Statement Printing

Direct mail campaigns can be expensive, especially if they “fail”. So, how can you improve the pull of your direct marketing campaign?

In John M. Adams’ article “Using Direct Mail to Drive Store Traffic”, he says start with the mailing list. He makes a good point. You want to make sure to target the right potential customers, so a more specific list is better. Suppose you are a restaurant, consider mailing to a 3 mile radius around your location. You can further narrow your mailing according to Household Income and filters such as Food and Wine Enthusiasts. It’s crucial to work with a direct mail company that understands your needs and how to reach your target market. Some easy steps to follow are: know the zip codes you want to target, check the currency of your list, and seed the list to make sure your mailer is getting out.

Another part of improving the pull of your direct mail comes from the design of your piece. A potential customer has to notice your mailer among all of the others that he or she receives. Plastic card mailers are a great option for getting your piece to stand out from all of the “clutter”. Graphics look better, and because of their thickness, these mailers stand out among the rest. Using 4 color mailers is another option that when paired with a professionally designed piece, can grab the recipient’s attention.

You can use a test market for your direct mailing. It might be best to try a few markets initially if you are a national or regional company to see if your direct mail piece could work on a larger scale.

The final key to success is project management. You want to make sure you have a team or are working with a direct mail company that offers superior project management. One key factor is tracking redemption to ensure that you are getting a good return for your investment. With direct mail, a return of .5% is average, so anything 5% or higher is a great return.

Finally, use information you gather from your direct mailing campaign to influence future mailings! Create a customer list by tracking your redeemed cards. Plastic card mailers with magnetic strips make tracking direct mail even easier because, if you have a POS system, these cards can store information about the recipient.
A successful direct mail program is all in the detail, so make sure to pay attention to them or work with a company who can manage everything for you!

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What is Postal One and why is it beneficial to use a mailing service that used PostalOne!®? The PostalOne!® system offers a Web-based alternative to existing manual mailing processes with an electronic suite of services designed exclusively for business mailers. Basically, it is an information management system that links a business customer’s mailing and Postal Service that allows customers to get a streamlined process for mail entry, payment, tracking and reporting.

If a company prints and mails statements, this system can decrease the mail time and lead to a quicker turnaround time for accounts receivable. Most of the decreased mail time is a benefit of the advanced surface and air transportation management used by the PostalOne!® system. It offers a tightly integrated set of tools that helps First-Class Mail® business mailers coordinate, prepare and sort mail trays for transportation, using the most expeditious surface or air routing available. So, a mail house (or business) can see when planes and trains are leaving for their mail’s destination and use those modes of transportation to bypass much of the mail stream.

When choosing an outsourced mail provider, it is important to ask if they use PostalOne!®, especially if you send statements or invoices. Your mail can get to the recipient 2-3 days faster, and it has been noted that about 20% of people pay a bill as soon as they receive it. This means that your accounts receivable can have more immediate incoming funds. Plus, your recipients will appreciate receiving their mail in a timely manner!

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Some environmentally conscious cards mailer companies are now using Teslin substrate for their plastic card mailers instead of PVC. Teslin is a recyclable plastic material, but it is not considered biodegradable, so why is it better for the environment than PVC?

Teslin does not contain any cellulose-based materials and does not contribute to forest harvesting. It is not toxic and does not contain ozone-depleting materials. These qualities alone make Teslin a much more environmentally friendly option and PVC, but the reuses of the Teslin material make it an even better option for card mailers.

Currently, Teslin is being recycled into general use bulk plastics like plastic lumber, park benches, and industrial signs. Teslin can also safely be disposed in landfills and will not leach into ground water.

So, the environmental benefits of Teslin over PVC are apparent, but do Teslin card mailers have the same quality as other plastic mailers?

Teslin is great option for companies looking to encode a magnetic stripe on their mailers or start a loyalty program. It is a durable material that can be used repeatedly. Further, graphics turn out clear and make this type of “plastic” card mailer catch the recipient’s eye.
So, the next time you want to use card mailers for your direct marketing campaign, make sure the company uses Teslin!

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