By
Lob
Direct mail is the performance marketing channel that cuts through digital noise, working seamlessly alongside your emails, push notifications, and SMS messages. When you integrate direct mail with Braze, you can trigger personalized postcards, letters, and checks based on real-time customer behavior, turning physical mail into an automated touchpoint that drives measurable results.
This guide walks you through everything from webhook setup and Canvas configuration to testing, personalization tactics, and measuring ROI across your integrated campaigns.
Integrating direct mail with Braze means connecting your customer engagement platform to physical mail delivery through webhooks, which are automated triggers that pass real-time data between systems. When a customer abandons their cart, ignores three emails in a row, or hits a milestone in your app, you can automatically send a personalized postcard, letter, or check to their mailbox. This is not the batch and blast mail campaigns from decades past. It is API-driven automation that treats physical mail like any other digital channel.
The difference comes down to speed and intelligence. Traditional direct mail campaigns require you to export CSV files, upload them to a printer, wait for proofs, and hope everything arrives on time. With Braze integration, you build the workflow once, and mail sends automatically based on customer behavior.
Physical mail cuts through digital noise in ways that emails and push notifications cannot replicate. When someone receives a tangible piece of mail with their name on it, they physically touch your brand, and that creates a different kind of connection.
Braze journeys let you orchestrate these touchpoints without manual work. You can trigger a welcome postcard when someone signs up, send a win-back letter to customers who have not opened your last five emails, or mail a birthday card with a personalized discount code. The physical mail arrives as part of a coordinated sequence with your digital messages, creating a cohesive experience across channels.
Adding direct mail to your digital campaigns can increase engagement significantly compared to single-channel outreach. You are meeting customers where they are—in their inbox, on their phone, and at their mailbox.
Before you connect Braze to your direct mail provider, gather a few items upfront. Missing even one can delay your launch or cause failed sends.
You will need API credentials from your direct mail provider. Most providers give you separate keys for testing and production environments. Your webhook URL is the endpoint where Braze sends data to trigger mail pieces. Test the connection with a sample payload before going live.
Complete mailing addresses are required for direct mail integration. Missing or incorrectly formatted addresses lead to undeliverable mail and wasted budget.
Address verification services validate and standardize addresses before mail sends. Lob automatically verifies addresses through CASS certification.
Your direct mail templates need to meet specific technical requirements. Most providers accept HTML templates or PDF files. Design your templates with personalization variables mapped to Braze user attributes.
Setting up direct mail in Braze Canvas mirrors how you would set up any other webhook-based integration.
Navigate to Templates > Webhook Templates in your Braze dashboard. Create a new blank template and name it descriptively. Set the request method to POST and add your webhook URL. Add your authentication credentials in the Request Headers section.
In the Request Body section, build the JSON payload that tells your direct mail provider what to print and where to send it. The merge_variables object passes dynamic data into your mail template.
Open or create a Canvas. Drag a Message step where you want mail to trigger. Select Webhook as the message type and choose your template.
Direct mail takes time to deliver, so place this step strategically. For example, send a postcard a few days after a customer abandons their cart.
Configure retry attempts and delays in the Advanced Settings section. You can also set up a failover branch that triggers if the webhook fails after all retries.
Test with a small segment. Send a test webhook and verify that the mail piece arrives correctly. Once confirmed, activate your Canvas and monitor performance.
Testing direct mail integration is essential. Unlike emails, you cannot recall a mail piece once it is in production.
Most direct mail providers offer a preview mode to generate a PDF proof. Use this to verify that personalization renders correctly. Send physical test mail to your team.
Set up separate webhook templates for testing and production. Use staging for safe experimentation. Switch to production only after thorough testing.
Test address formats and personalization edge cases. Build fallback logic into your templates to handle missing data.
Direct mail works at every stage of the customer journey. The key is matching the right mail format and message to each lifecycle moment.
Send a welcome postcard after signup to reinforce your brand. For high-value users, consider sending a welcome kit with branded items.
Direct mail offers a fresh channel to re-engage inactive users. Target users who have been inactive for a set period.
Use direct mail to reward loyal customers. Send exclusive offers, gifts, or birthday discounts.
With Braze integration, you can personalize direct mail using the same customer data as your emails.
Customize content based on browsing and purchase data. Variable data printing lets you change images, headlines, and offers for each recipient.
Use Braze's segmentation to route different user groups to different mail templates. Tailor messaging by audience type.
Set up split tests for creative, timing, and messaging. Start with simple tests and expand based on what works.
Integrated campaigns give you visibility into delivery and behavior. This lets you measure ROI and optimize performance.
Delivery confirmations can sync into Braze as custom events. Use these to trigger follow-up messages.
Automatically suppress future mail sends to undeliverable addresses. Use delivery data to maintain clean lists.
Use personalized QR codes or URLs to tie mail engagement back to digital actions. These attribution events flow back into Braze.
Direct mail involves personal data. Protecting this information is essential.
Choose a provider with proper compliance certifications. Lob maintains SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, and ISO 27001.
Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Use HTTPS and secure API calls.
Maintain logs of mail sends and data usage. Track every mail event using Braze custom events.
Select a provider that offers native Braze integration or robust webhook support. Evaluate print quality, turnaround speed, API flexibility, and analytics depth.
Request print samples and review turnaround times. Look for clear service level agreements and transparent pricing.
Compare pricing models and consider address verification fees, design costs, and platform fees. Choose a provider that supports your volume and reporting needs.
Integrating direct mail into your Braze workflows adds a tangible, memorable touchpoint that drives results. Start with a pilot campaign. Once proven, expand across lifecycle stages.
Lob integrates natively with Braze and provides delivery tracking, address verification, and print quality assurance. We manage logistics so you can focus on strategy and creative. Book a demo to see how Lob can support your direct mail efforts.
Can I pause a live Braze Canvas if my direct mail inventory runs out?
Yes. You can pause or modify Canvas steps at any time in the Braze dashboard. Toggle off the webhook or reroute users down an alternate path.
How quickly do USPS delivery events appear in Braze custom events?
Delivery confirmations typically sync within hours, depending on integration setup.
What ROI improvement can I expect from adding direct mail to Braze journeys?
Results vary by use case. Most teams start with a pilot campaign and measure uplift before scaling.
Does direct mail count toward Braze frequency capping rules?
Direct mail sends through webhooks operate independently unless you configure custom logic to include them in frequency caps.
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