Top Mistakes in Variable Data

Critical mistakes that will hurt your mailer’s effectiveness and ROI.

1. Using a person’s name too many times in a Variable Data Print piece. Once is enough unless you are using it in a personal URL (PURL). People are not impressed to see their name in print. VDP is about making the information or offer relevant to the person you are mailing to.

2. Getting too personal. If you show off how much you know about a person, like where they live, where they went to school, how much their house is worth or a number of things you can easily get from the US Census, it can begin to get creepy. The very best VDP jobs are those that the recipient does not even recognize as being VDP. VDP is all about matching offers to the person you are mailing to based on what you know about them, NOT telling them how much you know about them.

3. Doing a VDP job when you have no data other than name and address. What is the purpose? How can you vary the offer? The only exception is when you are driving someone to a personal URL when you can interact with them and collect data you can use in the future.

4. Not having a good offer or a good list. VDP enhances direct mail but you still have to have a meaningful offer to get someone to respond. Remember the fundamentals of good direct mail. You need the right offer going to the right people. The greatest VDP job selling snowmobiles coupled with a great offer will not work to a mailing list in Florida. A great VDP job selling snowmobiles to people in Minnesota will not work if you offer no incentive for them to buy. However, a great incentive to buy going to a list that need the product will work. Don’t ever think VDP is more important than SOUND FUNDAMENTALS.

5. Not using a personal URL (PURL). A personal URL gives you an opportunity to interact with the prospect. It also allows you to divide your list into three groups, those with no demonstrated interest, those with some demonstrated interest and those who have demonstrated a great interest. If someone goes to their PURL site, you will know this instantly. At this point they have demonstrated they are at least interested enough to have taken the step to go to the PURL. If they answer your call to action on the PURL (answer a few questions or ask for more info), they have demonstrated that they are very interested. If someone never goes to the PURL, they have done nothing to make you think they are interested. They still might be but call them last after you contact the other two groups. This allows you to be proactive with your sales team after the mail goes out and not just sitting there hoping someone calls you.

Al Kennickell