Personalised URLs (PURLS) – Why they are revolutionising direct marketing

This post was last edited by Alex Cohen, on the March 8, 2010 @ 10:53 am

Let’s say your name is Joe Bloggs and you own an accountancy practice called Berkshire Accountants. You receive a postcard in the post from one of your suppliers about a new software program called ‘Accountancy Magic 2.0′. They claim it will cut your costs by 30%, saving you thousands of pounds a year.

Ask yourself – which message would most likely make you visit the product website?

1) A headline that reads ‘How to save 30% on your accountancy practice’s operating costs’ and the call-to-action is to go to a website called: CutAccountancyCosts.com

Or

2) A headline that reads ‘How Joe Bloggs can save 30% on Berkshire Accountants’ operating costs’ and the call to action says ‘Joe, let us show you specifically how we can cut the costs of Berkshire Accountants’ operating costs at a special website we made just for you at
Joe.Bloggs.CutAccountancyCosts.com

I think you’ll agree that number 2 is much more compelling. Why? Because it drives curiosity. Joe thinks that you created a website just for him and his business.

So What Is a Personalised URL (PURL)?

Personalised URLs are a way to personalise web pages to specific customers and prospects based on data from your database. The name of the customer is inserted into the front of the URL. When the person enters their personalised URL into their web browser, the page they see is customised to them, based on information from your database.

PURLs have the unique ability to take an inexpensive direct mail media like postcards (where the space is limited) and drive your customers to the web, where the space is unlimited and virtually free.

In this example we only inserted Joe’s name. We could have taken it further and personalised information like his location or industry, we could have different pictures or we could even personalise offers if we know about previous purchases. ‘Joe, as a user of Accountancy Magic 2.0 you may also be interested in Cash Flow Magic 2.0 for a special price of just £100′.

How can you use PURLs?

You can use them in emails, direct mail letters or postcards. You can use them to collect information, provide more information about your product or service, collect email addresses or give away free information.

They particularly work well when used in direct mail as traditionally the only way to measure direct mail is by how many people respond to it. With PURLs as each URL is personalised you can see who has been to the PURL website and you can follow that up directly with a phone call.

Can you use PURLs in your marketing strategy?

So, think you can use this in your marketing strategy? Xander Marketing has developed its own PURL technology so get in touch today if you want to explore the power of it.

To see an example of our most recent PURL campaign have a look at:

http://john.doe.wow-your-customers.co.uk/

If you’re interested in your own PURL campaign contact us on 0118 321 7620 or send us an email.

Tags: Direct Mail, Direct Marketing, PURL

Don’t even think about using your direct mail letter as an email

This post was last edited by Alex Cohen, on the March 8, 2010 @ 11:03 am

More and more we’re meeting business owners who are simply taking a direct mail letter they send out (usually to introduce their company) and sending it out as an email. This doesn’t work!

The way emails and letters are written are different and therefore require the messages to be portrayed differently through the mediums.

Here are reasons why a direct mail letter is different to an email:

• Think about what you do in real life. How you write a letter versus how you write an email. Emails are more informal, the most effective emails should come from a real person and be made to look like an email your colleague would send you. Letters are more formal
• Letters are usually addressed ‘Dear someone’ and signed ‘Yours Sincerely’. Think about when you send an email to a colleague – most of the time you start with ‘Hi’ and sign it using ‘Kind regards’, ‘Regards’ or ‘Best regards’
• The purpose of a direct mail letter is usually to get someone to respond to your call to action – call you, send an email, respond to a coupon… An email is to get someone to take the next step – be that download a PDF or click through to a website. Therefore emails need call to actions (links) throughout it to try and get people to click on one of them
• The subject line. Getting someone to open an email is key – a standard direct mail letter – most people will open – with email you need a compelling, action orientated subject line to get people to open it
• When it comes to email people don’t have time, they skim read and very quickly (in seconds) decide if they should read it or not. Whilst a letter can be a page of A4 long, email can’t. It needs to be short, snappy and to the point from the first word
• Email can build relationships. Yes you can introduce your company in an email but the emails that work best provide something of use. As a marketing agency We’d get better results giving people marketing tools or marketing insights for SMEs than introducing our company

So there you have it. Next time You’re thinking of taking your direct mail letter and sending it out as an email, stop! Start from scratch and you’ll get the best results.

Tags: Direct Mail, Email Marketing, Lead Generation