1. Use Personalized URLS. Say you’re sending out a coupon to clients offering 25 percent off their next order. Everyone loves coupons! But they’ll love them even more if they feel like they’ve received an offer just for them. Printing a personalized URL on the mailers with their names — something like ideacustom.com/justforstephanie — will make your clients feel special and noticed, not to mention more likely to purchase from you using that coupon.
2. Try Programmatic Mail. This is similar to retargeting ads or emails to customers who visited and left your website previously. Remember Stephanie, your client getting 25 percent off with her personalized URL? Imagine if the mailer you send to her also includes information about and a photo of something she put in her cart but didn’t buy. It might just pique her curiosity again and lead to the completion of the sale.
3. Add Augmented Reality. In the world of augmented reality, fantasy becomes reality. It combines print and technology when used with direct mailers. A specific image of a product can be designed to have an augmented reality experience attached to it. Your clients get the mailers, scan the images with their phones or tablets and suddenly they’re able to interact with the products on their screens. IKEA even has an app that lets users virtually place pieces of furniture in rooms. Augmented reality makes the products you’re trying to sell feel more real — especially if clients can see how they looks on their desks or other spaces before they buy.
4. Play Sounds/Music. You know those greeting cards that start to play a song when you open them? Well you can use that same method for your own mailers with sound chips. Just remember to be polite about it. Keep the volume at a reasonable level and don’t make whatever plays something incredibly annoying that will effectively kill sales (like that old Quizno’s commercial did to the sandwich chain).
5. Include Video. Thanks to the ever-shrinking size of devices and screens, you can now send out mailers that have their very own video screens inside that play videos of your creation. These are kind of expensive to send, for obvious reasons, but the impact is huge. Once your prospects open the mailers, you can have video play automatically or even include play buttons.

Let your imagination soar about all the ways you can incorporate this kind technology to stand out in the mailboxes of your clients and prospects. With Idea Custom Solutions, you can design direct mail and other printed marketing materials to wow them!