Posts Tagged usps

Save 2% off postage IF You Stand Out From the Crowd

A Unique Approach to Direct Mail save 2% off postage

This holiday season is a great time to save money and capture attention by reaching people where they are. With the United States Postal Service direct mail incentive program for 2019 you can save 2% off postage for the following categories of mail:

  • Tactile and Sensory (think textured stock, embossing, …)
  • Interactive Mail Pieces (think unique folds…)
  • Emerging and Advanced Technology (think QR codes, etc.)
    Personalized color transpromotional mail (paycheck stuffer / message with billing)
  • Informed Delivery (think combing direct mail and email messaging)

Promote special events, fundraisers, and special sales with eye-catching invitations, not to be missed coupons, colorful calendars and holiday greetings people want to display. You can stand out from the crowd and save 2% off postage.  This is a winning addition to your 2019 small business marketing.  If you can combine another discount such as design, printing, or mailing lists, with the 2% off postage and plus a high rate of response – bonus!
I like to think the USPS has developed this incentive for mail items to be more attractive. This makes receiving mail is a treat again. Imagine receiving a direct mail catalog or sales brochure that felt like leather or linen. Or opening a mailing with unique folds that unveil an elegant invitation or special customer coupon. Guaranteed you will spend more time with that mailing than all the plain white #10 envelopes in the pile.
Give us a call or email, before the promotion ends to save the 2% off postage.

A phone consult can cover:
  1. end result you desire
  2. best mail category to reach key targets
  3. how it will look and feel to get noticed

Did you know that Connection Group offers a discount for non-profit organizations? Depending on the project, quantity and frequency non-profit design discount range from 3% – 10%.
To be fair to for-profit businesses too – if you’re ready to step out of your marketing comfort zone and put out a memorable and impactful marketing promotion contact us today. We’ll apply our non-profit discount to your project. Mention this post and receive 3- 10% off design and still save 2% off postage.
USPS Every Door Direct mailing incentive can be another option for specific marketing goals – especially if you want to capture your own neighborhood.

Direct Mail

When it comes to direct mail, everything from your own competition to recipients’ busy schedules can work against you. We’ve gathered great advice on increasing the response to your direct mailer.

Know the specific objectives of your mailing. What measurable results are you seeking?
When scanning a direct mail letter, almost everyone will read a headline placed above the salutation, the first paragraph, the signature, the P.S., and any underlined, bold-faced or otherwise highlighted text. But don’t overdo it, or type effects lose their punch.
Photographs make a greater impact on recipients than drawings or art and increase their recall of your message.
Make sure your main message is on the cover of your brochure or on the outside of your envelope. The majority of recipients never make it past these points and will miss your main message if it’s buried inside.
Always put captions under photos. Captions have significantly higher readership than body copy.
Keep body text no smaller than 10 or 11 point, depending on your typeface and your audience’s vision and reading ability—it will increase readership.
Testimonials are invaluable. They make your offering more believable to new prospects. Solicit testimonials through your direct mail, if possible, for future mailings.
Make the benefits to the recipient very clear. Aside from the benefits of your product or service, perhaps you can offer a money-back guarantee, a toll-free support line, a price break, a free sample or trial, favorable payment terms or a perk for acting now.
Every element of your direct mailer, from envelope to response card, should restate your offer as well as your contact information.
Creating a sense of urgency increases response. Offer a special price or prize for a quick response, or make it clear why it’s important for the recipient to help your cause now. Indicate that only a limited number of offers are available.
A reply card will increase your response, as will an 800 response number.
The best direct mail pieces are all about the recipient, not about you. This is not the place to talk about your organization’s history or brag about your product. You’re trying to elicit a response, not educate.
Experienced direct marketers have a magic cadre of words that increase response. These include: free, you, proven, safe, now, half-price, last chance, limited time only, announcing, easy, discover, guarantee, money, results, power(ful), immediately, exclusive, love, and learn.
Give a deadline, but one that allows for delays in mailing.
Work with a list broker to procure the perfect address list for your mailing. Contact the Direct Marketing Association at 212/768-7277 for a broker in your area. Lists are generally rented in lots of 1,000 names. For consumer lists, the cost is between $50 and $200. Business lists are usually more expensive.
To keep your mailing list clean, run it through the National Change of Address (NCOA) file. Call 800/707-2576 or see www.ncoa-processing.com for more information. You can also contact a non-USPS provider such as clean.list.com (800/454-0223).
What is your competition doing? Get on their mailing lists so that you can monitor their offers.
Schedule your mailings so they don’t get buried in the deluge of mail created by Christmas, Mother’s Day, and other holidays. The summer vacation season can also be a slow response period.
Hand-written notes, stickers, and other “personal touches” encourage action by conveying immediacy.
Run side-by-side tests of different variables—two different price points or two different formats, for instance—to random addresses in your mailing list to discover which pulls better. Only test one variable at a time, though, or you won’t know exactly which variable made a difference. Drop the two tests at the same time, or else timing will be introduced as another variable.
Before any direct mail piece is sent out, be sure you are ready to handle orders, payments, complaints, whatever.
Engage your recipient. Use stickers, scratch-off patches, and other devices that require the reader to complete—and therefore, spend more time with—the mailer.
Keep the math simple. Don’t make the recipient figure out special percentages for shipping, for example.

If you would like to incorporate direct mailers into your marketing package, Connection Group can help you connect with your customers. Please call or e-mail us today to discuss your options and ideas!