Managed Print Services: The Ultimate Guide

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Managed Print Services: A Comprehensive Guide To MPS Service And Its Benefits

Are you having trouble meeting your print needs with an in-house printer?

Many businesses waste hours and hours of their valuable time personalising, printing, storing, and delivering printed materials. For example, some companies want to send invoices/payment reminders to their customers, while others want to print marketing materials.

Any company that regularly prints a considerable number of materials should optimise their printing process. But, unfortunately, you can only do so much optimisation for your in-house printing process. By the end of the day, you would still lose a considerable amount of time and money on an in-house printing process.

Managed print services Australia is the best way for a company to optimise their printing operations to save time and money. Below, we will discuss what is managed print services and how you can use them effectively for your business.

The guide provides valuable information and insights on the methodology for MPS and its benefits. It even explains the characteristics of an MPS contract.

What is Managed Print Services?

Managed Print Service or MPS are services offered by a third-party service provider for optimising or managing an organisation’s document output. The MPS provider takes care of every aspect of the printing needs of its clients. Hence, the duties of an MPS provider includes the following

• Assessment of printing equipment
• Replacement of hardware (selective and general)
• Servicing of equipment or parts
• Supplies required operating the hardware

Does Your Business Need MPS or Managed Print Services?

Generally speaking, if yours is a business that often has to print or mail letters, then MPS can benefit your business. MPS can help businesses of all sizes and shapes. However, as the company’s size increases, so does the chance of wastage in printing.

That does not mean smaller companies always run an optimised business printing process. On the contrary, poor printing management and the absence of appropriate policies and procedures can badly affect even small companies. 

Following are the indications that your company needs managed print services.

• Your staff needlessly print out emails and other information that can easily remain in the digital format
• Your team members needlessly print reams of paper
• The team or staff always print in colour when you only need black and white prints
• You often see unclaimed documents lying around in the office everywhere
• You have a supply closet filled to the brim with printing supplies like unused toner, ink cartridges, etc.
• You have to deal with multiple suppliers, services, and software invoices
• You frequently run out of printing supplies like toners or ink cartridges for printing

Methodology For Managed Print Services

The methodology for Managed Print Services may vary based on the unique service provider. Print management services use different approaches or methods for determining their role in a business organisation. Generally, the MPS methodology consists of a four-step process:

Step 1: Assess The Requirements

A good MPS provider’s first step is to assess the printing requirements by conducting a full audit of the business’s print infrastructure. An in-depth diagnosis or print assessment helps the MPS provider understand the existing work environment of the organisation. It includes getting a comprehensive picture of print usage and its workflow trends.

Step 2: Design A Custom Solution

The information obtained from the assessment is used to design custom solutions for your specific organisation. Creating a custom solution enables you to meet all your printing requirements with ease and minimum wastage.

Step 3: Implementation Of Changes

Once a custom printing solution is created for an organisation, it is soon implemented and managed by the MPS provider. A good Managed Print Services provider like PostGrid will be with you at every implementation stage. Print solutions like PostGrid ensure that the transition to the print solution is carried out as smoothly as possible.

Step 4: Manage The New Print Environment

The job of the MPS provider is not over after implementation is completed. Service providers like PostGrid offer you all the tools you need for ensuring a seamless print environment. Furthermore, the MPS provider needs to regularly analyse the print requirements to ensure it evolves with the growth of your business.

Benefits Of Managed Print Services

There are numerous benefits for business organisations that employ print management services. Following are some of the significant benefits business organisations can get from using MPS for their printing needs.

• Control Your Budget And Save Money
• Minimise Energy Consumption
• Significantly higher uptimes
• Reduce your IT burden
• Remotely monitor and manage your print requirements
• Scale your printing capabilities as your business grows

What Is An MPS Contract, And Why Is It Important?

An MPS contract is an agreement between you (the organisation) and the MPS provider. Make sure that you know everything stated in the contract before you sign it. The MPS contract must cover the parts and servicing of the printing devices.

Ideally, the MPS contract should include all parts, labour, and consumables, and all your devices come under an extended warranty. However, every MPS contract is not the same. For example, some contracts may only cover toners in their contract. In contrast, other agreements may include supplies like waste toner bottles, drums, etc.

Ensure that you understand which all supplies are covered under the MPS contract. It is also worth noting that most MPS contracts include a base charge for the device, billed over monthly or quarterly. Similarly, some MPS contracts do not have a minimum volume required. In other words, you only need to pay for exactly what you print.

Eligible Devices For Managed Print Services

The eligible device for Managed Print Services may vary depending on the service provider you choose. For example, it is possible that your business already has many printers in place. In that case, select an MPS provider that does not require you to replace your existing print tech.

You should ensure that the eligible devices for the MPS provider include the devices you use. Furthermore, most reliable MPS providers offer a complimentary assessment that reveals which of your devices can be put under contract and needs an upgrade.

Automated Direct Mail Solutions

It is always best to choose a service provider like PostGrid that offers complete direct mail automation when it comes to managed print solutions. Yes, it means you automate EVERYTHING! PostGrid takes care of everything from personalising your letters to printing and delivering them to your target audience.

The thing with many MPS providers is that they don’t have mailing capability. It means you have to fend for yourself regarding the logistic challenges of sending bulk mail. However, advanced tools like PostGrid offer a single stop solution for all your print and mailing needs.

You can send all sorts of mail via PostGrid’s direct mail automation tool, including invoices, patient reports, marketing postcards, and much more. In addition, PostGrid lets you set up triggered direct mail that automatically sends scheduled mail to your targets.

Conclusion

Managed Print Services is an excellent way for businesses to meet all their printing needs. It enables companies to bypass the lengthy and often complex bulk printing process. Companies have a wide variety of printing needs. 

Some businesses want to print their invoices, while others require postcards for direct mail campaigns. Usually, the business print requirement is in bulk. The printed material is almost always sent to their customers or clients via post.

Hence, opting for a complete direct mail solution like PostGrid can solve all your direct mail needs. PostGrid can connect with your CRM to print and deliver personalised direct mail anywhere in the world. Furthermore, PostGrid even offers an AMAS certified address verification system.

The direct mail automation with address verification ensures that all your direct mail is delivered without delay or mistake. As the entire process is automated, there is no chance for a manual error when employing a system like PostGrid. Even if you do, by some chance, run into some trouble, PostGrid’s superior customer service is always there to help you out. 

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Direct Mail Response Rate

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Direct Mail Response Rate

Marketing can be powerful when you apply all the right strategies and use the right channel. It is all about reaching out to an audience and making an impact. This impact is measured in the form of responses, engagements, and sales. Every marketing channel has its own way of capturing a market and measuring performance.

Today, direct mail marketing is one of the strongest offline marketing channels. It is effective, engaging, and has the power to build a brand. Direct mail response rates can help measure campaign performance and further calculate conversion rates and ROI.

Using a direct mail response rate calculator, businesses can estimate their response rates beforehand and make the necessary adjustments in their mail campaigns to get the desired response rate. The campaign size, mail lists, offer included, and many other factors play their roles in getting a good response rate.

What Is a Good Direct Mail Response Rate?

Direct mail response rates are different for every company in every industry. The business size and popularity also decide response rates. For some companies, a low response rate is acceptable, and they can still achieve a positive ROI. However, it’s not the same for all. Other companies may not do well, even after getting a higher number of responses. It majorly depends on the campaign size as input and ROI as output.

In general, response rates can vary between 0.5% to 4%. However, a lot of well-performing campaigns have managed to record much higher numbers. As compared to email campaigns whose response rate is a mere 0.12%, direct mail marketing campaigns can achieve a response rate of about 4.4%. Another DMA report says that the direct mail response rate is 5.3% for house lists and 2.9% for mail sent to prospects.

However, please note that even a response rate of 1% is excellent when your mail does not include a free offer and requires people to buy. Moreover, 1% can also be considered great when you mail on rented mailing lists rather than your in-house mailing list, whom you have already contacted earlier. But, a company is likely to require a much higher response rate even to start generating a positive ROI while giving away free offers and coupons and mailing on an in-house list.

Different industries receive different response rates, and they can differ drastically. For example, direct mail response rates for financial services might be higher than real-estate direct mail response rates. But, in the end, everything from your mail creativity to your offer can bring about a huge change.

Whether a B2C or B2B direct mail response rate is good or not is dependent on the campaign ROI. Direct mail is known to have a high rate of return on investment. It is creative and highly persuasive.

Direct Mail Can Fetch a High ROI

Though response rates are a good way to measure campaign effectiveness, the ultimate result can only be known through direct mail ROI. The average ROI from direct mail marketing is 29%, leaving behind paid search and online display.

Just like the direct mail response rate, the ROI is also dependent on a number of things. Along with factors like campaign size and offers, it hugely depends on the type of product and services you sell. Low-ticket products can get a high percentage of ROI and still be behind a company selling high-ticket products with a very low percentage of ROI.

Direct Mail Response Rates Top the List

An article by Forbes has stated that direct mail has a response rate of about 3.7%, which is way more than all the marketing channels. The response rates for email, social media marketing, internet display, and mobile marketing are 1%, 1%, 0.2%, and 2%, respectively. Today’s generation is hooked on their phones, especially on social media, and yet social media and mobile marketing are performing at mediocre levels. Hence, it is clear that direct mail is highly inducing, and the tangibility can get people to pay attention and respond.

Further, a recent study stated that 93% of people agreed to use direct mail coupons. Hence, the response rates are likely to increase, thereby increasing conversions and ROI simultaneously.

Email and direct mail have been compared quite often. Apparently, as said earlier, email has a response rate of only 0.12% as compared to the direct mail response rate of 4.4%. It isn’t difficult to admit that direct mail is not annoying, like social media ads and commercials asking you for your name and email address. Direct mail forms an emotional bond between a business and its audience, hence resulting in a high response rate.

82% Of Australians Sort Their Mail Daily

Open rates matter a lot. They form the base for response and conversion rates. Perhaps, direct mail is the only channel that gets the complete attention of people first-hand. The open rate of direct mail is 66%, and 82% of Australians check their mail every day. People are often curious to know about the contents of the mail they receive, which is definitely not the case with other marketing channels.

Emails are ignored, social media posts are scrolled by, and text messages are deleted. Even if people happen to read emails, the majority of them are either on their way to work or while visiting a friend. Hence, these online marketing channels don’t get as much attention as direct mail.

Below are some more noteworthy statistics:

• 83% of people read their mail on the day of delivery itself.
• The average time to open and read a mail is 2.9 minutes.
• 99% of Australian mail recipients open their mail, from which 66% of them read it carefully, and 54% store the mail for future reference.

Best Practices to Increase Direct Mail Response Rates

Use Targeted Mailing Lists

Sending personalised mail items to the right people can help improve your response rates. People are more likely to respond when the mail they receive is relevant to them in some way. Companies must cleanse and update their mailing lists regularly and sort them to target the right audience.

Add Value to Your Mail

Make sure to provide value in your mail items. The offer and CTA are two main elements to be included in direct mail. The CTA guides people to move further in their customer journey, and the offer makes them complete the CTA. Hence, adding an impressive offer can boost responses.

Stand Out From the Crowd

Get creative and allow your mailers to stand out from the crowd. Your intended recipients might have already received a lot of junk mail. When your mailer is mixed in the mailbox with such mail, you have to beat the competition and get noticed. Creativity and innovation can get you there.

The Conclusion

Direct mail can help spread brand awareness and drive conversions. With the right marketing message, you can convince a lot of people to try out your brand. It is a less known fact that the direct mail industry is worth billions of dollars. It is because more and more companies are starting to understand the value of direct mail marketing. The response rates for both house and prospect lists are significant.

Nonprofit organizations can get more donations through direct mail marketing. Nonprofit direct mail response rates are higher than email and social media response rates. Since people see direct mail as trustworthy, they are convinced to donate.

Similarly, all companies from different industries can make use of direct mail marketing and achieve high response rates, which can be tracked by pURLS, coupon codes, and other such trackable features. Direct mail automation solutions like PostGrid can help you with these things and enable you to create print, and mail efficiently.

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Bulk Mailing Services

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Bulk Mail Options: Best Practices That Will Work in 2022

Have you ever wished for a higher response rate for your marketing efforts? Did you know that there is a 9% average response rate for direct mail campaigns? Well, we are sure you know that a 9% average response rate is an incredible number for any marketing channel. However, many businesses are unsure about employing bulk mailing campaigns.

Most marketers and business owners are unsure about bulk mailing services not meeting their business needs. But, the truth may be different from what you are thinking. There are several bulk mail services available in the market, and one of them could be the perfect fit for your business.

We will help you determine the perfect bulk mailing option for your direct mail requirements. Following is the list of things you will learn about in this article.

• What is bulk mail?
• The primary bulk mail services in Australia
• The characteristics and conditions for availing bulk mailing services

What are Bulk Mailing Services?

Bulk mailing services are postal mail services that enable businesses to send postal mail in bulk at an affordable price. Here are 3 questions marketers or business owners who want to employ bulk mail for business marketing or communication purposes.

• Is it a cost-effective means of communication?
• Does it save a significant amount of money on postage costs?
• Is it flexible enough to meet different business needs?

If the answer is yes to all of these questions, then you have found an excellent bulk mailing service for your business. 

Australia Post Bulk Mail Services

When it comes to bulk mailing services in Australia, there is no need to look beyond Australia Post. It meets all the prerequisites of an ideal bulk mailing service provider. Furthermore, Australia Post offers several bulk mail services that businesses can use in various situations.

Here are some of the Australia Post bulk mail services you can employ for your business.

#1 Print Post

Print Post is a bulk mailing service for Australia Post that lets businesses deliver regular publication materials. The publication materials that companies can send via Australia Post’s Print Post service include:

• Catalogues
• Brochures
• Magazines
• Newsletters

Are you unsure about the type of printed material you want to use for marketing your business? If yes, you might want to check out our blog.

“Different Types of Direct Mails and Why You Should be Sending Them“

Conditions For Promo Post Service

Companies can get reduced prices for sending promotional materials to their customers if:

• The minimum volume of mail is 100.
• Companies must print the barcodes if mail volume is higher than 2000.
• Companies must sort the mailers as per Australia Post instructions.

Priority And Regular Delivery

You can access both priority and regular delivery for your Reply Mail.

#2 PreSort Letters

As the name suggests, Australia Post’s PreSort Letters is a service that allows businesses to send presorted mailings. The main distinctive feature of PreSort Letters is their barcodes. The machine-addressed barcode makes it easy for Australia Post to deliver them.

Companies can get a lower mailing cost for direct mail communication if they use Australia Post bulk postage service such as PreSort Mail. However, it only applies if the sender meets certain conditions.

Conditions For PreSort Letters Service

• Apply the barcodes, sort them, place them into the suitable trays, and complete the documentation.

Priority And Regular Delivery

You can send your PreSort Letters through Australia Post’s priority and regular service. 

#3 Promo Post

Promo Post is an Australia Post bulk mail service specifically for businesses that want to promote a product or service. It enables you to send promotional material within Australia for a nominal cost. However, it also comes with some prerequisites to adhere to reduce prices.

Conditions For Promo Post Service

Companies can get reduced prices for sending promotional materials to their customers if:

• They send individual lodgements containing more than 4000 PreSort Letters
• The primary purpose of the mailer must be to promote a business
• All lodgements meet the PreSort Letters requirements

Regular Delivery 

Although you can say that all Promo Posts are PreSort Letters, they do not support priority delivery. All Promo Post uses regular delivery. Hence, you should consider the additional time required for delivery before implementing a marketing campaign.

#4 Charity Mail

Charities often depend on direct mail as their communication channel for acquiring new donors. Australia Post makes it a point to ensure that charity organisations can benefit from its Charity Mail service.

Conditions For Charity Mail

For Australia Post to provide Charity Mail service to an organisation, it must meet the following requirements.

• All the mailers should be PreSort Letters or meet the PreSort conditions
• The purpose of the bulk postage Australia Post must be fundraising and promotion activity
• The organisation sending the mailer should be Income Tax Exempt Charities (ITEC) or Deductible Gift Recipients (DGR)
• Every lodgement must contain at least 300 barcoded articles

Priority And Regular Delivery

Unlike Promo Post, we discussed above. You can deliver Charity mail via Priority or Regular mail service from Australia Post.

#5 Clean Mail

Clean Mail is a postal service from Australia Post that lets businesses send Small and Small Plus articles within Australia at low costs. One of the advantages of using Australia Post’s Clean Mail service is that you don’t have to print or sort your mailers.

Hence, it is perfect for companies that do not have the facilities to print barcode labels or sort the mailers. The best part of Clean Mail is that it is still cheaper than regular mail despite not printing the barcodes or presorting mailers.

Conditions For Clean Mail

For accessing the Clean Mail service from Australia Post, your business mail must meet the following conditions.

• You must ensure that the addresses are readable for the Australia Post’s automated letter sorting equipment
• Use machine-printed addresses to ensure the readability of the postal addresses

Priority And Regular Delivery

Clean Mail offers both priority and regular deliveries to businesses. Hence, companies can use regular delivery services to save money if it is not a time-sensitive document. And if a business wants faster delivery, they can always opt for priority delivery.

#6 Acquisition Mail

Acquisitions Mail is a postal service from Australia Post that allows business organisations to send addressed mailers within Australia. One of the advantages of using the Acquisition Mail service is geographical targeting. It lets you target your mailers to residential address points.

You may even pick the postcodes, suburbs (localities), or Statistical Areas (SA1s) based on your marketing needs. Australia Post will even supply residential street addresses for specific geographic regions. And like every other Australia Post bulk mail we discussed so far, it also offers lower postage prices.

Conditions For Acquisition Mail

For your company to access Australia Post’s Acquisition Mail service, it must meet the following requirements.

• Print barcodes for the mailers if the volume of mailers is more than 300
• You must sort your direct mailers if the mailer volume exceeds 300 mailers

Regular Delivery

In terms of delivery options, Acquisition Mail only offers regular delivery. So, suppose you are looking for a faster delivery option.

#7 Reply Paid 

Reply Paid service is one of the most effective ways to boost your direct mail response rate. As the name implies, it involves a prepaid or preprinted reply card/envelope. You may attach this with your direct marketing mail so that the recipient can conveniently respond to your offer.

Furthermore, it can be personalised to suit your target audience’s taste and looks professional. And the best part about Reply Mail is that companies only have to pay for the responses they receive. It is ideal for businesses that want to:

• Generate sales leads
• Build customer databases
• Raise funds
• Request information from the customer
• Encourage timely payments
• Research the marketplace

Conditions For Reply Mail

For accessing the Reply Mail service from Australia Post, your business mail must meet the following conditions.

• Companies must preprint the barcodes for your Reply Mail
• The company or business organisation must apply for a Reply Paid Number

Priority And Regular Delivery

You can access both priority and regular delivery for your Reply Mail.

#8 Unaddressed Mail

As you can guess from the name, this Australia Post bulk mail service allows companies to send unaddressed mail to their customers. It means you don’t need access to an extensive address database for your direct mail marketing.

Hence, it is ideal for sending leaflets, catalogues, merchandising samples, etc., to customers in a specific area. For example, Real Estate businesses can advertise attractive properties to potential buyers or sellers in the area.

Furthermore, you can employ an advanced direct mail tool like PostGrid for your real estate marketing. It allows real estate businesses access to Custom Redesign Templates for resting their marketing material.

Conditions For Unaddressed Mail

The following conditions need to be satisfied for business organisations to access the Unaddressed Mail service from Australia Post.

• Businesses must target at least one suburb or postcode for Unaddressed Mail
• Companies have to sort their mailers into trays and label them as per the instructions from Australia Post

#9 Other Australia Post Bulk Mail Services

Apart from the bulk mail service listed above, you can consider two more bulk mail services from Australia Post.

Domestic Letter With Tracking Imprint:

This Australia Post bulk mail service allows you to deliver a large volume of trackable mailers at a low cost. However, this is offered only on a contract basis. Furthermore, it is subject to pre-approval and requires you to send a minimum of 10,000 mailers.

Registered Post Imprint:

Bulk mail service from Australia Post enables companies to deliver crucial documents in large volumes. It requires the recipient’s signature for delivery and can be especially useful for industries such as financial services. You can even employ direct mail service providers like PostGrid that offer specialised direct mail services for finance industries.

Conclusion

Australia Post offers various bulk mail services that can fit the needs of any business regardless of their size or requirement. However, implementing bulk mail campaigns is not merely about finding the right postal service provider. 

You need an advanced direct mail automation service like PostGrid for implementing an effective bulk mailing campaign. PostGrid fully automates your postal mail process, including personalisation. Furthermore, PostGrid uses Australia Post to deliver your business mailers. 

As a result, you can create a fully optimised direct mail campaign and ensure affordable operations for your direct marketing campaigns.

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Direct Mail Guide

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Direct Mail Guide: Meaning, Benefits, and More

Did you know that 74% of people in Australia pay complete attention to direct mail? Additionally, 65% of Australians scan and read every mail item they receive.

Considering these statistics, we can say that direct mail is a powerful and must-have marketing tool for your media mix.

It helps you connect with people, improve brand visibility, and drive conversions!

But, what is AU direct mail marketing?

Direct mail is any physical correspondence sent directly to the physical mailboxes of your customers and prospects. It allows you to communicate with them personally and encourage them to buy from your business. Common examples of direct mail formats are postcards, letters, brochures, catalogues, etc.

Try adding an offer that makes people respond to your mail along with an upfront CTA that tells them what to do next.

Apart from a few basics, you can get creative with your direct mail advertising items. You may experiment with graphics, copy, colours, finishing, coating, etc. But, make sure to design something appealing and result-bearing.

In this blog, we will talk about several things regarding AU direct mail, like:

• Benefits of a direct mail marketing
• Do’s and don’ts of direct mail
• Steps to conduct mailing campaigns, etc.

Let’s dig in!

Why is Direct Mail Marketing Still Effective?

We know that direct mail is one of today’s most effective and profitable marketing channels. It helps marketers achieve several objectives, like increasing brand reputation and getting more sales.

But why does it still work even when the digital marketing field is expanding every day? What are the advantages of direct mail?

Below are some points that can answer these questions and help you learn more about direct mail:

Direct Mail Is Engaging

Direct mail consists of printed materials sent to your target market for generating new leads. These items are tangible and can engage with all the readers’ senses.

Unlike emails and social media ads, direct mail can also be felt. Hence, it is more engaging and interactive than other channels. People can save it for later use or share it with family and friends. Thus, your brand can get more visibility by using direct mail solutions.

Direct Mail Has a Broader Reach

This marketing form helps you connect with people that aren’t active on social media or other digital channels. Also, direct mail allows you to target more demographics and geographical areas than digital marketing.

With services like PostGrid, you can compile segmented mailing lists to reach relevant prospects.

Direct Mail Drives Responses

At PostGrid, we generally come across questions like- what is a good response rate for direct mails?

Well, the average direct mail response rate is 9% for in-house lists, which is far more than several digital marketing channels. Furthermore, 43% of people buy from a brand after receiving a mail item.

Thus, it is evident that direct mail Sydney can drive responses and increase your campaign’s return on investment (ROI).

If you aren’t satisfied yet, read more direct mail statistics that can change your mind.

Direct Mail Faces Less Competition

Several companies have replaced direct mail marketing Australia with digital marketing. They believe that digital marketing is more cost-effective and speedy. Luckily, direct mails are not spammed as much as online ads due to these reasons.

You can take advantage of this situation and use traditional mail to stand out from the crowd.

Creative direct mail advertising can help you give your potential customers a break from the digital noise. Hence, your audience is more likely to appreciate your mail and respond.

Direct Mail Is Long-Lasting

Recipients tend to store direct mail items at their houses for a few days, especially when they come with a coupon offer. Try adding phrases, like ‘Bring this postcard to our store by 1st March to get a 20% discount.’ Readers will likely save your items at least till the mentioned date.

Find the image below of a direct mail item with a discount coupon:

Such creative direct mailer ideas help you grab your prospects’ attention and persuade them to complete the CTA.

Tips to Conduct Effective Auspost Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns

Though direct mails are exciting and memorable to recipients, there may be a learning curve to it. Therefore, we have mentioned some do’s and don’ts below to help you out:

Do: Identify Your Target Audience

Before planning a B2C or B2B direct mail campaign, you should know your buyer personas. It enables you to focus on the most relevant prospects, saving you a lot of time and money.

Categorize your customers according to geo-demographics, like age, gender, income level, location, preferences, etc., to find their look-alikes. Then, you can target them and increase response levels easily.

Do: Always Add a Call to Action

Including a CTA in your Australia Post, direct mail marketing pieces is not optional. It can lead to your campaign’s success or failure, so be sure to add upfront CTAs.

Add them several times through your mail piece, depending on its format and size. For example, if you send a direct mail sales letter, you can include a CTA at the top and bottom. But, a small standard-sized postcard should only have one CTA that is clearly visible to the readers.

Here is an example: Scan the QR code below to complete your transaction and get a $25 cashback.

Read more about how you can incorporate QR codes into your campaigns.

Do: Follow Up Regularly

Direct mailer and marketing is not a do-it-and-forget-it activity. It requires time, patience, and follow-ups. You cannot send out your direct mail items and expect every recipient to reply. Some of them might need additional touchpoints to show interest.

Follow up with all the respondents first to help accelerate conversions. But, also remember to follow up with non-respondents; they may have forgotten to respond.

The point is not to leave any stone unturned and keep in touch with everyone. Perhaps, you can set up an email drip campaign to follow up with your direct mail recipients frequently.

Don’t: Skip Proofreading

Sending mail to existing and potential customers is not a simple task, but it is worth the effort. However, some minor mistakes may act as a barrier between you and your campaign’s success. Hence, make sure to proofread everything before printing. Look out for misspellings, incorrect details, design errors, etc.

Don’t: Miss Driving Online Traffic

Direct mail Australia Post is an opportunity for marketers to drive online traffic to their websites and social media handles. Thus, don’t forget to include all the relevant links and your contact information.

How to Send Direct Mail Online

You can always conduct a DIY direct mail campaign, but it can be daunting and expensive. Hence, you can now use the services of an automated direct mail agency like PostGrid to save money, time, and effort.

Here are the steps to launch a direct mail marketing campaign and how you can automate them:

Plan Everything In Advance

Marketers should plan every aspect of their campaigns in detail. Make sure to settle on your:

• Marketing goals: What are you looking to achieve from this campaign?
• Mailing list type: Are you buying lists or compiling them yourself?
• Campaign size: Do you want to send bulk mail or conduct a small-scale campaign?
• Response channels: What options should you give your recipients to respond?
• Marketing budget: How much are you willing to spend on a campaign?
• Types of direct mail advertising items: Which format do you need to use?

Read how PostGrid can help you send out marketing letters and postcards.

PostGrid’s automated direct mail marketing API can help you avail of huge postal discounts on bulk mail. Plus, it can help you compile targeted mailing lists consisting of valid delivery addresses.

Read more about our address verification solutions here.

Design Your Items

Your artwork is the most significant feature of your campaign. You may choose to keep it minimalistic or go over the top to make it the most creative thing your prospect has ever seen. It all depends on your campaign goals and messaging type.

Here are examples of the best direct mail campaigns:

These items are unique, eye-catching, and creative. They send out the company’s marketing message upfront and encourage recipients to take action.

PostGrid can help you design such items using its HTML templates. That’s right; you don’t need to hire a designer and pay extra!

Printing and Delivery

Usually, you need to print your mail items by yourself or outsource the job to a printing company. But, with PostGrid, you need not worry about printing and mailing. It can help you automate everything from start to end.

Firstly, your items are printed through one of PostGrid’s printing partners, who are experts in their field. Then, they are enveloped and mailed via the postal services within two business days.

Measuring Campaign Performance

It becomes easier to track responses if you include features like QR codes, pURLs, and coupon codes in your items. We can help you add them to your design and track your campaign performance accurately.

No more dangling with estimates and guessing your campaign results! PostGrid allows you to access your campaign reports and insights through your dashboard.

Conclusion

In contrast to what some people think, direct mail is far from dead. It is data-driven, targeted, trackable, and effective. Moreover, you can use the services of a direct mail house to automate all your offline mailing activities.

PostGrid’s direct mail API offers several features to its customers, like:

• Zapier integration
• International address validation
• Item personalisation
• Complete data security
• Per-piece tracking, etc.

Request a demo now to know more about our automated direct mail services!

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The post Direct Mail Guide appeared first on PostGrid.

source https://www.postgrid.com.au/direct-mail/

source https://postgridaustralia.tumblr.com/post/677003570920505344

source https://oliverftempleton.tumblr.com/post/677004115418677248