Objective:
In this article we will be talking about how and why to add alternative versions of your communications to both your digital and print mail pieces. We will explore the following topics:
- How Electronic/Print alternatives work in Core iQ and why you should use them
- How to add a physical mail alternative to your next electronic campaign in Core iQ
One of the most powerful tools that Core iQ has when it comes to reaching all of your customers in a budget-friendly manner is the Electronic/Print Alternative feature. This tab on the template editor screen allows you to connect two templates that are going to be sent out for the same purpose. If used, Core iQ will automatically queue up an electronic version of a template for anyone with an email address on file, and it will queue a print version for any remaining customers. This feature exists to help you save money on communications that can be sent either digitally or physically. Because the template defaults to the digital version, you could potentially save hundreds of dollars on outgoing communications in just the first few months.
Why should I use email/print alternatives for my Core iQ campaigns?
Electronic/Print alternatives are most often used by our customers when sending either cross-sell campaigns or product based onboarding materials. These types of campaigns work best when you can ensure that all of your customers are receiving the same materials at the lowest possible cost. For connected templates, Core iQ will always give priority to the email version of the template, and will only send the print version if the electronic one fails to send. This means that if you send an email with a postcard backup, the postcard will only send if the customer doesn’t have an email on file. The same situation of email then print mail queueing occurs even when you send the postcard as the primary template with an email alternative. While this feature can’t ensure that customers without a valid email and mailing address will receive the communication, it will make sure that as many customers as possible receive your campaign.
How to start using Print Alternatives
Within any email or print mail template inside of Core iQ, you can either set a digital or physical backup that will automatically queue up in the correct circumstances. Since emails are the priority option in these cases (so that you can save money), we recommend connecting a print alternative to your email communication. This way you will naturally lead with the lower cost option, and Core iQ will fill in the rest. While the platform works both ways (email to print alternative or vice versa), we recommend sticking with just print alternatives to emails.
Once you have chosen your alternative template, the platform will handle checking for whether any given customer should receive the digital or physical version of the campaign. Core iQ will honor any choices made in the Settings area of your alternative template as well, including the Sending Email Address and Customer Receives No More Than Once Within fields. It will also populate with the same merge fields used on the primary template, meaning the Responsible Banker contact information will stay consistent across templates.
Connecting your email and print mail templates using this feature is as simple as that. You only need to connect each template to one alternative and Core iQ will honor that alternative version any time the template is sent.