When it comes to direct marketing, clean data is a powerful tool that gives you the most bang for your buck. But where can you go for good information if your organization does not have an extensive database of prospects? Public records are a perfect place to acquire this!
Wait, didn’t we already know this? Yes, direct marketers and telemarketers have been getting phone numbers and addresses from public records for decades to call and direct-mail prospective customers. Today, with variable data printing, we can use valuable consumer information in a much more targeted and specific way than marketers could in the past.
What is variable data printing?
Simply put, variable data printing (VDP), or variable image printing, is a digital printing method that allows for different information on each piece of a print run. The simplest example is a letter sent to 10,000 customers, with each customer’s name in the greeting on the one mailed to their house. In this example, most of the data is a template of general information with only a small amount of data changing. However, skilled digital printers like EMCO can vary a wide range of information and images to target the customer’s demographics or other key metrics. The possibilities for targeted mailing have increased dramatically with VDP.
What kind of public records can I use?
There are many. County property tax records are an ideal source for targeted direct mail. Think of Zillow, the online real estate information giant. How does Zillow know what your house is worth, when it was last sold and for how much, the number of bedrooms it has, or its square footage? All of that data is from county tax records, free and available to anyone who wants to use it.
What’s more, every property in a given jurisdiction is in these records -- commercial, residential, farm, undeveloped land, and so on. Just looking at residential homes, you can find out all of the above, plus year built, lot size, pool or other structures on the property, mortgage amount, taxes and more. The more we know about the kind of home someone lives in, the more we know about their buying trends and purchasing power. Think, big lot = big lawnmower. There are millions of such connections to be made.
Other easy-to-access and highly valuable records include new and renewed business licenses, land use and building permits, and professional licenses. Just be sure the information you’ve gathered is permitted to be used for commercial or solicitation purposes.
How do variable data printing and public records increase each other’s power?
Vast amounts of research show that consumers value personalization. They prefer to receive offers, promotions, ads, and more that are curated to relate to their lives, buying habits, and values.
For example, suppose a car dealership includes personalized information in a direct mail campaign about the trade value of the cars each consumer currently owns. In that case, the consumer might be more likely to visit that dealership when it’s time to trade up. Or a mortgage company could include in its direct mailing the current mortgage on a house when offering a loan refinance that would result in a lower mortgage.
In the hands of an experienced digital print and mail expert like EMCO, public data combined with variable data printing creates a synergy many consumers crave. What’s more, EMCO can print variable data on both sides of postcards, letters and mailers. Every page in a booklet or catalog can contain personalized data, including photos, maps, QR codes and web addresses.
Make it personal with EMCO Mail + Print. Call or click today to reach new customers right away.