About Direct Mail Printing

The media is becoming an increasingly fragmented place. Nearly everyday new magazine titles and newspapers are being published and more television and radio channels are coming into the market. As the Internet grows, it is becoming an increasingly large and fragmented place. Therefore, people are becoming even harder to reach in a cost-effective way. Direct mail communications remain an effective way to reach consumers. It allows you to target specialized mail pieces tailored to their intended receivers in one of the most direct and cost-effective ways possible--to their homes.

Size

When determining effectiveness, it is crucial to consider the size of the direct mail piece. Generally, the larger the postcard, the more effective the mail piece will be. There are different sizes of postcards to consider. The larger format postcard will be more costly than a smaller postcard, but it will most likely increase your response rate. The increased cost can likely be offset by a number of factors, including postage if delivered through an automated list service as well as lower run charges when purchased in higher run lengths.

Benefits

Sending postcards via direct mail is one of the most economical promotional choices available. Direct mail campaigns offer companies a better value for their marketing dollars. This is because they are more cost-effective than traditional advertising methods and they are financially accountable. A company can invest thousands into a promotional campaign, but oftentimes it can be hard to gauge how effective the campaign has been. Direct mail pieces are a tangible mode of promoting your company. Because they are so cost-effective, it allows you the opportunity to test and refine the effectiveness of your campaign according to your response.

Misconceptions

A one-time mailing is not always the most effective way to distribute direct mail. Communications are more likely to be successful if they are used as a "campaign" as opposed to a one time mailing; particularly when the list size is small. Generally, direct mail returns a one to three percent response rate. This increases, however, when you mail successive pieces to the same list or when you follow up with a phone call. Therefore, you may want to consider elongating your direct mail program to include several mailings, as opposed to a single postcard.

Warning

Sometimes direct mail has the tendency to be thrown out as "junk mail." Alongside your direct mail campaign, it is beneficial to use other outlets to promote your company. Perhaps you could consider running a radio ad or a television commercial throughout the duration of your direct mailings. You might also support your mail with an Internet campaign. These other outlets function to reinforce the materials highlighted in your direct mail communications. It has been shown that integrated and consistent marketing campaigns show the greatest results.

Considerations

As a general rule, cost per direct mail piece goes down with increased run length. Because of this, it is a good idea to buy these mailings in larger quantities. Another way to save money is by opting for a "gang" run of several postcards at one time. This means that rather than ordering postcards for one property at a time, you may want to consider grouping together the communications of multiple properties when launching your direct mail campaign.