It is a truth universally acknowledged that personalisation is a winning strategy in direct mail marketing — and the more personalisation you include in your mailers, the better the results.

But when does it become too much? Today’s consumers are hyper-aware that, in one way or another, their habits are being tracked, and they might respond negatively when marketers rely too much on their personal info.

It’s a difficult line to walk, but Jump is here to help. Here are the best practices for using variable data.

What Is Personalisation?

Personalisation has been around for decades, but when used with DM, it still delivers great results.

In short, personalisation is anything that makes your marketing communications more relevant to prospects or customers.

Historically, DM has used readily available data like the recipient’s name and address, but today marketers have access to more information than ever: how long the customer or prospect has lived at that address, how many (if any) children live there, where they spend their holidays, and more.

What Makes Personalisation… Creepy?

From just the list above, it’s easy to see how excessive personalisation can come across as a little creepy.

For prospects who don’t already have an established relationship with your brand, marketing using too much or too specific information will have the opposite effect: it will push them away instead of drawing them in.

More marketing mistakes that make personalisation feel creepy are:

• Referring to information the customer never knowingly shared.
• Using aggressive personalisation at the wrong moment.
• Mentioning overly intimate or sensitive topics (health, family, finances…) even if the data is technically available.
• Not giving a clear explanation of what data you use, how it drives personalisation, or how to opt out.
• Combining personalisation with urgency, shaming, or manipulative UX.

As a standard rule, if the info you want to use might lead the prospect to wonder how you obtained it… don’t use it (or at least don’tuse it blatantly)! This is especially true in prospecting mail, where you should use sensitive information sparingly, if at all.

Commonly available personal data and the information necessary to deliver mail, on the other hand, are free game… sort of (more on that later).

The Simple (and Not-Stalker-ish) Way of Using Personalisation in Your Direct Mail Campaigns

Consent, Context, Control

So, obviously you don’t want to put off potential and existing customers with a creepy direct mail campaign. To avoid that, keep these 3 pillars in mind: consent, context, and control.

Consent

Only use data that the customers knowingly shared, or that is necessary for the campaign in question.

Context

Limit how specific you get based on your relationship with the recipient: using too much personal data with prospects might feel stalker-ish, but repeat customers who already trust your brand will appreciate the extra attention.

Control

Make it easy for people to see, adjust, and turn off personalisation preferences.

Nuance Matters

When using “sensitive” information in a direct mail campaign, it’s always best to be subtle — even with established clients.

“Obliquely” referencing personal information instead of stating it outright is a much more tactful (and therefore effective) approach. Remember, you want your customer or prospect to feel understood, not stalked. For example, if you know Jane Doe has lived at her address for 11 years, saying “Jane, if you’ve lived in your home for over 10 years, you might need…” is much more congenial than saying “Jane, you’ve lived at 123 High Street for 11 years, so you might need…”

Use Personal Data to Give Useful Info

Another strategy to make your clients “forgive” you for leveraging personal data is to use it to provide genuinely useful information.

For example, you could use variable printing to include the address of the branch or store closest to the recipient, or the contact details of the agent or sales rep covering the area. This can also include a map of the store’s location or a photo of the relevant sales rep.

Digital Integration with Personalised URLs and QR Codes

Integration with digital channels is another winning strategy for DM.

‍Personalised URLs (pURLs) and QR codes are a great way to increase response rates. By taking the customer or prospect to a bespoke landing page (with embedded tracking information, if desired) or using their information to pre-fill an application or response form, personalised digital integration garners attention while providing precise tracking data.

Mindful Personalisation, Step by Step

1. Start by identifying what you want to improve (completing onboarding, increasing feature use, renewing, expanding…) and, before reaching for more complex data, pick simple, non-sensitive signals that can help you achieve your goal.
2. Inventory your data sources used for personalisation, such as first-party behaviour, declared preferences, and support history. It's helpful to categorise each field by sensitivity level (low, medium, or high) and consider limiting the use of sensitive data or avoiding it when possible, to ensure privacy and trust.
3. Establish clear boundaries by outlining guidelines for acceptable practices. This can include specifying topics to avoid, knowing when to keep conversations general, and setting red lines for messaging — like never mentioning a specific life event unless the customer has explicitly given permission.
4. Focus on creating meaningful experiences by asking, "What would the customer miss if we didn't know this data?" for each segment and trigger. Aim for personalisation that reduces friction, anticipates needs, and clearly outlines next steps, rather than just highlighting what's already known.
5. Monitor sentiment by regularly reviewing complaints, unsubscribes, and qualitative feedback across campaigns and segments. If feedback suggests the messages feel too invasive, use it as a prompt to tweak triggers, messaging style, send frequency, or the data you use.

Staying GDPR-Compliant

When using consumer data in your DM marketing campaigns, keeping GDPR rules top of mind is nothing short of fundamental.

GDPR and Legitimate Interest for Direct Mail

While you may be familiar with GDPR for digital marketing, the guidelines differ slightly for DM.

The main difference is that mail marketing doesn’t require explicit consent; instead, legitimate interest serves as a lawful basis for processing data (provided certain conditions are met).

Under GDPR, businesses can rely on legitimate interest as long as they prove that their marketing efforts are necessary to their interests and won't infringe on anyone’s privacy rights. This process includes performing a Legitimate Interest Assessment (LIA), which weighs the company's interests against the possible impact on an individual's privacy.

How To Ensure GDPR Compliance in Direct Mail

If you’re eager to harness the reach and engagement that DM can bring, here are some helpful steps to stay aligned with data privacy laws:

1. Conduct a LIA: Take a moment to see if your marketing efforts fit within legitimate interest. Keep a record of your findings and consider the rights and interests of the individuals involved.
2. Provide Opt-Out Options: Give customers and prospects an easy way to opt out of future messages. You might want to use DM to direct them online and encourage them to opt in, putting control right into their hands.
3. Data Accuracy and Minimisation: Make sure the personal data you hold is accurate and up to date. Only collect the information you really need for your marketing activities.
4. Secure Data Handling: Protect personal data with strong security measures to prevent unauthorised access or data breaches. Review your physical, technical, and administrative security, and address any gaps quickly.