Statement Printing

There are many print and mailing outsourcing companies, making it difficult to cut through the clutter and find the company that is the best fit for your business. There are some key questions to keep in mind when considering outsourcing printing and mailing activities:

-Will outsourcing save time and/or money?
This is probably the most common driving factor in a company deciding the need for outsourcing exists and should be one of the first questions asked during the information gathering process.

-What quality control measures are in place?
The outsourcer you chose to work with should have quality check points and supervisors monitoring each print run. Also, redundancies of systems should be in place in case of a unforeseen event that shuts down the printer.

-What is unique about this outsourcer?
Maybe the company offers services that others do not or maybe they have a proven track record of overly satisfied clients. Whatever the unique positioning is for the outsourcer, it is important that it matches your company’s needs.

-If your company grows, can the print and mail outsources accommodate you?
Many businesses simply outgrow their print and mail provider. It is important to make sure any drastic fluctuations in volumes can be accommodated.

This list highlights the main questions all businesses should ask when looking for a print and mail outsourcer. Certainly, there are additional questions that can be asked depending on your specific needs, but really it all boils down to finding the best value for your company.

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In a recent blog post, I read 7 Keys to Get Your Direct Mailers Memorable, Powerful and Profitable. The keys on the list are:

1. Find a Creative Way to Build Know, Like and Trust.
2. Identify Clearly Who Your Ideal Demographic Is.
3. A Captivating Headline.
4. Make Your Offering Clear and Simple.
5. Make Your Call To Action Extremely Clear.
6. Give Them A Reason To Take Action Now.
7. VIP Your Graphics.

These points seem accurate for getting a response rate at the 2%-3% mentioned in her blog post. But, I would add a few more items to this list to get even better response rates:

1. Don’t use the same medium in every mailing- switch up the material, size, or shape of your mailing so your potential customers won’t always expect the same mail from your company.
2. Mail your potential customers a gift card- If you are planning on mailing your potential customers a coupon with a dollar-off amount, why not make it a gift card mailing? It looks more appealing and will draw your potential customers’ attention more than a traditional coupon.

By adding these simple keys to your direct mailing plan, you can increase your response rates and your sales, which are two outcomes any business wants from their marketing efforts!

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In a recent study, a representative in the Automotive Industry said there are plans to test four different formats of direct mail:

1. Postcard
2. Email
3. Envelope and Letter (with buck-slips and other inserts)
4. Fax (not really direct mail, but the author categorized it as such in this study)

The automotive industry representative also said the industry planned to test different messaging and calls to action as well and variations in the format of each type of direct mail. These variations included size, medium (plastic, card stock, etc.), and response mechanisms.

I’ve mentioned the importance of testing different types of direct mail in a previous post and this response seems to reinforce that idea. It is crucial for struggling industries to increase traffic and sales to survive in this economy. In the area of direct mail, this need to see increased sales means that the automotive industry needs to figure out what format and variation of direct mail will draw the largest redemption rate.

One automotive dealership used an all-in-one, plastic, postcard-sized card mailer marketing piece that included two offers: one for a gas card with the purchase of a vehicle and a lower valued gas card for test driving a vehicle and one for a dollar off amount on any vehicle service. The dealership put one offer on the front of a pop-out, credit card-sized card and the other offer on the back. This direct mailer was successful because the offers were valuable to the customers, the pop-out card allowed the customer to place the offer right in their wallet so he or she didn’t forget about it, and the piece drew the attention of the customer.

The automotive industry is an industry that can benefit from the high redemption rates that plastic, all-in-one card mailers can pull. This industry isn’t the the only industry, of course, but I will highlight other examples in future posts.

Printing Services and Print on Demand
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Statement Printing Blog