October 2018 - Modern Mail

Archive for October, 2018

How to Create Personalized Direct Mail in 3 Steps

Posted by ModMail on October 23, 2018

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that direct mail advertising is one of the best ways to reach your target demographic, no matter the product or location. However, what many companies fall short on is the ability to personalize direct mail so that it is unique to the recipient. With current technology and the services of printing professionals, you can make personalized direct mail postcards, letters, and other content with relative ease. Continue reading to learn how to personalize direct mail in 3 steps.

There are a few things that should be included in your personalized piece of mail.

Personalize Direct Mail in 3 Steps:

1. Their Name

This is a no-brainer. The first step that you should take in creating personalized direct mail is to simply include their name. Don’t just slap it in the address block and call it a day though. You want to sprinkle it in the offer as well. The whole point of personalized direct mail advertising is to make the customer feel special. Almost like your company is taking an interest in them by making them an exclusive offer. Using a conversational tone (as though you are speaking to them directly) and using their name or company name every so often will really make the content feel personalized.

2. Their Purchase History

If they’re previous customers who have gone inactive and you’re trying to reactivate them, then adding their purchase history into the offer can be another useful tactic. For instance, if a particular customer frequently bought things like shampoo, conditioner, or other hair care products, then you can offer them a promotional discount for all things hair care. Be relevant to what they want and will use and they will respond!

3. Their Location

Be the Neighborhood specialist! Offer promotional discounts and offers if they respond while you are servicing their neighbors or community. Let them know you are doing work in their neighborhood and their neighbors work with you because you are the specialist for their community. Like people, live in like areas and have like interest and if someone is using you, chances are their neighbors will too…especially if there is an incentive to!

Creating personalized direct mail advertising is a great way to draw customers in, especially since a mere 31% of direct mail is considered to have personalized content that customers find useful. Use that to your advantage in your next direct mail campaign.

If you’re looking for a printing company in Tampa to handle your direct mail campaigns, give us a call today.

Posted in: Design Tips

Proposed Change In Mailing May Affect Direct Mail Strategies

Posted by ModMail on October 16, 2018

The direct mail strategies used by companies have evolved drastically over the years. An additional change may be on the horizon with recently proposed rules by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, the USPS is proposing a limit on all Marketing Mail to content that is only paper-based or is printed matter.

A Change In Mailing Marketing

This potential change means that no other merchandise or goods would not be allowed to ship as Marketing Mail. Examples such as pens, buttons, or magnets are included. The rule would apply to regular and nonprofit businesses and to both letter-size and flat-size envelopes. As many companies rely on sending out physical goods to grab the attention of consumers, this could impact their direct mail strategies.
The exact pricing for sending mail with non-paper goods are TBD, but senders would have to use another shipping method, such as Parcel Select or Priority Mail. Based on the most recent USPS Price List, companies would be looking at a price increase of several dollars per parcel when they have to switch from Marketing Mail to Parcel Select.
The USPS claims within the proposal that the change would allow the USPS to track more merchandise and it would reduce the number of operational inefficiencies caused by inflexible letter- or flat-size parcels that machines can’t process. The Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers strongly disagrees with these listed benefits and issued a letter to the USPS that calls the proposal unlawful. Before Oct. 22, the USPS is inviting comments on the proposed change.

Other Effective Direct Mail Strategies

If you rely on sending non-paper goods in your direct mail campaign, there are several options that are effective. Here are some options at engaging consumers and promoting your business.

- Dimensional mailers are taking the direct mail marketing world by storm. Design 3D mailers that grab the attention of consumers, thereby instantly increasing the ROI of your marketing campaign. Typical 3D formats include boxes and tubs that have teasers on the outside.
- Postcards have a huge impact as mailers. In fact, oversized postcards have the greatest response rate over other mediums at 5%, and regular postcards are close behind at 4.25%. They’re easy to read, and with the right design they’ll instantly engage consumers.
- Discounts and freebies are the perfect way to encourage customers to read the rest of the direct mail piece. Also, it helps them go online or visit your physical business. These incentives are essential to increasing ROI and gaining returning customers.
- Interesting envelopes create a connection with the consumer immediately. For example, an envelope with an interesting marketing message or design will encourage consumers to open it right away.

Above all, the proposed change by the USPS can be intimidating for many businesses. However, if you’re concerned about paying more to send promotional merchandise, consider switching to a different direct mail strategy.

Posted in: Campaigning Help

Offset Printing vs Digital Printing: What Is The Difference?

Posted by ModMail on October 16, 2018

When you are looking for the right printing company for your business, you may go into it thinking that there is really only one option for your project. Printing is printing, right? In actuality, you will have a whole slew of options when you bring your project to printing professionals. One of the decisions you will have to make is between offset printing and digital printing. Continue reading to learn about Offset Printing vs Digital Printing.

Offset Printing vs Digital Printing:

Offset Printing

This type of production is called offset printing because the ink is not transferred directly on to the paper. Instead, the process involved plates usually made from aluminum that transfer an image on to a rubber surface. Then, the image rolls on to a sheet of paper. The design of offset printing is to produce high volume orders because of the process it takes to set up a job. So the more you print, the less expensive the price is per piece. Since the majority of shoppers (92%) prefer to make their purchasing decisions by receiving direct mail, using offset printing for a large mailing job is very cost effective. This method also gives your printing job the best possible printing quality. Also, with a crisp and clean look and vivid color reproduction. Offset printing can also utilize a range of paper types with custom finishes and custom inks.

Digital Printing

Digital printing is a company’s best option when looking for Short run capabilities. This process prints using dry ink toner and goes directly onto the paper without plates. One of the Key Benefits of Digital printing is leveraging variable data. Such as unique codes, names, images or even letter versions. Offset cannot provide variable data between printing pieces so all of the material is the same, but digital printing allows you to personalize each piece to the recipient. As the technology in digital printing has progressed, its quality has become more acceptable for more uses. Its speedy process is another advantage, as printing projects that use digital printing often have faster turnaround times. This makes smaller printing jobs more cost-effective when using digital printing. You won’t be stuck with extra materials after the job is done.

It is essential to understand the options when selecting a printer so you are selecting the right choice for your specific needs. Most printers aren’t able to do both types of printing so they won’t give you the option, which could jeopardize your potential response rates. Knowing is half the battle and Modern Mail & Print Solutions is here to assist you with all your printing and mailing needs.

Posted in: Printing

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