A great way to get your name out is to eat a lot of pizza. Well, technically it wouldn't be just you eating the pizza, your town or community would be eating the pizza. But have you ever noticed that whenever you get a take-out or delivery pizza there's usually a brochure or flyer attached to the top (these are known as boxtoppers)? Why not take advantage of a widely distributed product to advertise your business?
Everyone is looking for ways to save a buck here and there, especially those in the pizza industry - the profit margins on a pizza pie is about as slim as a pepperoni slice. And everyone of those boxtoppers costs them money to print. Contact your local Franchisee to make them an offer they can't refuse (you are going to want to go with a chain that puts out a lot of product to get a large cross-section of your community), you will pay for the printing of a boxtop - they come in various sizes but the most common is 5.5x8.5 and 8.5x11 - and half of the piece will be an advertisement for your business and the other half will be an ad for the pizza place. They will probably demand approval of the copy on your ad since they don't want to get in trouble with their corporate chieftains for promoting something shady, like a florist (kidding). But seriously, copy approval shouldn't be a stumbling block for either parties. Then you will just need to get the ad designed - they may even offer to lend use of their graphic artist for the project. While you are on the hook for the cost of the printing and they are providing the delivery, you might suggest splitting the cost of the graphic design.
One thing that I highly recommend is sending the Franchisee that you are working with a copy of the proof (either a hard copy or a pdf proof) for approval before you okay the printing. First, this builds your relationship as a partnership. Second, you are making sure that the franchisee doesn't see the final product and back-out of the deal because they didn't like the design.
Another tip is to only print enough for one month. Ask the franchisee how many orders will go out in a particular month and they will give you a fairly accurate number. If they don't know, then you probably don't want to do business with them - every good pizza store owner I have ever met knows exactly how much they sell on a monthly, weekly and even daily basis. Don't go overboard on the printing, perhaps you might even want to try a week to see how well it works for you.
Don't limit yourself to pizza franchises. I recently worked on a project with a karate school and a fast food chain that sounds a lot like McDowell's (okay, it was McDonalds). McDonalds was happy because they had coupons to hand out in their to go order bags and the karate school was happy for the new infusion of people hearing about the school for the first time.
It's a great way to promote your business and save money on delivery at the same time. Let me know how this tip worked for you.
Visit our website at www.GagePress.com.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Pimp Out Your Postcard
When is a postcard more than a postcard? 99% of the postcards sent are just ink on paper – nothing fancy, just a plain and simple postcard (not that there is anything wrong with that). But a postcard can be a lot more that just a rectangular piece of cardstock with 4 color ink. Let’s examine some of the ways to modify (or as my 15 year old nephew would say, “Pimp Out”) a postcard to give it that extra something.
Scratch-Off – A Scratch-Off is exactly how it sounds, you place a Scratch-off circle or square on the postcard. The Scratch-Off can cover a static piece of information or variable data. You see this a lot on Postcards sent out by the automotive industry. A Scratch-Off is a good idea because it gets the consumer involved and it gives the card value. Have a call to action connected with the Scratch-Off.
Scratch-N-Sniff – If you want to create an interest in your mailer, add a Scratch-N-Sniff component to your card. If you own a business like a bakery, well then it is obvious what the smell will be. But Scratch-N-Sniff isn’t limited to just business like a florist or a candy retailer. A hotel that was near the ocean could have that smell or if the hotel offered a free breakfast, put a coffee smell on the card. You just have to use your imagination. And almost everyone who receives the card will give it a try (sometimes more than once if it is a great smell). Plus they will remember your company for using such an innovative attention-grabber.
Diecut – There are two ways to use a diecut to modify your card, neither is cheap but one doesn’t affect your postage in a negative way and the other will probably triple your postage rate. The expensive way is to diecut your postcard into an odd sized shape. The most famous instance of this was when Krispy Kreme doughnuts created a card in the shape of an open box of doughnuts. The response rate for this mailing was phenomenal, but the cost was also phenomenal. The cost to print your card is more expensive, the cost for mailing services is more expensive and your postage is a LOT more expensive.. A less expensive alternative is to use a diecut double postcard, where half of the card is diecut but it folds into a half that is rectangular so that the finished card still maintains a rectangular size. You can do a lot of neat things with this, and while the printing will cost you more than a regular postcard, your postage rate won’t be any more expensive. WARNING – you must have your design approved by the USPS, so before you print, have a mail design specialist give you written permission for this card.
Perforation – Sure, perforation isn't as “sexy” as the other ways to enhance your card, but it may be one of the most effective. Perforate coupons on your card to give the card value. Have the coupons with different dates on them and make sure you make them redeemable. That will keep the card in the hands of the consumer longer than just having a card with coupons that don’t need to be redeemed.
Combo – Try mixing it up with more than one of these additions…the sky’s the limit.
Please visit us at http://www.gagepress.com/ with your questions and comments.
Scratch-Off – A Scratch-Off is exactly how it sounds, you place a Scratch-off circle or square on the postcard. The Scratch-Off can cover a static piece of information or variable data. You see this a lot on Postcards sent out by the automotive industry. A Scratch-Off is a good idea because it gets the consumer involved and it gives the card value. Have a call to action connected with the Scratch-Off.
Scratch-N-Sniff – If you want to create an interest in your mailer, add a Scratch-N-Sniff component to your card. If you own a business like a bakery, well then it is obvious what the smell will be. But Scratch-N-Sniff isn’t limited to just business like a florist or a candy retailer. A hotel that was near the ocean could have that smell or if the hotel offered a free breakfast, put a coffee smell on the card. You just have to use your imagination. And almost everyone who receives the card will give it a try (sometimes more than once if it is a great smell). Plus they will remember your company for using such an innovative attention-grabber.
Diecut – There are two ways to use a diecut to modify your card, neither is cheap but one doesn’t affect your postage in a negative way and the other will probably triple your postage rate. The expensive way is to diecut your postcard into an odd sized shape. The most famous instance of this was when Krispy Kreme doughnuts created a card in the shape of an open box of doughnuts. The response rate for this mailing was phenomenal, but the cost was also phenomenal. The cost to print your card is more expensive, the cost for mailing services is more expensive and your postage is a LOT more expensive.. A less expensive alternative is to use a diecut double postcard, where half of the card is diecut but it folds into a half that is rectangular so that the finished card still maintains a rectangular size. You can do a lot of neat things with this, and while the printing will cost you more than a regular postcard, your postage rate won’t be any more expensive. WARNING – you must have your design approved by the USPS, so before you print, have a mail design specialist give you written permission for this card.
Perforation – Sure, perforation isn't as “sexy” as the other ways to enhance your card, but it may be one of the most effective. Perforate coupons on your card to give the card value. Have the coupons with different dates on them and make sure you make them redeemable. That will keep the card in the hands of the consumer longer than just having a card with coupons that don’t need to be redeemed.
Combo – Try mixing it up with more than one of these additions…the sky’s the limit.
Please visit us at http://www.gagepress.com/ with your questions and comments.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Timing Your Direct Mail
If you are using Direct Mail, then you should really pay attention to the old saying, "Timing is everything!" You can do everything right, but if you send your mailer out too early (an event I don't see too often) or too late (something I see all the time) then you can miss out on a lot of sales possibilities. But timing your mailing isn't just about sending out your mailer X amount of days before an event, it is also about taking advantage of how the USPS operates.
Generally, you want your mail piece for a weekend event to hit on Tuesday or Wednesday. When timing your mailing, you need to give the Post Office at least 2 days for in-home delivery; despite a bad reputation (thank you Cliff Claven) they do a pretty good job delivering your mail in a timely fashion, but give them some leeway. If you send out your mail too soon, it will just get lost in the shuffle. If you have your mail hit the week before your event, more than likely it will be tossed into the pile of lost mail that gets thrown out every weekend. If you time your mailing to hit on Thursday, Friday or (Heaven help you) on Saturday, then plans have already been made and the mailer is too late.
The most important tool in having your mail delivered on time is to HAVE THE REQUESTED IN-HOME DATES PRINTED ON THE CARD!!! Yes, it is that important that it had to be in caps. You can have this done when the card is printed (if you have it done at printing, have them use a red ink to stand out above the address area) or when the card is addressed. The reason why this works is mail that has requested in-home dates is treated with a higher priority by the USPS. It's not a rule or anything like that, it's just that no carrier wants an earful from someone shaking a postcard in their face and demanding to know why it wasn't delivered on time. This rule even applies to your local Postmaster, because they don't want the angry phone calls directed toward them.
If you want your mail to hit on Tuesday-Wednesday then take it to your Post Office on Saturday (if the Bulk Mail Unit is open on Saturday) or Monday. Do not mail it on Friday if at all possible. If you do, then the odds are strong that your mailer will be delivered on Saturday and thus meet the fate of lost letters. I can't explain why this happens, I have just seen it happen too many times, so I highly recommend mailing on Saturday or Monday. You typically want to give the USPS 3 days to get all your mail delivered for a local mailing, but mailing on a Friday for a Tuesday-Wednesday delivery can be risky.
Avoid these traps:
1. Add time for delivery during the Christmas season. You are sending out Standard (Bulk) mail and it is not treated with the same priority as all the First Class Mail Christmas cards and packages.
2. Do NOT mail two weeks prior to an election - you are just wasting your money. Political mailings would not only cause your mailer to get lost (figuratively not literally) in the fray but they would also mess with the timing of your mailing. Political mail is treated as first class mail and carriers are very sensitive to get these out.
And did I mention, HAVE THE REQUESTED IN-HOME DATES PRINTED ON THE CARD!!! Just wanted to make sure you remembered.
This advice is aimed at local mailings, if you are mailing across your state or even the country, these tips will not apply - work with your mail professional to time that type of mailing correctly.
Please visit us at http://www.gagepress
Generally, you want your mail piece for a weekend event to hit on Tuesday or Wednesday. When timing your mailing, you need to give the Post Office at least 2 days for in-home delivery; despite a bad reputation (thank you Cliff Claven) they do a pretty good job delivering your mail in a timely fashion, but give them some leeway. If you send out your mail too soon, it will just get lost in the shuffle. If you have your mail hit the week before your event, more than likely it will be tossed into the pile of lost mail that gets thrown out every weekend. If you time your mailing to hit on Thursday, Friday or (Heaven help you) on Saturday, then plans have already been made and the mailer is too late.
The most important tool in having your mail delivered on time is to HAVE THE REQUESTED IN-HOME DATES PRINTED ON THE CARD!!! Yes, it is that important that it had to be in caps. You can have this done when the card is printed (if you have it done at printing, have them use a red ink to stand out above the address area) or when the card is addressed. The reason why this works is mail that has requested in-home dates is treated with a higher priority by the USPS. It's not a rule or anything like that, it's just that no carrier wants an earful from someone shaking a postcard in their face and demanding to know why it wasn't delivered on time. This rule even applies to your local Postmaster, because they don't want the angry phone calls directed toward them.
If you want your mail to hit on Tuesday-Wednesday then take it to your Post Office on Saturday (if the Bulk Mail Unit is open on Saturday) or Monday. Do not mail it on Friday if at all possible. If you do, then the odds are strong that your mailer will be delivered on Saturday and thus meet the fate of lost letters. I can't explain why this happens, I have just seen it happen too many times, so I highly recommend mailing on Saturday or Monday. You typically want to give the USPS 3 days to get all your mail delivered for a local mailing, but mailing on a Friday for a Tuesday-Wednesday delivery can be risky.
Avoid these traps:
1. Add time for delivery during the Christmas season. You are sending out Standard (Bulk) mail and it is not treated with the same priority as all the First Class Mail Christmas cards and packages.
2. Do NOT mail two weeks prior to an election - you are just wasting your money. Political mailings would not only cause your mailer to get lost (figuratively not literally) in the fray but they would also mess with the timing of your mailing. Political mail is treated as first class mail and carriers are very sensitive to get these out.
And did I mention, HAVE THE REQUESTED IN-HOME DATES PRINTED ON THE CARD!!! Just wanted to make sure you remembered.
This advice is aimed at local mailings, if you are mailing across your state or even the country, these tips will not apply - work with your mail professional to time that type of mailing correctly.
Please visit us at http://www.gagepress
Monday, July 13, 2009
FREE Online Postcard Designs
In printing, as it is with just about everything else in life, if you start off wrong, things usually don't get better - they get worse. Before any ink goes on paper, a mail piece has to be designed and if that design is off - low resolution artwork, missing links, no bleeds or just the plain old truth that it is a bad design - then the only thing that can help save a job is spending more money. Personally, I don't know of anyone who likes doing that.
A lot of small businesses and groups want to send out mailers but they don't have access to a graphic designer or they can't afford the services of one (though it is my opinion that you can't afford not to use the services of a good graphic designer) so they design the piece themselves (A WARNING label should be attached to the file for the poor printer who receives a file in a Word document) and that almost never works out OR they decide to just not pursue the direct mail piece out of frustration.
A simple solution to this problem is finding an online site like www.gagepress.com that offers free pre-designed postcards. With these design templates all you have to do is add your text to their design. Companies that offer this type of service usually offer several categories to choose from, so finding a design to your liking just requires you to choose from the samples. Here is a list of categories:
Arts and Entertainment
Beauty and Health
Building and Construction
Home Maintenance
Personal Services
Real Estate and Insurance
Religious
Retail and Sales
Travel
Technology and Communication
You can feel secure that the artwork will look great and you get to determine what the cards say. Most companies offer this service for free, so look around to make sure you are not paying for the design. You will also get the opportunity to approve the postcard and make sure it says exactly what you want it to say.
If you are a small business, non-profit group, church group, budget conscious or just want to take advantage of a free postcard design template, check this service out. You can save money and look good doing it.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact me through www.gagepress.com.
A lot of small businesses and groups want to send out mailers but they don't have access to a graphic designer or they can't afford the services of one (though it is my opinion that you can't afford not to use the services of a good graphic designer) so they design the piece themselves (A WARNING label should be attached to the file for the poor printer who receives a file in a Word document) and that almost never works out OR they decide to just not pursue the direct mail piece out of frustration.
A simple solution to this problem is finding an online site like www.gagepress.com that offers free pre-designed postcards. With these design templates all you have to do is add your text to their design. Companies that offer this type of service usually offer several categories to choose from, so finding a design to your liking just requires you to choose from the samples. Here is a list of categories:
Arts and Entertainment
Beauty and Health
Building and Construction
Home Maintenance
Personal Services
Real Estate and Insurance
Religious
Retail and Sales
Travel
Technology and Communication
You can feel secure that the artwork will look great and you get to determine what the cards say. Most companies offer this service for free, so look around to make sure you are not paying for the design. You will also get the opportunity to approve the postcard and make sure it says exactly what you want it to say.
If you are a small business, non-profit group, church group, budget conscious or just want to take advantage of a free postcard design template, check this service out. You can save money and look good doing it.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact me through www.gagepress.com.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Mailing Lists - Part 5 of 5 - Your own mailing list
The best mailing list available is the list you create from your own customer database. If you are not collecting contact information from your customers, then start doing so immediately, this list can be a gold mine. Why is this list so valuable? Because not only can it help you generate sales, it can also save you money - you get two for one!
Before we get to how your customer database can both make you money and save you money, there are a few basic things that you need to know about compiling and maintaining your own database.
1. Proper format for your list. Mailhouses prefer lists in an excel format, though I do not recommend using the comma delimited option since some names may include a comma. I usually save lists in a tab delimited format. You want to break your name out into several fields:
First Name
Last Name
Suffix (such as Jr. or III)
Full Name (First Name, Last Name and Suffix combined)
Company
Address 1 (Use the complete address, do not break each part into separate fields)
Address 2 (Apartment and Suite numbers)
City
State
Zip
You should also have email information and phone numbers, but for mailing they are not necessary. The rest of the mailing information will be added by the mailhouse when they process the list. You want to have a combined field for the names since it is easier to import, but there are times (such as when you are personalizing a letter) that you will need the names broken out.
2. People Move. Before you send out your mailing, run your list through the National Change of Address (NCOA) database. This not only makes sense because you can find the correct addresses of customers without wasting printing and mailing costs on them, but it is also being required by the USPS - even for bulk mail. Technically, it is already required by the USPS but they are giving customers a grace period. On average, for a list run through the first time, you will have a return between 10% to 15% address that are changed. Any mailhouse that you use can update your list for a nominal fee, even though it is not mandatory right now, you need to take advantage of this service.
3. GIGO - Garbage-in, Garbage-out. Assuming that your customers or potential customers are filling in their mailing information online or by filling out a card there could be some errors made - that's right some people can't even fill out their own addresses correctly. When you run your list through a mailhouse, they will Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) certify the list to check that all addresses (not names and addresses, just addresses) are viable for mailing. You are notified of any addresses that do not qualify. No more mailing to addresses that don't even exist.
Once you have your list all cleaned up and ready for mailing, be sure to take advantage of a list that only you have. Treat your current customers like gold, send them specials and build brand loyalty. Taking advantage of information no one else possesses is a great way to generate revenue. Now only mailing to your current customers doesn't directly bring in new customers, and you can never have to many new customers, so keep on mailing introductory offers to people you want to reach. But before you mail to a list that you got from a list broker, have them dedupe the list to take out duplicates of your current customers. This is a great way to save money, especially if you are mailing to geographic areas or income groups. You may want your current customers to receive the mailer anyway, but some introductory offers are lower than what your current customers are paying and they may want to know why they didn't get that price.
Instead of buying a list, take advantage of what you already have!
Please visit our website at www.gagepress.com
Before we get to how your customer database can both make you money and save you money, there are a few basic things that you need to know about compiling and maintaining your own database.
1. Proper format for your list. Mailhouses prefer lists in an excel format, though I do not recommend using the comma delimited option since some names may include a comma. I usually save lists in a tab delimited format. You want to break your name out into several fields:
First Name
Last Name
Suffix (such as Jr. or III)
Full Name (First Name, Last Name and Suffix combined)
Company
Address 1 (Use the complete address, do not break each part into separate fields)
Address 2 (Apartment and Suite numbers)
City
State
Zip
You should also have email information and phone numbers, but for mailing they are not necessary. The rest of the mailing information will be added by the mailhouse when they process the list. You want to have a combined field for the names since it is easier to import, but there are times (such as when you are personalizing a letter) that you will need the names broken out.
2. People Move. Before you send out your mailing, run your list through the National Change of Address (NCOA) database. This not only makes sense because you can find the correct addresses of customers without wasting printing and mailing costs on them, but it is also being required by the USPS - even for bulk mail. Technically, it is already required by the USPS but they are giving customers a grace period. On average, for a list run through the first time, you will have a return between 10% to 15% address that are changed. Any mailhouse that you use can update your list for a nominal fee, even though it is not mandatory right now, you need to take advantage of this service.
3. GIGO - Garbage-in, Garbage-out. Assuming that your customers or potential customers are filling in their mailing information online or by filling out a card there could be some errors made - that's right some people can't even fill out their own addresses correctly. When you run your list through a mailhouse, they will Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) certify the list to check that all addresses (not names and addresses, just addresses) are viable for mailing. You are notified of any addresses that do not qualify. No more mailing to addresses that don't even exist.
Once you have your list all cleaned up and ready for mailing, be sure to take advantage of a list that only you have. Treat your current customers like gold, send them specials and build brand loyalty. Taking advantage of information no one else possesses is a great way to generate revenue. Now only mailing to your current customers doesn't directly bring in new customers, and you can never have to many new customers, so keep on mailing introductory offers to people you want to reach. But before you mail to a list that you got from a list broker, have them dedupe the list to take out duplicates of your current customers. This is a great way to save money, especially if you are mailing to geographic areas or income groups. You may want your current customers to receive the mailer anyway, but some introductory offers are lower than what your current customers are paying and they may want to know why they didn't get that price.
Instead of buying a list, take advantage of what you already have!
Please visit our website at www.gagepress.com
Friday, July 10, 2009
Mailing Lists - Part 4 of 5 - Repetition
Direct Mail is a wonderful tool to market, advertise, brand and promote your business - but just like any other tool you have to make sure you are utilizing it correctly. One of the biggest errors I see businesses make is being what I call a One Hit Wonder. A One Hit Wonder is someone who sends out a mailing one time, doesn't get the result that they expect and never mails again. This usually occurs because of:
Unrealistic Expectations
A bad offer or no offer on the mailer
No call to action on the mailer
A bad list
A poorly designed card
Poor name recognition
All of the above
Direct mail is an investment of your time and of your money. You need to make sure that you are investing wisely and making sound decisions. If you don't have a lot of experience in graphic design, don't try to save a few bucks and design your mailer yourself; hire a graphic artist whose work you like - your response will be higher and your Printer will thank you. Talk to the people you are working with - do you have a good offer? Will your list contact the target audience you are trying to reach and are you trying to reach the correct audience? Good decisions as you prepare for your mailing are important, but just as important is deciding what you are trying to accomplish. If you are throwing a going out of business sale, then being a One Hit Wonder is acceptable. However, if you are trying to build name recognition, customer loyalty, brand your company and/or product, then you have to know that mailing just once is usually a waste of time and money. There are exceptions, but for the most part your mailings must be repetitive to be affective in the long term. Just like the commercials you see on TV over and over again, repetition sells.
Go in with a plan of how your mailings will progress, if you do this you will SAVE MONEY on your printing and mailing list costs. If you decide to send out 4 mailers, have them all designed and printed at the same time. In printing, this is called a "Gang Run" and it can save you a LOT of money on your printing bill on a per piece basis. Be sure to check with your printer about the number of versions and their size since these variables can affect your price. Another thing to consider is when you purchase a list from your vendor, it is usually for a 1 time use. You are breaking the terms of your agreement if you mail a list more than once without paying for the extra uses. The good news is that list brokers usually have discounted multiple use pricing. So if you know you are mailing 4 times to a list, you can determine which way is the cheapest way to purchase your list.
I can't tell you how many times you need to mail to a list, it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. But I can tell you that you will build name recognition every time you mail. You should also send out mailers to customers who have purchased from you in the past to build customer loyalty. If you don't keep your name out in front of your customers and/or potential customers then another business will. You will have some people call or email you that they want to be taken off your mailing list after a few mailings, but that's okay, don't take it personally. Some folks just don't want to receive bulk mail, just contact your mailer to delete the name from the list.
If you have any questions or comments please visit us at www.GagePress.com.
Unrealistic Expectations
A bad offer or no offer on the mailer
No call to action on the mailer
A bad list
A poorly designed card
Poor name recognition
All of the above
Direct mail is an investment of your time and of your money. You need to make sure that you are investing wisely and making sound decisions. If you don't have a lot of experience in graphic design, don't try to save a few bucks and design your mailer yourself; hire a graphic artist whose work you like - your response will be higher and your Printer will thank you. Talk to the people you are working with - do you have a good offer? Will your list contact the target audience you are trying to reach and are you trying to reach the correct audience? Good decisions as you prepare for your mailing are important, but just as important is deciding what you are trying to accomplish. If you are throwing a going out of business sale, then being a One Hit Wonder is acceptable. However, if you are trying to build name recognition, customer loyalty, brand your company and/or product, then you have to know that mailing just once is usually a waste of time and money. There are exceptions, but for the most part your mailings must be repetitive to be affective in the long term. Just like the commercials you see on TV over and over again, repetition sells.
Go in with a plan of how your mailings will progress, if you do this you will SAVE MONEY on your printing and mailing list costs. If you decide to send out 4 mailers, have them all designed and printed at the same time. In printing, this is called a "Gang Run" and it can save you a LOT of money on your printing bill on a per piece basis. Be sure to check with your printer about the number of versions and their size since these variables can affect your price. Another thing to consider is when you purchase a list from your vendor, it is usually for a 1 time use. You are breaking the terms of your agreement if you mail a list more than once without paying for the extra uses. The good news is that list brokers usually have discounted multiple use pricing. So if you know you are mailing 4 times to a list, you can determine which way is the cheapest way to purchase your list.
I can't tell you how many times you need to mail to a list, it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. But I can tell you that you will build name recognition every time you mail. You should also send out mailers to customers who have purchased from you in the past to build customer loyalty. If you don't keep your name out in front of your customers and/or potential customers then another business will. You will have some people call or email you that they want to be taken off your mailing list after a few mailings, but that's okay, don't take it personally. Some folks just don't want to receive bulk mail, just contact your mailer to delete the name from the list.
If you have any questions or comments please visit us at www.GagePress.com.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Mailing Lists - Part 3 of 5 - Test Mailing
I know what you're thinking, you have a great offer on a spectacular looking mail piece and you are sooooooo excited to send it out; you're like a kid on Christmas Eve and you can't wait to put that bad boy in the mail - but DON'T. Just sit back and take a deep breath. I have been there too, all excited about a direct mail piece that I think will set the world on fire - ready to reap the rewards of all the revenue that the mailer will generate. But before you send out that mailer consider a few things, because once it is entered at the Post Office it is too late to change your mind.
The first thing that you want to consider is that, while you have spent a lot of money on designing and printing your mailer, you have yet to spend 60% to 75% of the cost of doing Direct Mail - your postage. Hopefully you have proofed your card carefully and there are no printing issues, but double check because mistakes happen. Read over your piece to make sure it is as exactly as you approved. Also, have someone else look the card over, you have seen the card so many times you are no longer objective about the contents of the card. A fresh pair of eyes might see something that you have missed.
Now if you are mailing 1000 pieces or less, then go ahead and mail out the entire mailing. It is a small enough mailing that you should be able to handle the results of the mailing - just make sure to follow step one so that you don't get any nasty surprises such as the retailer who wanted to give 10% Off but instead mailed out cards for 100% Off - Oops!
The second thing you should do is to send out a test mailing. If you have the time send out a mailing that is 10% to 20% of your total mailing. If you do, you may find the results to be very enlightening. It will give you a fairly accurate indication of how your event will turn out. You may find out that the reaction is much higher than expected and you need to bring on extra staff or supplies. You may also find out that the response will be much lower than you thought and you can prepare accordingly for that eventuality as well. If the lower than expected turnout occurs on your test run, you might consider retooling you offer and doing a reprint OR seeing if the list that you bought was reaching the correct audience. It is a LOT cheaper to reprint mailers than it is to mail them out knowing the response will be low. Try to get some feedback as to why the offer didn't connect with your audience. Some events are dated and if time is not a luxury you enjoy you will just have to send out all the cards at once, just be prepared for how your event may turn out. It is better to be over staffed than under staffed.
Third, get feedback from people who take you up on your offer. Find out what enticed them to purchase from you and use that information on your next mailer. This is also a good time to judge the effectiveness of your mail list. Always build upon what you have learned from previous mailings.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at www.gagepress.com.
The first thing that you want to consider is that, while you have spent a lot of money on designing and printing your mailer, you have yet to spend 60% to 75% of the cost of doing Direct Mail - your postage. Hopefully you have proofed your card carefully and there are no printing issues, but double check because mistakes happen. Read over your piece to make sure it is as exactly as you approved. Also, have someone else look the card over, you have seen the card so many times you are no longer objective about the contents of the card. A fresh pair of eyes might see something that you have missed.
Now if you are mailing 1000 pieces or less, then go ahead and mail out the entire mailing. It is a small enough mailing that you should be able to handle the results of the mailing - just make sure to follow step one so that you don't get any nasty surprises such as the retailer who wanted to give 10% Off but instead mailed out cards for 100% Off - Oops!
The second thing you should do is to send out a test mailing. If you have the time send out a mailing that is 10% to 20% of your total mailing. If you do, you may find the results to be very enlightening. It will give you a fairly accurate indication of how your event will turn out. You may find out that the reaction is much higher than expected and you need to bring on extra staff or supplies. You may also find out that the response will be much lower than you thought and you can prepare accordingly for that eventuality as well. If the lower than expected turnout occurs on your test run, you might consider retooling you offer and doing a reprint OR seeing if the list that you bought was reaching the correct audience. It is a LOT cheaper to reprint mailers than it is to mail them out knowing the response will be low. Try to get some feedback as to why the offer didn't connect with your audience. Some events are dated and if time is not a luxury you enjoy you will just have to send out all the cards at once, just be prepared for how your event may turn out. It is better to be over staffed than under staffed.
Third, get feedback from people who take you up on your offer. Find out what enticed them to purchase from you and use that information on your next mailer. This is also a good time to judge the effectiveness of your mail list. Always build upon what you have learned from previous mailings.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at www.gagepress.com.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Mailing Lists - Part 2 of 5 - What are the geographical parameters that I want to set?
Mailing Lists - Part 2 of 5 - What are the geographical parameters that I want to set?
Of all the things you will need to consider when determining what mailing list you should purchase, this may be the hardest to quantify: How wide of a geographic area do you want to mail to? If you go too far, people may not want to drive the distance to your location. If you don't go out far enough, then you might be missing out on potential customers.
The easiest way to determine the point of diminishing returns - or when it costs you too much for the revenue your mailing gives you - is to send your mailing out gradually. Mail to the areas closest to you and then go a little further with each successive mailing. If you do this, you need to find a way to track your mailing proceeds. If you don't know how well your mailing is doing then you can't determine the Return On Investment for your advertising. Without accurate ROI information you can't find what advertising works best for you and you can't determine how far out you should mail. ALWAYS have a way to track your mailing!!
Another factor to consider is that the distance you choose could affect your postage rate. The USPS has several different types of discounts available to those who are utilizing direct mail. One of those discounts is an entry discount, and it is broken down into three types:
1. DDU (Destination Delivery Unit) has the biggest savings but it is confined to one or two zip codes. It is also only available to certain Flat sized (a mail piece larger than 6.125"x11.5" is considered a "Flat" sized mailer) mail pieces.
2. SCF (Sectional Center Facility) discounts are available to both Letter and Flat sized pieces. These facilities are hub Post Offices for large areas - in some instances an SCF Post Office will cover several counties. While you can enter direct mail at different postal facilities within this section (but not all Post Offices will accept your Standard (Bulk) Mail, check with your local USPS representative to see which units accept Bulk Mail) you can only receive this discount if you enter your mailing at the SCF Facility. And only those zip codes within that particular SCF area will receive a discount. Another way to receive this discount is to enter your mailing at the closest USPS facility to you that accepts Standard mail and then ship that mailing to the SCF Post Office - but please note that there are rules and regulations (plus the usual paperwork) that need to be followed to drop-ship a mailing. The usual discount for a letter sized piece is $.043 per piece, so if you can ship it to a SCF facility for less it might be worth your while.
3. BMC (Bulk Mail Center) discounts are for mailings that cover an area that is too large for an SCF discount or for a mailing where there are too many SCF entries to make it cost effective. A BMC discount is available to Letter and Flat sized mailings. A BMC Post Office can be thought of as the main Post Office for a State(s). If you are mailing a piece out across your state then you will want to enter your mailing at your local Post Office that accepts Bulk Mail and then drop-ship that mailing (again, watch those USPS regulations concerning drop-shipping) to your BMC unit. Any zip that is within that particular BMC area will receive a discount - usually around $.034 per piece.
If you can take advantage of these discounts, you can slash your postage costs. Contact your local USPS Customer Service Representative to see where you can get SCF or BMC discounts and what zip codes that you are mailing to will receive these discounts.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at www.gagepress.com.
Of all the things you will need to consider when determining what mailing list you should purchase, this may be the hardest to quantify: How wide of a geographic area do you want to mail to? If you go too far, people may not want to drive the distance to your location. If you don't go out far enough, then you might be missing out on potential customers.
The easiest way to determine the point of diminishing returns - or when it costs you too much for the revenue your mailing gives you - is to send your mailing out gradually. Mail to the areas closest to you and then go a little further with each successive mailing. If you do this, you need to find a way to track your mailing proceeds. If you don't know how well your mailing is doing then you can't determine the Return On Investment for your advertising. Without accurate ROI information you can't find what advertising works best for you and you can't determine how far out you should mail. ALWAYS have a way to track your mailing!!
Another factor to consider is that the distance you choose could affect your postage rate. The USPS has several different types of discounts available to those who are utilizing direct mail. One of those discounts is an entry discount, and it is broken down into three types:
1. DDU (Destination Delivery Unit) has the biggest savings but it is confined to one or two zip codes. It is also only available to certain Flat sized (a mail piece larger than 6.125"x11.5" is considered a "Flat" sized mailer) mail pieces.
2. SCF (Sectional Center Facility) discounts are available to both Letter and Flat sized pieces. These facilities are hub Post Offices for large areas - in some instances an SCF Post Office will cover several counties. While you can enter direct mail at different postal facilities within this section (but not all Post Offices will accept your Standard (Bulk) Mail, check with your local USPS representative to see which units accept Bulk Mail) you can only receive this discount if you enter your mailing at the SCF Facility. And only those zip codes within that particular SCF area will receive a discount. Another way to receive this discount is to enter your mailing at the closest USPS facility to you that accepts Standard mail and then ship that mailing to the SCF Post Office - but please note that there are rules and regulations (plus the usual paperwork) that need to be followed to drop-ship a mailing. The usual discount for a letter sized piece is $.043 per piece, so if you can ship it to a SCF facility for less it might be worth your while.
3. BMC (Bulk Mail Center) discounts are for mailings that cover an area that is too large for an SCF discount or for a mailing where there are too many SCF entries to make it cost effective. A BMC discount is available to Letter and Flat sized mailings. A BMC Post Office can be thought of as the main Post Office for a State(s). If you are mailing a piece out across your state then you will want to enter your mailing at your local Post Office that accepts Bulk Mail and then drop-ship that mailing (again, watch those USPS regulations concerning drop-shipping) to your BMC unit. Any zip that is within that particular BMC area will receive a discount - usually around $.034 per piece.
If you can take advantage of these discounts, you can slash your postage costs. Contact your local USPS Customer Service Representative to see where you can get SCF or BMC discounts and what zip codes that you are mailing to will receive these discounts.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at www.gagepress.com.
Mailing Lists - Part 1 of 5 - What is the target audience for my business?
Mailing Lists - Part 1 of 5 - What is the target audience for my business?
An important element for a successful Direct Mailing campaign is choosing the correct mailing list. Your list will affect the cost of your mailing with the cost of the list itself plus it will be the major determining factor on how much you pay per piece for postage (the other factor being the type of mail piece you send out). Your list will also have a direct correlation to the response you get on your mailing – don’t choose the correct list and your response will leave you underwhelmed.
Your type of business determines who you want to reach. Here is a list of common factors when determining who you are trying to reach:
Geographic Area
Age
Home Value
Gender
Children
Income
Religion
Net Worth
Education
Vehicle type
Residence Type
Length of Residence
If your mailing is a B2B mailing, then you need to choose from a different set of parameters:
Geographic Area
Type of Business (SIC Code)
Number of Employees
Credit Rating
Contact Person(s)
Business Revenue
When using these parameters you need to remember that for every criteria you add to your list, the fewer number of addresses you will get and the more expensive your list will become. If you own a Pizza Restaurant you might want to send a mailer out to everyone in a geographic area and receive a BIG postage discount. If you own a high-end jewelry store you would want to expand your list criteria to only include those in your geographic area with the income to afford your merchandise. Your postage will be higher per piece, but you will be mailing to a far smaller audience.
Usually the biggest cost in any direct mailing is the postage. Even if you are receiving Saturation postage (mailing to all addresses in a carrier route) with an entry discount (the USPS gives discounts for entering your mailing at strategic USPS facilities) you will still spend a lot of money on postage, so make sure your list takes advantage of these discounts. Don’t play hopscotch with your geographic locations, mail to entire routes or even zip codes when possible.
If your business is seeking a certain type of industry, hobby enthusiast, vocation or avocation then a mailing list company is a great place to start. Magazine subscriptions are a major source for finding a target group and a list company will have access to these lists. Always ask where the list company is getting their data, they should be able to tell you without reservation where they got the list.
And remember, no mailing list is 100% perfect. Routes are constantly changing, people move and don't leave forwarding address, there was an error in the data entry for the address. Bad things can and will happen, but it should affect less than 1% of your list. If you are using a reputable list company, they should have no problem guaranteeing the accuracy of their list.
When choosing what list to use, clearly note what you are trying to achieve and then determine what group of recipients will get you to that goal. And by all means, ask your list professional (in fact, ask more than one since pricing and counts will vary) what is the best list to accomplish your goals.
If you have any questions, please contact me at www.gagepress.com.
An important element for a successful Direct Mailing campaign is choosing the correct mailing list. Your list will affect the cost of your mailing with the cost of the list itself plus it will be the major determining factor on how much you pay per piece for postage (the other factor being the type of mail piece you send out). Your list will also have a direct correlation to the response you get on your mailing – don’t choose the correct list and your response will leave you underwhelmed.
Your type of business determines who you want to reach. Here is a list of common factors when determining who you are trying to reach:
Geographic Area
Age
Home Value
Gender
Children
Income
Religion
Net Worth
Education
Vehicle type
Residence Type
Length of Residence
If your mailing is a B2B mailing, then you need to choose from a different set of parameters:
Geographic Area
Type of Business (SIC Code)
Number of Employees
Credit Rating
Contact Person(s)
Business Revenue
When using these parameters you need to remember that for every criteria you add to your list, the fewer number of addresses you will get and the more expensive your list will become. If you own a Pizza Restaurant you might want to send a mailer out to everyone in a geographic area and receive a BIG postage discount. If you own a high-end jewelry store you would want to expand your list criteria to only include those in your geographic area with the income to afford your merchandise. Your postage will be higher per piece, but you will be mailing to a far smaller audience.
Usually the biggest cost in any direct mailing is the postage. Even if you are receiving Saturation postage (mailing to all addresses in a carrier route) with an entry discount (the USPS gives discounts for entering your mailing at strategic USPS facilities) you will still spend a lot of money on postage, so make sure your list takes advantage of these discounts. Don’t play hopscotch with your geographic locations, mail to entire routes or even zip codes when possible.
If your business is seeking a certain type of industry, hobby enthusiast, vocation or avocation then a mailing list company is a great place to start. Magazine subscriptions are a major source for finding a target group and a list company will have access to these lists. Always ask where the list company is getting their data, they should be able to tell you without reservation where they got the list.
And remember, no mailing list is 100% perfect. Routes are constantly changing, people move and don't leave forwarding address, there was an error in the data entry for the address. Bad things can and will happen, but it should affect less than 1% of your list. If you are using a reputable list company, they should have no problem guaranteeing the accuracy of their list.
When choosing what list to use, clearly note what you are trying to achieve and then determine what group of recipients will get you to that goal. And by all means, ask your list professional (in fact, ask more than one since pricing and counts will vary) what is the best list to accomplish your goals.
If you have any questions, please contact me at www.gagepress.com.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The USPS is in the Details
If God is in the details, then the USPS is the holiest place on earth - they have more rules, regulations, standards and codes than anyone else on the planet. And these rules are always evolving and changing, which is why mailhouses are in business...no one else can keep up with all the rule and regulation updates.
I just had a customer bring in a design for us to print and mail but we had to break it to her that it needed to be re-designed because it didn't meet the latest USPS rules about Flat sized mailers. Her designer had no idea that the rules had changed and if we hadn't caught the error, it would have cost over $2200.00 in extra postage.
So here is a handy link from the USPS:
http://ribbs.usps.gov/flat/documents/Flats_Addressing_Requirements/flat_addressing_req.htm
Also, check out this handy dandy publication:
http://ribbs.usps.gov/flat/documents/Presentations_Communication_Resources/Flats_Addressing/Flats_Fact_Sheet_Standard_Mail.pdf
If you have any other questions, give Gage Press a toll free call at 866-606-5956.
I just had a customer bring in a design for us to print and mail but we had to break it to her that it needed to be re-designed because it didn't meet the latest USPS rules about Flat sized mailers. Her designer had no idea that the rules had changed and if we hadn't caught the error, it would have cost over $2200.00 in extra postage.
So here is a handy link from the USPS:
http://ribbs.usps.gov/flat/documents/Flats_Addressing_Requirements/flat_addressing_req.htm
Also, check out this handy dandy publication:
http://ribbs.usps.gov/flat/documents/Presentations_Communication_Resources/Flats_Addressing/Flats_Fact_Sheet_Standard_Mail.pdf
If you have any other questions, give Gage Press a toll free call at 866-606-5956.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Highlights of the New USPS Changes
On May 11th the USPS raised it's rates (again) and instituted new rules and regulations. This happens periodically and the Post Office actually does a pretty good job of getting this info out to the professional mailers, but for those who only mail occassionally, I suggest going to your local BMEU (Bulk Mail Entry Unit) and ask for a list of the changes. Or you can go online, but I have found their website to be a bit cumbersome.
Here are the highlights:
1. Postage - click this link to see the new rates:
http://pe.usps.com/PriceChange_May2009/PDF/PriceList/PriceList.pdf
2. Forms - Obviously your 3602 and other postal forms have been changed to reflect the new rates. You can obtain the new forms online at this link:
http://www.usps.com/forms/allforms.htm
3. Here is a pdf link for all the new regulations:
http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/2009/pb22256/pdf/pb22256.pdf
The table of contents is actually easy to figure out, but it can be a bit daunting.
4. Some changes like Intelligent Barcoding that were supposed to go into effect are available but still not mandatory - though they will be soon.
The USPS loves making changes, so you need to stay on top of them. Some make sense, others not so much and how they are enforced depends on what Post Office you use to enter your mail. This is where using a mail professional pays for itself for the average mailer. Before getting anything printed, ask whoever is mailing for you if it meets USPS specifications.
Here are the highlights:
1. Postage - click this link to see the new rates:
http://pe.usps.com/PriceChange_May2009/PDF/PriceList/PriceList.pdf
2. Forms - Obviously your 3602 and other postal forms have been changed to reflect the new rates. You can obtain the new forms online at this link:
http://www.usps.com/forms/allforms.htm
3. Here is a pdf link for all the new regulations:
http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/2009/pb22256/pdf/pb22256.pdf
The table of contents is actually easy to figure out, but it can be a bit daunting.
4. Some changes like Intelligent Barcoding that were supposed to go into effect are available but still not mandatory - though they will be soon.
The USPS loves making changes, so you need to stay on top of them. Some make sense, others not so much and how they are enforced depends on what Post Office you use to enter your mail. This is where using a mail professional pays for itself for the average mailer. Before getting anything printed, ask whoever is mailing for you if it meets USPS specifications.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Nuts and Bolts of Printing
Most articles about postcard design and creation deal with the artistic and marketing decisions that go into the making of a great card...this is not one of those articles. What we are dealing with here are the nuts and bolts of making a good final product. How to speed it along at the printer and how to help get it into the mail-stream faster.
When artwork is sent to a printer the majority - by far - of the time that a card spends at said printer is in Prepress. Prepress is the magical place at any printing company that has 15 computers to every one person and where your artwork, files, concepts and designs are digitally prepared to go to the printing presses. If there is an error with your file or a question about the workability of a design, Prepress is where you want to catch it because once ink goes on paper it is too late. Here are some tips to help flow your artwork through Prepress without them calling you with questions.
1. Make sure that you use High Resolution artwork. I suggest 300 dpi or better to make sure that your printed artwork does not come out pixilated. Nothing looks worse and stands out more than when you have low resolution artwork next to high resolution artwork - it makes the whole piece look bad. Never use artwork that you have copied from your computer without checking to see how many dpi it is, web artwork can still look great at a low resolution but if you try to use that same artwork in print it, will look bad. Also, if you do download high resolution artwork make sure that there are no copyright issues with it. There are several great online companies where you can buy royalty free artwork.
2. Be sure to add a Bleed. This may be the biggest bugaboo that a Prepress department will see - a card may be meticulously designed but the artist forgot to add a bleed onto the card. A Bleed is a printing term that refers to the area that goes beyond the edge of a printed piece. It is needed in both cutting (to make sure there isn't a white border) and to aid the Prepress department in fixing any design inconsistencies. The typical bleed is 1/8th of an inch around all four sides. For example if you wanted a 4"x6" Postcard, the artwork that you would send in with a bleed would be 4.25"x6.25".
3. Use a Print Optimized PDF file. If you are sure that your file is correct - you have checked for spelling and checked the phone numbers and all the information on the card, then use this format to send your file. A helpful hint is to have someone else check your information if you designed the card - you can't be objective after working on a card for an extended period of time. A Print Optimized (Please note that this is the second time I have mention Print Optimized, it is one of the options you have when saving a file and if you do not select this option you will be sending junk to your printer) file locks down the artwork for the printer. The benefit of a PDF file is that the Printer won't be able to accidentally alter your file. The bad news about a PDF file is that if you decide you did make a mistake when you look at the proof, the printer will more than likely have to send you the file back for whatever change you want - costing you time and money.
4. Send your Native Files. When you do have a change on your Print Optimized PDF, if you have sent the Native Files (the file on which you designed your artwork) the printing company can make any changes for you. It is quicker this way and since printing companies charge you every time they touch a job you might as well have them make any small changes. Just make sure that the printing company you are working with knows not to touch these files unless there is a problem.
5. Get a hard copy Proof for color critical jobs. When you send your artwork into a printer, the colors you see on your monitor will not match up exactly to what is printed. Your monitor works on a RGB (3 color) system. Printers use CMYK (4 color) to print your card. They should be close but if you have a specific shade of magenta that brands your organization, spend the extra time and money to get a hard copy Proof. If you don't, not only will you be unhappy with the outcome but you will still have to pay for the job.
The Address Area on a mail piece is typically just a blank space with a permit so not much thought is given to how to design it. It is actually quite simple to design, just have 2.5 inches in height by 4.25 inches in width of blank space (that means no permit info in this area) on the bottom right hand corner of the mailer and you should be fine. You may need more space if you have a lot of address information or a special code but 2.5x4.25 should be plenty of space for your Mailhouse to address your mail piece. Just remember to add your permit or return address information above that space.
Folded Mailers. There is just one simple rule for folded mailers, make sure the piece is designed so that the fold of the piece is at the bottom and the opening is at the top. You do not have to design a piece this way but if you don't then your Mailhouse will have to use extra tabs (wafer seals) to make sure your piece meets USPS standards and this will cost you money.
One last piece of advice is to use thick cardstock when printing a postcard. I recommend using 14pt stock (which is the standard sheet at Gage Press) since it has a good "feel" to it - it isn't thin or flimsy.
For more information, visit our website: http://www.gagepress.com/
When artwork is sent to a printer the majority - by far - of the time that a card spends at said printer is in Prepress. Prepress is the magical place at any printing company that has 15 computers to every one person and where your artwork, files, concepts and designs are digitally prepared to go to the printing presses. If there is an error with your file or a question about the workability of a design, Prepress is where you want to catch it because once ink goes on paper it is too late. Here are some tips to help flow your artwork through Prepress without them calling you with questions.
1. Make sure that you use High Resolution artwork. I suggest 300 dpi or better to make sure that your printed artwork does not come out pixilated. Nothing looks worse and stands out more than when you have low resolution artwork next to high resolution artwork - it makes the whole piece look bad. Never use artwork that you have copied from your computer without checking to see how many dpi it is, web artwork can still look great at a low resolution but if you try to use that same artwork in print it, will look bad. Also, if you do download high resolution artwork make sure that there are no copyright issues with it. There are several great online companies where you can buy royalty free artwork.
2. Be sure to add a Bleed. This may be the biggest bugaboo that a Prepress department will see - a card may be meticulously designed but the artist forgot to add a bleed onto the card. A Bleed is a printing term that refers to the area that goes beyond the edge of a printed piece. It is needed in both cutting (to make sure there isn't a white border) and to aid the Prepress department in fixing any design inconsistencies. The typical bleed is 1/8th of an inch around all four sides. For example if you wanted a 4"x6" Postcard, the artwork that you would send in with a bleed would be 4.25"x6.25".
3. Use a Print Optimized PDF file. If you are sure that your file is correct - you have checked for spelling and checked the phone numbers and all the information on the card, then use this format to send your file. A helpful hint is to have someone else check your information if you designed the card - you can't be objective after working on a card for an extended period of time. A Print Optimized (Please note that this is the second time I have mention Print Optimized, it is one of the options you have when saving a file and if you do not select this option you will be sending junk to your printer) file locks down the artwork for the printer. The benefit of a PDF file is that the Printer won't be able to accidentally alter your file. The bad news about a PDF file is that if you decide you did make a mistake when you look at the proof, the printer will more than likely have to send you the file back for whatever change you want - costing you time and money.
4. Send your Native Files. When you do have a change on your Print Optimized PDF, if you have sent the Native Files (the file on which you designed your artwork) the printing company can make any changes for you. It is quicker this way and since printing companies charge you every time they touch a job you might as well have them make any small changes. Just make sure that the printing company you are working with knows not to touch these files unless there is a problem.
5. Get a hard copy Proof for color critical jobs. When you send your artwork into a printer, the colors you see on your monitor will not match up exactly to what is printed. Your monitor works on a RGB (3 color) system. Printers use CMYK (4 color) to print your card. They should be close but if you have a specific shade of magenta that brands your organization, spend the extra time and money to get a hard copy Proof. If you don't, not only will you be unhappy with the outcome but you will still have to pay for the job.
The Address Area on a mail piece is typically just a blank space with a permit so not much thought is given to how to design it. It is actually quite simple to design, just have 2.5 inches in height by 4.25 inches in width of blank space (that means no permit info in this area) on the bottom right hand corner of the mailer and you should be fine. You may need more space if you have a lot of address information or a special code but 2.5x4.25 should be plenty of space for your Mailhouse to address your mail piece. Just remember to add your permit or return address information above that space.
Folded Mailers. There is just one simple rule for folded mailers, make sure the piece is designed so that the fold of the piece is at the bottom and the opening is at the top. You do not have to design a piece this way but if you don't then your Mailhouse will have to use extra tabs (wafer seals) to make sure your piece meets USPS standards and this will cost you money.
One last piece of advice is to use thick cardstock when printing a postcard. I recommend using 14pt stock (which is the standard sheet at Gage Press) since it has a good "feel" to it - it isn't thin or flimsy.
For more information, visit our website: http://www.gagepress.com/
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The ABC's of Direct Mail Advertising
Direct Mail is a potent weapon in advertising and marketing your business. Direct Mail can access a broad audience in your area or it can reach a targeted group that meets your customer base criteria. Mailings can range from Postcards of various sizes to Booklets and Brochures with multiple pages. You can mail to a group with as few as 200 addresses up to mailings in the millions. Direct Mail products and types are so varied, it can be daunting to those who have never mailed before. But Direct Mail can be an asset to your organization if you follow a few simple rules.
1. Use a Mailhouse. If you are mailing more than 500 pieces, using a Mailhouse will save you Time, Postage and Time again. You will save Time by having a Mailhouse do the work for you. They have addressing equipment that can whiz pieces through and have them addressed and sorted in the blink of an eye. This process also allows them to save you postage. Mailing software will find the lowest possible postage rate by which a piece can be delivered and by barcoding a mailpiece a Mailhouse can save you even more postage. The second way that using a Mailhouse can save you time is in delivery. As stated, when a mailpiece is addressed by a professional mailer they can add a USPS approved barcode. This barcode aids the USPS in delivery of your mail, thus improving delivery time of your mailpiece. One more thing, if you decide to do a mailing on your own, call your local USPS Bulk Mail Center and find out what they require for a mailing.
2a. Get a great list. If you are not mailing to your own list (see 2b) buy a list from a List Broker or call your Customer Service Representative at GagePress.com. Buying a list improves the return on your investment by allowing you to send your mailpiece to those that you want to target. If you own a lawn service company you do not want to mail to people who live in apartments. Instead, you can buy a list of homeowners in your area with a level of income that you want to target.
2b. Use your own mailing list. This can be a great way to build loyalty with your customers but there are some things you need to make sure that you do in order to be compliant with USPS regulations. USPS rules require that lists are run through software to verify their accuracy and that a list has been updated through NCOA (National Change of Address). Before you choose any Mailhouse, please ask if they can provide these services. Having an up-to-date list will save you money.
3. Keep your design simple. There are several articles on this site alone that deal with the need for simplicity when designing a mailpiece. To sum them up:
A. Keep your design simple.
B. Have a central theme and a call to action.
C. Use as few words as possible.
D. Let the artwork sell your idea.
You can check out several templates at GagePress.com.
4. Make them an offer they can't refuse. You have to make an offer worth responding to. Use the words "Free" and/or "Sale" whenever possible. Potential customers need to have a reason to respond.
5. Make a test run. Try smaller mailings (you can mail as few as 200 pieces using Standard Mail) with different offers to find out what works. You may have the right message but it is going to the wrong audience.
6. Be prepared for the results. The Direct Marketing Association reports that the average response rate to a Direct Mail piece is around 2%. Depending on what you send out this number may vary. First time mailers tend to get a lower response, which is why so many advertisers plan for more than one mailing to a customer. The more you mail, the more recognition you receive from potential customers.
For more information visit our website: http://www.gagepress.com/
1. Use a Mailhouse. If you are mailing more than 500 pieces, using a Mailhouse will save you Time, Postage and Time again. You will save Time by having a Mailhouse do the work for you. They have addressing equipment that can whiz pieces through and have them addressed and sorted in the blink of an eye. This process also allows them to save you postage. Mailing software will find the lowest possible postage rate by which a piece can be delivered and by barcoding a mailpiece a Mailhouse can save you even more postage. The second way that using a Mailhouse can save you time is in delivery. As stated, when a mailpiece is addressed by a professional mailer they can add a USPS approved barcode. This barcode aids the USPS in delivery of your mail, thus improving delivery time of your mailpiece. One more thing, if you decide to do a mailing on your own, call your local USPS Bulk Mail Center and find out what they require for a mailing.
2a. Get a great list. If you are not mailing to your own list (see 2b) buy a list from a List Broker or call your Customer Service Representative at GagePress.com. Buying a list improves the return on your investment by allowing you to send your mailpiece to those that you want to target. If you own a lawn service company you do not want to mail to people who live in apartments. Instead, you can buy a list of homeowners in your area with a level of income that you want to target.
2b. Use your own mailing list. This can be a great way to build loyalty with your customers but there are some things you need to make sure that you do in order to be compliant with USPS regulations. USPS rules require that lists are run through software to verify their accuracy and that a list has been updated through NCOA (National Change of Address). Before you choose any Mailhouse, please ask if they can provide these services. Having an up-to-date list will save you money.
3. Keep your design simple. There are several articles on this site alone that deal with the need for simplicity when designing a mailpiece. To sum them up:
A. Keep your design simple.
B. Have a central theme and a call to action.
C. Use as few words as possible.
D. Let the artwork sell your idea.
You can check out several templates at GagePress.com.
4. Make them an offer they can't refuse. You have to make an offer worth responding to. Use the words "Free" and/or "Sale" whenever possible. Potential customers need to have a reason to respond.
5. Make a test run. Try smaller mailings (you can mail as few as 200 pieces using Standard Mail) with different offers to find out what works. You may have the right message but it is going to the wrong audience.
6. Be prepared for the results. The Direct Marketing Association reports that the average response rate to a Direct Mail piece is around 2%. Depending on what you send out this number may vary. First time mailers tend to get a lower response, which is why so many advertisers plan for more than one mailing to a customer. The more you mail, the more recognition you receive from potential customers.
For more information visit our website: http://www.gagepress.com/
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Booklet Basics
One of the most effective marketing tools for any organization or company is a Booklet. A Booklet can be an advertising agent, an information conduit, a branding tool and a promotional guide all rolled into one neat package. Whereas a postcard or other advertising forms are limited by size and function to the amount of information that can go into them, a Booklet does not have that limitation.
The best way to utilize a Booklet is to take advantage of the amount of space that you have. For those who are into technical details, you have the space to provide them with all the jargon and lingo that pertains to the theme of the Booklet. This does not give you license to ramble in your writings, you still need to be concise in what you say, but a Booklet does give you the freedom to be as in depth as you need to be. For those who only want the talking points, you can have those spelled out in the beginning. And for those who just like the pretty pictures, you have the room for a lot of high resolution artwork that pertains to what you want to convey.
As with any marketing tool, you want your Booklet to have a central theme. Something that is distilled down to as few words as possible. With a Booklet you can use a narrative throughout to drive home your message and tie everything together. Let artwork tell the story wherever possible and whenever you are using a narrative do not be overly technical in your writing - unless that is your objective. Use plain English whenever possible.
Most Booklets are printed on coated (slick) stock. To stand out from the crowd, you might want to use an offset (non-glossy) paper or perhaps a paper with a finish that will stand out from the rest of the crowd (you can call a GagePress.com Customer Service representative toll free at 1-866-606-5956 for ideas).
When designing your Booklet you need to think in multiples of 4. For instance, a standard Booklet can be 8 pages or 12 pages but not 10 pages. So starting at 8 pages you can add 4 pages at a time to your design. You can also use a cover that is a little heavier stock to give some weight to your Booklet and a little more permanence.
If you have any questions please visit us at http://www.gagepress.com/
The best way to utilize a Booklet is to take advantage of the amount of space that you have. For those who are into technical details, you have the space to provide them with all the jargon and lingo that pertains to the theme of the Booklet. This does not give you license to ramble in your writings, you still need to be concise in what you say, but a Booklet does give you the freedom to be as in depth as you need to be. For those who only want the talking points, you can have those spelled out in the beginning. And for those who just like the pretty pictures, you have the room for a lot of high resolution artwork that pertains to what you want to convey.
As with any marketing tool, you want your Booklet to have a central theme. Something that is distilled down to as few words as possible. With a Booklet you can use a narrative throughout to drive home your message and tie everything together. Let artwork tell the story wherever possible and whenever you are using a narrative do not be overly technical in your writing - unless that is your objective. Use plain English whenever possible.
Most Booklets are printed on coated (slick) stock. To stand out from the crowd, you might want to use an offset (non-glossy) paper or perhaps a paper with a finish that will stand out from the rest of the crowd (you can call a GagePress.com Customer Service representative toll free at 1-866-606-5956 for ideas).
When designing your Booklet you need to think in multiples of 4. For instance, a standard Booklet can be 8 pages or 12 pages but not 10 pages. So starting at 8 pages you can add 4 pages at a time to your design. You can also use a cover that is a little heavier stock to give some weight to your Booklet and a little more permanence.
If you have any questions please visit us at http://www.gagepress.com/
The Second Most Important Thing About Designing A Postcard
I am constantly asked that if I had to give just one piece of advice in designing a postcard what would it be? I always answer KEEP IT SIMPLE! Good designers are like a sculptor who know that they are not done until there is nothing left to take away. The same applies in postcard design, I even wrote an article called "Picture Perfect Postcard" that addresses the fact that less is more. But I always add that while keeping it simple with a clear message is the most important thing, there is a second piece of advice that I give designers.
When you go to your mailbox to check the mail, you and hundreds of millions of other Americans all do the same thing; you look to see who sent the letter (hoping it is not a Bill!) and check to see who the letter is addressed to. You can't help it, it is instinctual. And it always amazes me that graphic designers do not take advantage of this part of human nature.
When you have distilled down your message and/or call to action to a clear and concise phrase of 3 or 4 words, put that message in a place that people are going to look. If you were advertising on a billboard you wouldn't put your key message in small lettering at the bottom of the sign. In the same way, don't hide the core message of what you want your potential customers to see on the front (the non-address side of the card) of the postcard. Instead, in a large BOLD font put your message as close to the address area that you can. Perhaps put it on an offset angle. Take advantage of the fact that people will automatically look there to see who the letter was addressed to - so give them something else to look at. Designers think that the most important side of the card is the front, when in actuality it is the address side of the card that gets the most attention from the addressee.
Help your customers to see what you paid for them to see. Work with them to get noticed.
For more information visit our website: http://www.gagepress.com
When you go to your mailbox to check the mail, you and hundreds of millions of other Americans all do the same thing; you look to see who sent the letter (hoping it is not a Bill!) and check to see who the letter is addressed to. You can't help it, it is instinctual. And it always amazes me that graphic designers do not take advantage of this part of human nature.
When you have distilled down your message and/or call to action to a clear and concise phrase of 3 or 4 words, put that message in a place that people are going to look. If you were advertising on a billboard you wouldn't put your key message in small lettering at the bottom of the sign. In the same way, don't hide the core message of what you want your potential customers to see on the front (the non-address side of the card) of the postcard. Instead, in a large BOLD font put your message as close to the address area that you can. Perhaps put it on an offset angle. Take advantage of the fact that people will automatically look there to see who the letter was addressed to - so give them something else to look at. Designers think that the most important side of the card is the front, when in actuality it is the address side of the card that gets the most attention from the addressee.
Help your customers to see what you paid for them to see. Work with them to get noticed.
For more information visit our website: http://www.gagepress.com
Picture Perfect Postcard
Too many times I see a postcard that has waaaaaaaay too much text on it and I just want to tell the designer of the card to stop the insanity. LESS IS MORE when it comes to text in your postcard design. Instead of letting words tell your story, let your artwork do the trick. You have less than a second to capture the attention of your audience and to do this you need to use a large, full color, gorgeous photo that communicates your message.
If you put too much information on the card you are sending a confusing message to the consumer and they are going to look at the card and think that they don't have time to read it. They may toss a great offer for something they need right into the recycling bin. Narrow down what you are trying to accomplish with your card into one succinct thought. Take that thought and edit it to 3 or 4 words - you can do it! That's right, using no more than 4 words create your offer or your "hook" to get your potential customers to want to buy from you.
For example instead of saying "We are having a great Widget sale", instead say "40% off all Widgets!" And whatever you do, don't make this offer hard to find. Say it LOUD with A HUGE FONT and offsetting color scheme. Just make sure you have an offer worth looking at. Informational cards have a place in direct mail marketing, but not if you are trying to generate new customers. You may have a great new line of Widgets in stock, but no one is going to care unless they are getting a deal. The words "Free" and "Sale" are crucial in getting the attention of a potential customer. Using numbers and symbols (40% instead of Forty Percent) is also a great way to draw the eye to what you are saying.
The purpose of your postcard is threefold:
1. Tell them who you are.
2. Tell them what you are selling.
3. Give them a reason to respond.
You need to accomplish all three with as few words as possible.
So you've got the big, bright, beautiful artwork to get their attention. You have a great offer (in 4 words or less!) to get their interest. Now give them something to do - give the offer worth. Have them bring the card down to your store in order to get an extra 10% off your offer. Put a value on the offer. You can do that by limiting the length of the offer or stating that the offer is only good while supplies last.
The important thing to remember is you have to get their attention and then you have to keep it. And keep in mind, a picture is worth a 1000 words!
For more information visit our website: http://www.gagepress.com/
If you put too much information on the card you are sending a confusing message to the consumer and they are going to look at the card and think that they don't have time to read it. They may toss a great offer for something they need right into the recycling bin. Narrow down what you are trying to accomplish with your card into one succinct thought. Take that thought and edit it to 3 or 4 words - you can do it! That's right, using no more than 4 words create your offer or your "hook" to get your potential customers to want to buy from you.
For example instead of saying "We are having a great Widget sale", instead say "40% off all Widgets!" And whatever you do, don't make this offer hard to find. Say it LOUD with A HUGE FONT and offsetting color scheme. Just make sure you have an offer worth looking at. Informational cards have a place in direct mail marketing, but not if you are trying to generate new customers. You may have a great new line of Widgets in stock, but no one is going to care unless they are getting a deal. The words "Free" and "Sale" are crucial in getting the attention of a potential customer. Using numbers and symbols (40% instead of Forty Percent) is also a great way to draw the eye to what you are saying.
The purpose of your postcard is threefold:
1. Tell them who you are.
2. Tell them what you are selling.
3. Give them a reason to respond.
You need to accomplish all three with as few words as possible.
So you've got the big, bright, beautiful artwork to get their attention. You have a great offer (in 4 words or less!) to get their interest. Now give them something to do - give the offer worth. Have them bring the card down to your store in order to get an extra 10% off your offer. Put a value on the offer. You can do that by limiting the length of the offer or stating that the offer is only good while supplies last.
The important thing to remember is you have to get their attention and then you have to keep it. And keep in mind, a picture is worth a 1000 words!
For more information visit our website: http://www.gagepress.com/
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
New Postage Rates are coming!
On May 11th the USPS is raising postage rates for all classes of mail...again. If you are interested in seeing how the new rates will effect your next mailing, click on this link http://pe.usps.com/PriceChange_May2009/PDF/PriceList/PriceList.pdf. For Standard Class mailers (the old Bulk Mail) look under Commercial Prices and click on the Standard Mail link.
While this rate hike isn't good news for mailers, GagePress.com wants to work with you to improve the return on your investment. GagePress.com can save you money on printing and mailing services and let our Customer Service Representatives work with you to get the most out of your mailing list.
TIP OF THE DAY - Buy the "Forever Stamps" at $.42 each and use them for your everyday mail even after the rate increase!
While this rate hike isn't good news for mailers, GagePress.com wants to work with you to improve the return on your investment. GagePress.com can save you money on printing and mailing services and let our Customer Service Representatives work with you to get the most out of your mailing list.
TIP OF THE DAY - Buy the "Forever Stamps" at $.42 each and use them for your everyday mail even after the rate increase!
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