Direct mail can be confusing. Lots of options and lots to get mixed up on. Am I using the right postcard strategy or direct mail method for what I want? Is there a postage discount? Where do I go to get this done? Are there companies that do this or will a print shop do this?

These are common thoughts.
2 types of direct mail for postcard marketing:
1) Addressed Admail – has someone’s address on it.
2) Unaddressed Admail – doesn’t have any address on it.

Use addressed admail for: ( you get a discount in postage after 1000 pieces) Postage approx 40 cents +
• Keep in touch with your best customers to increase loyalty.
• Generate sales leads with precision targeting through a purchased mail list.
•downfalls – more costly

Use Unaddressed Admail: ( the most cost effective direct mail method) Postage approx 13 cents
•Boost awareness to households or businesses of your products or services in a specific postal code or zip code.
•Target households or businesses in specific geographic areas.
•Offer discounts, send menus or samples�whatever it takes to promote your business.
•downfalls – more print waste as you are sending to a broad audience that might not be interested.

Lets take an example for unaddressed admail
John just started a new business. He is a small computer repair shop. His business is located in the north side of the city which has a mixture of residential and businesses. His business services both consumers and businesses. He doesn’t have a huge list of customers. He turns to unaddressed admail(through us of course:)). He chooses a postcard as it serves as his colourful 2 sided billboard and has a high readership rate. He has 2 postcards designed. One for businesses and one for consumers. He then chooses the postal codes/zip in his region and finds out(there is 5146 consumers and business) He decides to mail to 5000 of them. John has thought his offer through and is offering $20 off service charges and a free usb memory stick for first time buyers. He has the coupon, benefits displayed, a map to his new location, and copy well displayed. He then plans to mail the postcard 3 times over 3 months. Why this? Repetition is the key to success as Mary’s computer didn’t break down until month 3 when she received Johns postcard. By the 2nd postcard she was familiar with his logo. If John only mailed once, Mary and a lot of other clients would forget, toss, and go to some other computer shop.

Lets talk about addressed admail:
Bob sells dental chairs. He knows dentists. He also, just has expanded into a new province and opened up a new location that he isn’t familiar with. He knows the clients he does have. he analyzes what they have in common: typical revenues, # of employees, and how long they have been in business for. He then purchases a mail list that gets him the mailing addresses and names of the owners of the dental office. Like John, he designs his postcard carefully. As Bob knows the dentists name he uses technology called variable data printing which customizes each postcard to speak direct to the dentist. Example: instead of a headline, “your clients butt is sore, don’t you give enough pain?!” his card reads,
“Mary, your clients butt is sore, don’t you give enough pain?!” His offer is a free whitepaper and information on his chairs and research on it. He directs them to a Personalized URL where there is again a customized webpage with Mary’s name on it. There are questions that Mary must answer to get the white paper but her contact information is already filled in as it is using the technology from the mail list and MyEasyMailMaker.com to fill it out.
The benefits of this: He captures useful information about his new clients to further communication, he knows there is interest in his products, he understands the ROI as it is tracked in easy to read graphs through www.myeasymailmaker.com, and as soon as Mary clicks send, a message goes to bob’s cell phone and allows him for quick response. A powerful solution.

There you have 2 different direct mail scenarios with 2 different outcomes. You will have higher results and less waste with addressed admail. At the same time it’s more costly to send addressed admail but you save on printing costs as you won’t mail out as high as volume.

We’re here to help with any questions. Call us at 1.866.790.MAIL with any questions or email Travis Batting, President of MyEasyMailMaker.com at info@myeasymailmaker.com