Right now, for many businesses, it’s a time of survival, digging deep to keep things afloat or thinking of unique ways to diversify and ride the waves. You might have by now resolved those short-term struggles to some level. You have hopefully somewhat stabilized the situation, but perhaps you’re struggling to find a way to ensure the long-term success of your business. Maybe you’re asking, what now?

It goes without saying that some organizations will be harder hit. The travel industry is massively affected, whereas the food-delivery industry is doing very well at this time. If the current situation has left you feeling like you’re fighting a losing battle, it’s crucial not to make any fear-based decisions. Easier said than done, of course!

Amazon, Zoom, Netflix, Disney are all seeing sales growth. Any type of system, software, or services that support remote work or communication is up. Desktops and laptops for use at home are still moving briskly. Companies will have to help re-stock the shelves of your local supermarket. There are rays of sunlight showing against an otherwise gray economic backdrop. If you are not in one of those industries, what do you do…?

Use Crisis to Force Change

Over time some parts of a business can become stale or even toxic. However, fixing these issues when the business is still rolling along, can be like changing the tire on a moving vehicle. Times of crisis are often when we have the biggest opportunity to make changes.  A crisis can be a forcing function to bring about important change. We may have to re-think or re-tool our business anyway. We might have more time, and our stakeholders and potential business partners might be more flexible than otherwise. This is one of the best times to rethink business as usual and get some strategic deals done.

Focus on the Prize

On a golf outing long ago, I was faced with a difficult shot across a water hazard.  I pulled out an old ball and dropped it at the spot. My golfing companion, an old friend of mine and very successful executive in the transportation industry said, “what are you doing?” I replied, “8 times out of 10, this shot will go in the water, so why waste a good ball?” His reply to me, “don’t focus on the water, focus on the hole grasshopper. Use your best equipment to maximize your chances and make sure you stick it.”  I reflected long and hard on this lesson after pulling the ball out of the cup.

It is easy to fixate on failure in the face of challenges, especially those as far-reaching and disruptive as the COVID crisis. Rather than focus on all the things that can go wrong, which we should already know, focus on where we need to go and creative ways to get there. Put your best foot forward, use your most talented people, your best resources and make sure you put it on the green.

Take a Different Perspective

In order to take a new approach, you first need a new perspective. Could you use this time to help and support other individuals or other businesses? Maybe for your company, now isn’t a time to focus on profits but instead to build brand awareness as a side-effect of supporting your local community. 

Support Your Team

Now is a perfect time to show true leadership and keep morale up, even from a distance. It’s a worrying time for employees as well as employers, and now if possible, you can demonstrate your company values and respect for your staff members by leading forward. Spread positivity and reassurance but also be honest with staff members about your plans and ideas. Involve wider team members in brainstorming.

Remember Your Customers Needs

Just as things have changed for you, so have they changed for every single one of your customers. This means their needs have changed and so has buyer behavior. If we take the example of a local gym business. The customers of the gym still need to work out and stay healthy, but their needs have changed because they must fulfill this need from home. How could the gym better support this change in needs? A local gym could rent out equipment to gym members if they don’t cancel their membership. 

Keep Communicating

Arguably the most important thing of all is to keep the lines of communication open with your customers. You can do this via social media, email, or direct mail. The more personalized you can make the messaging, the better. Everybody appreciates being remembered, valued, and supported. This is especially true at worrying times. Using direct mail to achieve this gives you a chance to stand out amongst all of the digital noise going on right now. You can set-up a safe, contactless direct mail campaign very quickly with Zairmail, and have your message in the mail within 24-48 hours. 

What things should you be saying?

Let customers know how you can support them (if you can support them)

Explain any changes in the way you carry out a service or offer products

Share any special promotions that are valid during this time (perhaps a discount for online versions of previous in-person services). 

Zairmail (www.zairmail.com) is the fastest and easiest way to send (real) postal mail. Give us a call anytime at 888.898.0066, we would be happy to help with your direct mail needs.

The best practices associated with political campaigns have changed dramatically over the last decade. The emerging role of digital media is profound. Campaigns must embrace tools such as websites, email, social media, mobile, and more daily. The landscape has become much more technical and complex from a marketing standpoint.  Still, one thing that has not changed is the importance of direct mail (yes, good old USPS mail) in the campaign mix.

The US mail reaches every voter in America unencumbered by SPAM filters. 

The US mail has the potential to add legitimacy to any campaign. A campaign piece in the mail makes any candidate/cause “real” in the eyes of voters.

US mail has the ability to target voters by age, income, gender, party affiliation, and a hundred other attributes. It is possible for campaigns to target the exact voter they want to embrace and persuade. 

41% of Americans of all ages look forward to checking the mail each day (mail moment).

When using the mail, just as with digital tools, there are some things to consider.

The majority of cost with direct mail (~70%) is postage. We want to minimize the cost of postage, while still reaching our target voter, at the precise time required to influence their vote. With the rise in mail-in ballots, which have only become more prominent based on Corona quarantine rules, we need to reach voters early and often.

There are three basic types of postage we can use: First Class, Standard A (Marketing Mail), or EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail).

First Class mail is the most expensive form of postage and is usually associated with the fastest delivery times (3 days anywhere in the continental US is pretty common). If the USPS cannot deliver the document they will return it so the database can be updated. This is the class of mail most often associated with bills, statements, notices, and personal letters. Pre-sort discounts are available for larger mailers – to assist our political customers, every job that goes through Zairmail is pre-sorted for accuracy, deliverability, and postal discounts.

Standard A is usually less expensive than First Class mail. The savings usually runs ~$.10/piece. However, it takes a little longer for delivery (7 – 10 days in the US is common) and there is no return service if the piece is not deliverable.  If we can plan in advance, it often makes sense to use Standard A, and save on postage.

With campaign mail there is one more important benefit to consider. If campaign mail is sent using Standard A, and it is flagged when submitted, the USPS will treat it as time sensitive mail and prioritize it. That means faster delivery times, at lower cost to campaigns and candidates.

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a program that allows campaigns to blanket entire region or neighborhood with an identical message. The campaign selects (postal) carrier routes, produces a campaign advertisement (usually a flyer or postcard), and delivers it to the post office. There is no addressing required. The USPS will deliver the campaign piece to every household on the carrier route(s) selected. This is very similar to the old “door hanger” campaign piece.

This approach can (greatly) reduce the cost of postage; however, the number of printed ads required is usually much greater, which increase printing costs. The formats available with EDDM are more limited and personalization is not possible. The information that is sent will also be available to every voter on the carrier route – there is no privacy or targeting.

Given these options, what form of postage should we choose? 

If you are reaching out with a personal communication to a close group of supporters (e.g. an invitation, a newsletter, a personal letter, …) then First Class postage can be an ideal choice. The quality of service is exceptional (predictable) and the touch can have a personal feel to it.

If you are trying to reach a larger group of targeted voters who may still be undecided then Standard A (campaign mail) is probably the way to go. The cost of postage is lower, campaigns receive priority delivery, and targeting/personalization is still possible. 

In the case of primary elections, where voters may be required to select a candidate based on party affiliation, there really is no reason to touch every voter – it only makes sense to touch voters who can support your cause. This can still hold true in a general election campaign. If you know that voters will not step across the aisle to vote for a candidate or cause, no matter what you have to say, then it is better not to exhaust your resources on them. The best bet is to focus on the voters that are most likely to support you.

Finally, if you are trying to reach a larger group of voters, regardless of party affiliation or demographic, and they align with a carrier route, then EDDM can make sense. However, it will need to be a generic message that plays well for every voter along the carrier route. 

We all want to get the biggest bang for our buck, and the best possible outcome for our cause.

Choosing the right form of postage can minimize the cost of putting ballots in the box.

We are currently offering a Free Zairmail Analysis of the most cost-effective mailing programs for your individual circumstances. So whether you’re a political candidate running for the vote, a new small business or a large established firm, we can advise the best approach tailored to you. Within this, we will look at EDDM, First Class, and Standard A as well as making the best suggestions for the type of mailing campaign that would work most effectively. There is never a one-size-fits-all when it comes to marketing and much less when we consider direct mail marketing specifically. 

If you choose Zairmail to support your campaign we can promise to give you that edge. Our pricing is the complete ‘in the mail’ price which includes, processing, printing, addressing, mailing, postage, and tracking. There are no other setup charges or hidden fees. If you are sending postcards, we apply a UV coating for no additional charge to give a real professional feel and prevent scuffing in the mail. 

If you can tell us exactly what you would like to mail, we would be happy to work up a quote for you. We also have a price match guarantee, so if you can send us an invoice or quote, we can work from that for you.

Zairmail (www.zairmail.com) is the fastest and easiest way to send (real) postal mail. Give us a call anytime at 888.898.0066, we would be happy to help with your direct mail needs.