How to select a mailing list?

We can help you select the best list for your direct mailing, but nobody knows your customers like yourself. To select the most effective mailing list we recommend that you profile your ideal customer or target audience.  It may be helpful to look at current customers for characteristics or visualize an ideal customer.  We recommend collecting as much data as possible from your current customers to get a better idea as to who they are and how to find people like them.  The next step will be to document all the characteristics that defines who they are.  Write down everything and think outside the box.  This can be as simple as their location and income and can be as complex as there interests or personality.  These do not necessarily need to correlate to the customer purchasing your product or service, but should be indicators of the audience you are looking to target.  

After you have created your profile rank each attribute according to how important each characteristic is.  This is helpful because lists become more expensive with the more selections and criteria you add.  If you can focus on the most important characteristics or select criteria that are indicators for multiple characteristics you will be able to get more value out of your list.

Sometimes characteristics may seem to be mundane and irrelevant but could be very useful.  For instance if you are a dentist and you notice that all your clients drive convertibles, selecting a list with people that drive convertibles may be the best list for your businesses.  Even though convertibles are irrelevant to the dentistry industry they may be an indicator of a specific demographic (age, income, interests, habits, gender, etc) and it would be more cost effective to target convertible owners than targeting the age, income, habits, and gender that are represented by convertible owners.  

When thinking of characteristics do not just include characteristics that you think are selects on mailing list.  You will be surprised at how many options are available for mailing list selections including interests, hobbies, activities, and the list goes on and on. 

It is often best to provide your characteristics and rankings to a mail house for review so we can help you get the best list.  It is also helpful to provide a description of your businesses to your mailing agent.  We see lots of different lists and strategies from all different companies and it is often helpful to get an outsiders opinion.  With your rankings and description we can also look for a list that is both effective and falls within your budget.  In most cases it is beneficial to spend more on a targeted list, because you will be saving money on wasted postage, printing, and processing if you mailed to a more generic list which included recipients who do not fit your customer base.

Should I print my postcard Glossy or Matte?

It most depends on personal preference but there are a few pros and cons associated with printing glassy or matter postcards.

Glossy

Glossy postcards have a smooth and shiny finish and look very polished.  This coating allows for a crisper looking image, especially when the card is filled with vivid imagery.  Glossy cards are great for postcards that have lots of colorful images.  Glossy postcards will also be processed through the United States Postal Services’ machines with less damage.

Matte

Matte cards have a subtle shine and offer a more professional look.  Matte postcards are more commonly used in cards that are predominately text based or where text is the focus of the card.  The matte finish allows high contrast between text and images and increases the readability of the card.  This finish also enhances white space within the card.

Ultimately the choice is yours and you cannot really go wrong with either, yet the subtle differences between a matte and gloss could give your postcard the perfect look and feel that will grab the recipients attention.

Reducing Direct Mail Turnaround Times

Getting your direct mail piece out on time and on budget is our priority.  If you have a rush job there are a few things you can do to help expedite processing and get your order out as soon as possible.  Action Mail’s turnaround time for mailing jobs is generally 2-3 business days after you have approved samples and authorized the mailing for standard mailings.  Jobs that involve printing usually take an additional 3-5 days, though depending on the size, type, and urgency of the mailing we can expedite processing to meet your needs.  Please contact one of our sales representative for rush turnaround times to see how we can meet your deadlines.  Please also keep in mind the tips below to reduce turnaround times.

Data File Preparation

Receiving data files that are ready to be put into production saves time on revisions and back and forth.  Data files should be sent in an excel document with the name, address, city, state, zip code, and any other data that is to be mail merged into the mailing clearly labeled in the header records.  Data should be clean and uniform to avoid additional time, costs, and inaccuracies associated with bad data. 

Pre-processing information

The more information available before the mailing the faster the setup and processing of the job. Please provide the piece size, paper weight and type, clear directions for inserting, class of mail, and any other instructions or request when placing an order.  Additionally providing directions on what to do with CASS (undeliverable address) and NCOA (addresses that have moved and provided a new address and addresses that have moved and not provided a new address), will reduce back and forth after the processing of data.

Print File Preparation

Art files for printing should be sent in high resolution PDFs.  The art should by in CYMK and have full bleeds in order to expedite printing.  Art should also be provided to one of our sales reps during the creative design process to ensure that the design meets postal regulations.  We will provide a proof of the printed piece, and a quick response and approval will help increase printing turnaround times.

Postage

Many times jobs are ready to go but we cannot mail without postage.  For rush jobs make sure you are ready to add funds into your permit or provide a postage check as soon as we process the job and calculate postage, in order to avoid delays associated with waiting for postage to arrive.

Advanced notice

The more advanced notice we have the more efficiently we can schedule the job and decrease turnaround times.  Even if you do not have the data, art, or materials, let us know your timeline and needs so we can prepare for and schedule the job.

First Class

Another option to decrease the time necessary for the mailing to reach the target audience is to mail first class.  Postage is considerably more than Standard Mail but your mail piece should reach homes and businesses in 1-3 days.

The best way to reduce turnaround times and get your mail out as soon as possible is to prepare as much as possible for the mailing.  The more information you can provide the faster we can get the piece out.  Planning your mail far in advanced is always the best way to mitigate rush mailings, but this is not always possible and there are often delays and changes during the planning process.  We recommend planning as much as possible and providing as much information to us as possible as soon as possible.  This will help us quickly process your mailings and meet your deadlines.

What is in an Envelope

It’s critical that your direct mail envelope gets opened.  Research shows you only have 7 seconds to make an impression on your prospect and get them to open the envelope.

Here are some useful tips in selecting the correct envelope:

·         Must meet USPS Postal regulations

·         For most cost effective processing, it should be machine insert compatible

·         Be careful not to use dark or luminous colors.  These will not be able to be sorted by the USPS unless the address block is knocked out.   This is also true for some of the bright Neon colored envelopes.

Color

Color is a powerful branding tool and can promote connection and emotion.  Make an impact and catch the prospects eye. 

Utilize the Empty Space

After reading the name and address on the envelopes the recipients eyes will move to images and graphics on the envelope.  Utilize this canvas and create a graphic call to action, instead of just plain text.  Use the back side of the envelope as well.

Addressing and Postage

There are many different fonts you can use to address the envelope.  Choosing a font will depend on the piece.   For an invitation, you may use a more decorative hand written type font, where a business letter will be in a more standard Arial, or Times Roman type font.  For a more personalized feel, you can affix a bulk mail stamp rather than an indicia.

Windows

There are many window sizes available.  This can give the recipients a peek inside the direct mail package and can act as a tease.  The windows can also showcase the offer inside.

GETTING READY FOR THE RED TAG MAILING SEASON

It is the time of the year when the USPS is starting to see a lot of red tag mail running through their equipment.

What is Red Tagged Mail?

All qualified political mail will have their mail trays or sacks tagged with a special red tag by the mail house . This helps the post office identify the mail as political mail so that this political mail can be given priority service. Most political mailings run on very tight turnaround times and this identification is extremely important in ensuring the mail gets to the destination on time before election day.

3 WAYS TO FURTHER EXPEDITE YOUR POLITICAL MAILING

1.        Make sure your art conforms with the standards set out by the USPS for bulk mail discounts. Your art should also have the necessary bleeds built in so that the color will print to the edge.

2.       Get your mailing list ready ahead of time and send it to your mail house so that the list can be scrubbed for bad address and updated with the new address. Also decide ahead of time if you would like to remove all addresses that do not qualify for maximum discounts due to them not matching what the USPS has as a valid address.

3.       Make sure you have postage funds available prior to delivery of the mail to the post office. The USPS will not accept mail without payment, standard (bulk) mail cannot be paid with a credit card.

How to fold a self mailer?

When designing a self mailer it is essential that the piece folds correctly to meet USPS postal regulations.  Essentially the final fold will need to be on the longest edge and be located below the address.

Below is a self mailer template for a simple 8.5x11 bi-fold self mailer

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Bi-fold Self-Mailer Template

As more folds are introduced and large paper sizes are used the regulations become bit more complicated.  A few simple rules to follow are

• The final fold will need to be below the address. This means that the top of the mail piece will always be open.

• The second to last fold will need to be to the right of the address on the leading edge, if there is a fold perpendicular to the final fold.

• The address will always need to be parallel to the longest edge and cannot be placed on the last panel.

• The last panel should be at the top or within one inch of the top

• Make sure that when orientating the self mailer the address and artwork on the address panel are orientated so that they reads correctly.

Below are a few examples of self mailer templates which indicate where the final folds will need to be made so that the piece will meet USPS regulations and qualify for the lowest postage rates.

Tri-fold self mailer template:

Tri-fold Self-Mailer Template

Quarter fold self mailer template:

Quarter-fold Self-mailer Template

Folds for self mailers will be different depending on the size of the piece and the number of panels on the piece, but using the rules mentioned above should have the information you need to fold your self mailer correctly.  If your design requires a different fold it may be possible to add additional tabs to meet the USPS requirements.

Please send us a proof of your self mailer so we can make sure the folds are correct.

What is inkjet addressing?

Inkjet addressing is when addresses are printed onto a mail piece by an inkjet printer.  Inkjet printing allows for high speed printing at low prices.  Inkjet printing sprays ink directly onto a piece as opposed to laser or offset printing.  Inkjet printing is most commonly used for printing small pieces of variable data like addresses, taglines, salutations, etc.  The print quality is not as good as laser and offset printing, but inkjet printing is great for small variable data that needs to be added to a piece.  Typically mail pieces are offset printed or digitally printed and then the address is inkjet printed onto the piece.  Another advantage of inkjet printing is that finished pieces can have addresses inkjet printed directly onto them.  For instance a booklet, self-mailer, or glossy postcard can have the address inkjet printed directly onto the finished piece even after it has been folded, bound, tabbed, or coated.

Some clients even elect to print variable data like salutations or codes using inkjet printers due to low costs of printing.  Inkjet printing looks more professional than applying labels and is also more cost effective.  The drawback of inkjet printing is that printing is done in line so duplex printing will require two passes.  Additionally images and select uniform colors can be printed but the quality will not be as good as digital printing and some images may look pixelated. The most significant cost of inkjet printing is the ink so the more ink used the higher the costs, which is why inkjet printing is mostly used for small pieces of variable information like an address or tagline.  Inkjet print heads also have a limited size.  Our inkjet heads are 4 inches wide so each head can only print 4 inches wide on the selected piece.

Inkjet addressing is a great way to add personal data like addresses, taglines, promotional codes, and barcodes to any mail piece.  Inkjet addressing looks professional is cost effective and will add variable data that is essential to your mailing.  

How do I know if my bulk mailing was mailed?

There are many ways to receive proof that your bulk mailing was mailed.  The easiest way it ask your mail house for a postal receipt.  When bulk mail is delivered to the post office the postal clerk will examine the piece make sure it meets the postal standards and weight verify the delivery to ensure that the quantity matches that in the postal statement.   They will then issue a mailing transaction receipt acknowledging that the mail has been delivered and is now in the hands of the USPS.  The postage statement will also detail the postage paid.  Many post offices are now sending these receipts electronically and they should be accessible for mail houses to distribute if there is a discrepancy.

Bulk direct mail can also be tracked.  The mail house can add information into the barcode of the mail piece which will allow the USPS to track the piece as it moves through the mail stream.  Your mail house can then provide a report indicating where in the mail stream the pieces are.  Tracking goes as far as the last scan from the last post office prior to delivery, but does not track when the piece is actually delivered to the recipient’s mailbox.  Furthermore, tracking is not 100% accurate as some pieces are not scanned and depending on where the mail is going some USPS post offices do not have the technology to track all types of mail.

In some cases the two aforementioned methods will not be available like for some first class, non-automation, comingled, or international mail.  In these cases the best way to track whether the pieces have been delivered to the post office is to add a seed name into your data.  A seed name is often times an address included in the data used for purpose of verifying that the mail has been sent.  It is best practice to include seed names in all mailings, not just to verify mailing but also to get an idea of when recipients have received the mail.

Five things to consider for a direct mail campaign

When designing a direct mail marketing campaign there are certain points that you must think about to optimize your mailing.Prepare for your direct mail campaign by considering the following characteristics:

1.       Your Target Audience

With direct mail you have the ability to target a specific audience. This is the most important part of your mailing, no matter how amazing your piece is if it is not sent to a target client it will not be successful. When considering where to send your direct mailing, consider your ideal client. Break down as many characteristics of that client as possible (i.e. income level, geographic location, homeowners, etc.). With these characteristics you can obtain a list that targets the best prospects.

2.       Your budget

It is important to set a budget for your direct mail campaign. There are many different aspects of a direct mail budget including: list acquisition, postage, services, printing, etc. Make sure to identify the aspects of your mailing that are most important to you. For example, if the type of paper used is more important than the colors used, you can save money by going with black and white while still using a high quality paper.

3.       Your goals

You must set goals for your direct mail campaign. Goals should be set aggressively yet realistically. Your goals are integral in ensuring that you maintain focus on the most important marketing aspects while creating your direct mail campaign. When setting goals make sure to consider multiple aspects including but not limited to desired client response, response rate, and brand awareness. Note that it has been proven that you need multiple mailings to achieve optimal results. Make sure to plan your overall mailing strategy and don’t be afraid to test your ideas with smaller sample mailings before you commit to a larger mailing.

4.       Your Piece

Once you have identified your target audience, budget, and goals you must design your piece. When designing your piece there are many things to consider. Firstly, you must decide what type of piece you want to mail (postcard, letter, etc.), what size you want, etc. In addition, you must consider what message you are trying to get across and what the call to action of your mailing will be (i.e. visit your website, come in to your store location, or fill out a survey). Be sure to keep your budget and goals close at hand when designing your piece.

5.       Your marketing integration

Like any marketing communication direct mail cannot be utilized in a vacuum. When designing your direct mail campaign reflect on how it will be integrated with your overall marketing campaign. Make sure to keep a consistent message throughout your marketing channels focused on achieving your overall campaign goals. It is also important to consider your follow-up strategy after your mailing.