Paper is having a moment. Even as the average American spends more than five hours a day on mobile devices, paper is increasing in popularity, too. Paper is replacing plastic in straws and bags while greeting cards and stationery, newspapers and print magazines are all making comebacks.
Many consumers are sticking with paper bills, coupons and other print communications, too. A majority of Americans receive their recurring bills through the mail, and 63% of households pay their bills by mail, according to the USPS Household Diary Study 2017.
Print communications, then, remain central to meeting customer expectations and delivering the kinds of customer experiences (CX) that build reputation and revenues.
New technologies drive CX
Innovations in customer communications management (CCM) and printing technologies are enabling companies to make print/mail correspondence more personalized, engaging and relevant. CCM systems make it fast and easy to develop and customize customer documents while the latest inkjet printers can produce those materials at lightning speed, in full color, for about the same price as black-and-white.
Our latest white paper, The Power of Print: New Technologies Are Reinventing Paper Customer Communications, outlines these innovations with actionable strategies to maximize the impact of your communications. Some of the key opportunities:
1. Convert to Color
Color is highly influential: 90% of snap judgments made about brands or businesses can be based on color alone. With high-speed inkjet, you can take advantage of that bias, being as creative with color in print as you are in digital channels, for about the same price as in monochrome. Dynamic color is key to capitalizing on a company’s branded visual design and extending brand awareness and affinity.
2. Customize for Customers
Personalization is a growing expectation among consumers. According to Salesforce’s State of the Connected Customer Report 2019, 45% of consumers say they generally ignore communications from companies unless they’re personalized for them.
3. Leverage Communications Across Channels
Print communications contents can be dynamically modified for distribution in digital channels, using some CCM systems. This flexibility increases document value and delivers an omnichannel customer experience.
4. Make Print Part of an Omnichannel Experience
Consumers show a distinct preference for mixing digital and print channels. A combination of digital and physical experiences, such as receiving paper billing communications but making payments online, delivers the highest positive emotions for customers, which can translate into hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue growth, according to Forrester’s Light on the Horizon, The State of Customer Experience Quality, 2019.
5. Meet Customer Expectations by Offering Communications and Payment Choices
Customized omnichannel interactions are increasingly table stakes. A full 76% of consumers expect businesses to understand their needs and expectations, according to Salesforce.
For more insights on reaching and engaging customers with print, download our white paper The Power of Print. Or contact us at sales@nordistechnologies.com.
About the Author
Mike oversees production operations, warehouse facility and data processing. He is a 25-year direct-mail industry veteran whose focus on streamlining production has helped the company and its clients reduce cost while increasing efficiency and output.
Mike earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing, with a minor in management, from Colorado State University. He is a member of the Mailing Fulfillment Service Association and the Postal Customer Council.
MIke Rosini
Vice President, Operations
