Digital Collateral vs. Text to Print
A large national company that specializes in direct mail and postcards is making a big push promoting its “text to print” solution. While intuitively it makes sense that businesses would like to communicate with prospects in as many ways as possible, taking the conversation from the real-time (and trackable) digital channel to an old-world postcard is madness.
Digital Collateral
While small amounts of critical information can be communicated via text message, sometimes the content is more suitable for email. In this instance, we provide clients with our Digital Collateral service that combines text messaging with email.
1. Participants send a text message in response to a call-to-action in traditional media.
2. Participants receive a message thanking them for their interest in the product or service and are asked to respond with their email address.
3. Upon receipt of the email address, we immediately send an email that contains the requested information. The email can be text, html, and even contain an attachment.
Now let’s compare this to Text to Print.
Text to Print
This offering aims to solve the same problem as digital collateral, but falls short in the most import areas, immediacy and convenience. First, consumers must provide their entire mailing address (as opposed to just email) and then they are forced to wait for a printed postcard to arrive via USPS. Let’s say you are hosting an event on a Friday night and text to print is used.
• Friday Night: Consumer opts-in to your program
• Saturday: Printer is closed
• Sunday: Printer is closed
• Monday: Postcards are printed
• Tuesday: Postcards are mailed
• Wednesday-Thursday: Postcards are in transit via USPS
• Friday: Consumer receives postcard that they requested one week ago!
In addition to the lack of timeliness, the marketer is also paying for production and postage for postcars, both non-issues with Digital Collateral.
To demo the Digital Collateral solution from Blumo, text BLUMO to 25866.