The stores are chocked full of scary costumes and treats. It seems to start a little earlier every year. Still, it comes not a moment too soon, Americans are more than ready for some fun social events with family and friends. We have seen 18 months of pandemic-driven mask mandates, stay at home orders, and political turmoil. The entire country is ready for some holiday fun.

SEND JUMBO POSTCARDS FOR LESS

We can take a clue from the consumer goods folks on this front. It is never too soon to plan for the holidays and get your holiday greetings in the hands of those who matter most to you and your business. We need to stay “top of mind” and be part of the glow.

Just in time for the holidays, the US Postal Service has extended the (discounted) postcard rate to jumbo postcards (5.5 x 8.5 and 6 x 9). That means that you can super-size your greeting for just a small amount more. Talk about a holiday treat! This one is super sweet!

DRESS IT UP WITH AN ENVELOPE

You can also drop your holiday postcard in an envelope to get a high-end holiday card effect. Postcards in envelopes do not qualify for the postcard rate, but they still cost a tiny fraction of what traditional cards in the store run. They also have a personal and tactile feel that an email greeting cannot match.

CLASSICS ARE ALWAYS IN STYLE

Zairmail can also send more traditional greeting cards too. Come up with your own personalized holiday design and Zairmail will print and mail it for you. You can even personalize your envelope with a holiday stamp, a handwritten font, and a personal message on the outside.

GO FOR GHOULD!!

Still not enough? We have one client who includes magnets for the fridge in her cards. These special greetings have a central place in the kitchen for months or even years.

Of course, since you are using Zairmail, the process will be faster, easier, and less expensive!

Let us help you ward off the evil spirits and spread the holiday cheer!

Zairmail

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.

There is an article in the Zairmail archives that explores the limits of what can be shipped through the mail. It is a truly entertaining piece that never seems to go out of style. We also stumbled into this list of 21 Things You’d Be Surprised You Can Actually Mail. The list includes a wide array of unexpected items, including a lime, an inflated beach ball, and a rose in a bottle, among others.

This made us wonder, is it possible to ship other things, like a human for example, through the mail. We might be able to include food and water right in the package to sustain the occupant – even when service slows down over the holidays. Other types of human needs might still remain a problem. Still, that didn’t stop us from looking.

The Smithsonian published a piece that highlights the launch of parcel post, for packages of less than 15 pounds, in 1913. The service started on January 1, in part to take advantage of the rapidly growing demand for mail order services to rural communities. Almost immediately people began shipping their children to relatives. An 11 pound parcel costs just 15 cents at that time – insurance, if any, was extra. Postmaster General, Albert Burleson, quickly put an end to that practice by June.

It turns out that this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many curious (and humorous) stories about people being sent though the mail. Over the next few months, we will share several of these stories in this column.

The Shipping Journey of Henry “Box” Brown

Henry Box Brown was a slave who successfully sent himself to freedom in 1849. Brown hid in a wooden crate and arranged to be sent to slavery abolitionists in Philadelphia. Brown was a slave in a tobacco factory when he devised the perfect plan of escape to the freedom. However, brown was forced to leave behind his enslaved family.

Cohorts

James C. A. Smith, a free black man, along with Samuel Smith (aka Samuel the Shoemaker), aided Brown in his ingenious plan. Brown escaped in a wooden box just 3’ (w) x 3’ (l) x 2’ (h)wide, which was labeled “dry goods” on the side. Brown took a small amount of water and several biscuits with him. The wooden box had a single hole for air. The shipping box was nailed shut and then wrapped with straps.

The Escape

Brown’s trip to freedom lasted 27 hours during which, the box that held Brown was transported by wagon, railroad, steamboat, and ferry. Despite instructions on the box that said, “handle with care” and “this side up”, Brown was bounced around and placed upside down multiple times. Brown continued to stay still and went undetected.

After Browns impressive escape, he earned the moniker Henry “Box” Brown and spent years on the abolitionist speaker circuit, first in the northeast US, and then in England.

We have offer many other interesting posts this blog here are some:

1. Conjure Some Postcard Magic With These Tips!
2. Howl For Your USPS Postage Treats Now!

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.

Are your direct mail campaigns meeting your sales objectives? Give yourself a powerful treat this season and boost your ROI. These three simple techniques can help improve the effectiveness of your campaigns. Put them in your sack and take home the potential for supernatural returns.

In that spirit, Zairmail once again shares the 70/20/10 rule. The success of any direct mail campaign is based on the list (70%), the offer (20%), and anything left, the creative (10%). This can be a little counter-intuitive. There are many direct mail advertisers, and agencies, who focus on creative first – of course, that’s the fun part. Still, we all know from experience, if we put the right offer in the hands of the right prospect, good things tend to happen.

1. How is your list?

The list is often the most overlooked piece of a mailing campaign. Yet, it is the single most important ingredient for success, and often the easiest to adjust. With the rising cost of postage, the last thing we want to do is send a letter or postcard to anyone who will not be motivated to action, now or sometime in the future. Remember, it is a-okay to use direct mail to establish a brand and solidify a rapport, even if prospects will not purchase today.

Is The List Defined?

Just ask yourself, who is your ideal client? How do you define them? We often define consumers in terms of demographic characteristics such as geography, gender, income, family characteristics, … If our customers are businesses, then we can look at factors such as geographic region, size (e.g., sales, employees, offices, …), industry, growth rate, … The more specific that we can be when it comes to defining our ideal customer, the better opportunity we have to find the right list and create winning offers.

Do you have a house (customer) list? This can often be a good place to start. The people who have purchased your product(s) or service(s) in the past, can provide a snapshot of what our best future prospects look like. We need to nurture those relationships and then continue to grow our base of potential clients. If we don’t have a house list, or the list we have is a little starved in terms of reach, then we can always purchase additional contacts. One of the key advantages to direct mail is that demographics for lists are extremely well developed. We can pull lists based on any/all of the criteria outlined above – and a lot more!

List Health?

How healthy is your list? Harvard University tells us that over the past five years, each year more than 13% of the US population has moved. Over a three-year period of time that means 40% or more of your addresses could be bad. If you are using Zairmail for your mailing, then we automatically run each list (over 500 records) through the National Change of Address (NCOA) database and Coded Accuracy Support System (CASS) to assure that we are using the most current address and it’s deliverable.

Still, since postage represents ~70% of the cost of any direct mail campaign, we don’t want to burn postage on any mail that can’t be delivered. We need to keep all our lists updated and accurate. It can often be less expensive to replace an old list, rather than spending money on postage, just to see piles of undeliverable mail return.

Spend a little time reviewing the Zairmail Mailing List Boot Camp for more tips on how to find the perfect mailing list.

If you need more help, Zairmail provides electronic access and real-time counts for consumer lists from Acxiom, and business lists from Dunn & Bradstreet, as well as thousands of other specialty lists.

We can definitely help you rattle some chains and scare up the right list.

2. How compelling is your offer?

If we are sending mail to an existing or prospective customer, then we want them to do something, right? What do you want your customer to do? Do you want the recipient to send you a check? Do you want them to pick up the phone and call? Do you want them to visit your website? Do you want them to keep you in the mind for some future need? Do you want them to tell their family and friends about you? These are all legitimate goals for a direct mail campaign…of course, there are many more outcomes we could consider.

What will motivate the recipient to take that action?

Do we want to offer a one-time discount to get them used to purchasing from us and experiencing the benefits first-hand? Do we offer a free no-cost “analysis” so we can show the customer what to purchase and how they will benefit from our offerings? Do we offer a referral program, so that those who know us best, will send us qualified prospects that they know well?

There are also different styles of offers. One technique in sales is to start with a small “ask” to win the customer’s trust with minimum perceived risk. Another technique is to start with a big “ask”, and then rachet back, to let the customer discover their own comfort zone. Of course, we can mix and match these types of techniques to align with our products, services, and audience.

Refinement.

Once we have a potential formula in mind, then we need to put that message into bold and action oriented words. We need to state (a) what action we want them to take, and (b) what benefits they will receive in return. To the extent the benefits (far) outweigh the actions/cost, the results should be significant.

It is not unusual to have a few different ideas. One of the other benefits of direct mail is that you can test. Break your list into pieces, try different offers with each list, and then continue to refine the one that pulls best. Once we get a piece that performs well, then we can really step on the gas. However, this really should be a process of continuous improvement – we can always get better.

We need to make sure that any offer is time limited. Offers that don’t expire usually just gather cobwebs on the counter. We know, as a general rule in sales, that the further we get from the initial point of engagement with the client, the less likely they are to take action. We need to make sure that we provide a deadline to serve as a motivating force and remain top of mind.

3. Let’s get creative.

Creative might represent only 10% in our formula for success, but it can still be critical for success.

Consider a direct mail postcard. The first thing that must happen before your client can take action is they must get your message. Postcards have the benefit of being a small billboard in the mail. We still need to claw through the clutter and come out on top. This quite often entails a show stopping image and a compelling teaser (text).

There are many creative appeals that can be used: shock, emotional, humor, artistic, … We have covered many different ideas/approaches over time in this blog. The list is quite literally endless. We just need to make sure the appeal, image, and the copy text, all play well together and communicate a singular message and call to action. We also need to avoid clutter. Often, in this environment, less is more. People are busy, they have limited time to spend; be simple, be direct, make your offer pop.

We have offered many other tips on this blog here are some other interesting posts:

1. Top tips on how to conduct an effective direct mail marketing campaign
2. Stay ‘Top of Mind’ During the Holidays
3. Howl For Your USPS Postage Treats Now!
4. Going My Way?

By all means, be creative, super creative even; but don’t let your message get lost in the art or elegance. We have seen simple black and white postcards with a clear and powerful message that summon up astonishing results.

Now, how is that for a sweet treat?

Happy Halloween!

As reported in the last issue of the Direct Mail Journal, The USPS increased the cost of postage in August based on approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). Postage increases are usually announced in November and take effect in January. This is the second price increase this year.

One source of positive news is that the First Class rate for postcard postage has been extended to jumbo postcard sizes. This is great news for all organizations that use postcards for marketing, notifications, or seasonal greetings.

Domestic Mail Postage  

Here is a little context for those who may not be as familiar with the structure of postal rates. There are many different postal rates and a dizzying array of rules. The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), the USPS bible for all things postage, contains hundreds of pages, each with detailed specifications on mail formats, processes, and charges. This is an extremely technical topic area that overwhelms even postal employees. Thankfully, all but the largest mailers, can focus on just a few key elements of the DMM.

There are two basic classes of postage: First Class and Standard A – the USPS is in the process of re-branding the latter to Marketing Mail. There are also special services such as certified mail, and different classes of service for parcels, but we will focus on letter (and postcard) prices in this article.

Mail Classes

First Class postage is what most people think of when the discussion shifts to postage. If you visit a post office to send a card or letter, the Forever Stamp that you receive at the retail counter, represents First Class postage. This covers the cost of sending a mail piece of up to 1 ounce anywhere in the United States. There are additional charges for additional weight up to the maximum of 3.5 ounces. Just for reference, a 1 ounce letter is ~4 sheets of paper in a standard #10 envelope.

Standard A (Marketing Mail) is what most consumers used to refer to as bulk mail or even junk mail in some circles. Standard A is used by mass mailers to send marketing materials, in volume, at significantly reduced rates. Postage often represents over 70% of the cost of sending mail, so mass mailers are hyper-sensitive to the cost of postage. A change of $.01/piece in postage, when sending millions of pieces, can be significant.

Direct Mail Features and Discounts

The core features of the different service levels are easy to outline. We usually expect First Class mail to take ~3 days for delivery anywhere in the US – often faster for local mail. The USPS also provides a return service, so if the piece cannot be delivered, it is returned to the sender. On the other hand, with Standard A, delivery can times typically run 7 – 10 days, and there is no return service. If the USPS cannot deliver it, they will automatically recycle the mail piece for the sender.

There is one other source of savings that commercial mailers, and Zairmail customers, can access called pre-sort discounts. Pre-sort is a form of postal discount based on the concept of work-sharing. The commercial mailer (or service provider) processes the mail in advance, corrects the list for recipients who have moved or addresses that are undeliverable, assures that all mail pieces are machinable and have a bar code, and then places the mail in trays in carrier route delivery sequence.

The higher the delivery density in specific carrier routes, the greater the level of discount. This saves the USPS time and money, and these savings are shared with the mailer based on pre-determined pre-sort rates. Because the mail is pre-processed, and bar codes are added, delivery times tend to improve. The mail can also be tracked based on USPS barcode scans.

Pre-sort discounts are only available for jobs that are greater than 500 pieces for First Class Mail or 200 pieces for Standard A. Zairmail automatically pre-sorts all mail that qualifies and passes along the savings to our customers.

Direct Mail Postcards

The one other happy wrinkle in postal pricing is that the USPS offers a discount First Class Postage rate for standard postcards (4” x 6” or 4.25” x 5.5”). This represents a great value for those who use postcards. The discount postage is very close to what clients would pay for Standard A, but they get First Class postage performance. To illustrate, the current price (after increase) of a First Class stamp is $.58, the cost of a First Class postcard is only $.40 (retail). In the past, if the size of the postcard increased beyond the standard postcard size, then the postage would go up to standard First Class postage rates.

Jumbo postcards are very popular with many Zairmail clients. The larger message area (6” x 9” or 5.5” x 8.5”) provides additional freedom to deliver a compelling offer and include vibrant graphics that really pop in the mail. One common benefit provided by a postcard is that we don’t have to worry about it getting opened – each postcard is like a mini-billboard in the mail. Still, we still need to make sure that it stands out and gets seen – bonus points if it earns spot on the recipient’s fridge!

That is where the larger size comes into play.

Zairmail clients can now order both standard postcards or jumbo postcards and the pricing reflects the discount postcard rates (with pre-sort greater than 500 pieces).

Here is a comparison of the new pricing based on these changes.

If you are using small postcards today, and you have toyed with the idea of using the larger format of jumbo postcards to increase your impact; this is the perfect time to give it a try – there is very little difference in price. If you are already using jumbo postcards to spread your word, then enjoy an early holiday treat from Zairmail and the USPS.

Let’s save some money (and grow your business) for the holidays and beyond!

We have offer many other interesting posts this blog here are some:

1. Conjure Some Postcard Magic With These Tips!
2. Going My Way?

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.