When you’re looking to run a direct mail marketing campaign with a personalized touch, deciding to use personalized URLs is a great option. The perfect middle ground between traditional mailers and digital marketing, personalized URLs (PURLs) can help you achieve your marketing goals, especially with the help of the experts at Epsilon Individual Automotive.

We’re staffed with a team of marketing experts who know how to get results for your dealership. In fact, that’s exactly what we’ve been doing for more than 30 years. Are you ready to grow your dealership with the help of PURLs? Keep reading to learn more about personal URLs!

WHAT ARE PERSONALIZED URLS?

Personalized URLs are a form of direct mail marketing where you send unsolicited mail to people in your target audience. You can send mail based on geographical location, demographics, income, and more.

However, with personalized URLs, your direct mail is more than a postcard or catalogue sent to their mailbox. Now, you’ll have a digital element added to your marketing campaign.

When someone receives a piece of mail from your dealership, they’ll also be presented with a unique URL address that directs them to their own personal landing page. Here, they’ll likely see their name and a quick welcome greeting, along with whatever other information you want to share.

WHY USE PURLS?

Deciding to use PURLs in your marketing campaign has been proved to be highly effective for a number of different reasons. Most importantly, when you make the mail personalized, you’ll likely see a higher return on investment (ROI) than if you hadn’t included personalization.

Adding a person’s name to the mail can increase response rate by an estimated 135 percent. Additionally, according to Epsilon®, 80 percent of customers are more likely to purchase from your dealership if they have been provided that personalized experience.

Another benefit of integrating PURLs into your marketing campaign is that you can more closely track your campaign. That’s because you can see how many individuals accessed their personalized landing page, what links they clicked on from that page, and then can track that back to any purchases they made online or at your dealership.

Effective Personalized URLs

When you’re looking to integrate personalized URLs, you’ll have nearly endless options as to how you can take advantage of this hybrid version of marketing.

One effective example of utilizing PURLs is by sending basic information out—for example, about an upcoming service special—that refers the recipient to a personalized URL to learn more.

When they access their personalized link, they’ll be greeted with their name and more details about the service special. For an even further personalized experience, you can add information about their service history and upcoming services, a redeemable service coupon, maintenance how-to videos, and much more.

With all of this, the recipient will be treated to a fully personalized shopping experience, helping them feel more valued.

Best Practices for Personalized URLs

Now that you’re more familiar with some examples of effective personalized URLs for automotive marketing, it’s time to take a closer look at some of the best practices for these digital advertising powerhouses.

Stay personal

Typically, PURLs are delivered to your targeted audience via a direct mail campaign. While the main campaign may be the superstar, you want to maintain the personalized feel of your marketing efforts through every aspect of your strategy, including the personalized URL itself.

To preserve this, you’ll want the email or direct mailer where the PURL resides to be just as personalized as the URL itself. That way, you’ll maintain a cohesive voice throughout the campaign. After all, the email or direct mailer that houses the PURL is what will ultimately encourage the customer to click.

Create value

The ultimate goal of a marketing campaign is to get your customers to take action, right? Well, to achieve that, you need to be sure that the CTA (call to action) provides your consumers with something of value. Instead of creating a CTA that focuses on the action that your team wants the reader to take, consider coming up with a CTA that draws on what would be most valuable to your customers.

For instance, something like, “click the link to see how much you could save on your next car,” is likely to result in an improved response rate than a CTA that doesn’t offer the same clear value.

Target your audience

The most successful automotive marketing campaigns aim to spark action from a specific audience segment. Typically, the individuals within this segment include consumers who fit the characteristics of high-intent buyers or buyers who would benefit most from your dealership’s upcoming promotion.

By targeting customers who are on the cusp of making a purchase, you catch them at a moment when they’re most likely to be interested in a discount or special offer. One way that you can more effectively target consumers who are ready to take action is to use audience data.

In this specific scenario, you’ll want to search for buyers who have an active auto loan or lease that is due to end in the near future. As a result, you’ll attract customers at the right moment, in the right place, and with the right offer.

Make it cohesive

Your dealership’s messaging should have a clear voice that’s immediately recognizable to your targeted audience. But more importantly, that messaging should be consistent across all mediums—from direct mail to email to personalized URLs, and more.

To ensure that every aspect of your automotive marketing campaigns, all you have to do is match the PURL landing page’s design to the design featured on your direct mailer or email. Then, you’ll want to focus on smaller details like font, graphics, and copy to keep everything consistent. At the end of the day, a distinct brand persona earns better response from consumers.

Get Started with Personalized URLs Today

Are you ready to see an increase in your ROI by adding PURLs to your marketing campaign? If so, let our team at Epsilon Individual Automotive help you create a personalized URL program that’s most effective for your dealership.

Ready to get started? Curious to learn even more about the benefits of personal URLs benefits? Give us a call or send an email to get started today!

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