I recently saw a USPS Poster that grabbed my attention. The headline read: 17½ Cents Could Deliver A New Customer. It was a very effective and succinct way of saying that a bulk mail marketing campaign can work wonders if you know the ins and outs of the process.
While a majority of the service we provide our clients throughout the United States is in the area of printing, processing and mailing their invoices and statements, another significant portion of our business is helping businesses and organizations with their bulk mail marketing.
A carefully planned bulk mail campaign can develop your brand, increase sales, and initiate or enhance target market awareness – all at a cost effective rate as low as 17½ cents in postage. For example, non-profit organizations can use bulk mail to keep their contributors informed and reach out for funding and contributions without breaking their budget. At the same time, a political candidate can get his or her message heard without using large amounts of campaign contributions.
Here’s what you need to know to run a successful bulk mail campaign:
- Bulk mail is different from First Class Mail. Bulk mail and First Class mail vary in two major ways: postage cost and content. The lowest automation presort First Class postage rate is about 38 cents, whereas the lowest automation presort bulk mail postage rate is 17.5 cents. The lowest automation presort bulk mail postage rate for qualified non-profit organizations is 9.9 cents. In addition, bulk mail must contain only generic or static information. The only variable allowed is the recipient’s name and address. This is different than First Class mail, which can contain variable data and information.
- Bulk mail comes in a variety of formats. One of the reasons that bulk mail is such an effective marketing tool is that it can take a wide variety of forms: regular and jumbo-size postcards, flyers, newsletters, announcements, advertisements, promotional products, mail merge letters, and on and on. There’s a good chance that one of these formats will be optimal for your marketing needs.
- Target Marketing. Many businesses use Bulk Mail as a way of communicating with their existing clients; for example, sending out newsletters, announcements or reminders. But one of the best reasons to use bulk mail is to initiate or enhance targeted market awareness of your business and what you are selling. There are many good ‘list companies’ that will help you accomplish this. All you have to do is to create a list of criteria such as age, sex, income, and geographic area (or, for business-to-business marketing, criteria could include annual sales, number of employees, type of business, geographic area, etc.). The variables are almost endless. Just determine who you want to market your business to and send them some mail!
- Bulk mail requirements. In order to take advantage of the low postage rates, there are USPS rules that must be followed closely. For example, the size of the mail piece, how the mail is folded, how the mail is designed, and how the addresses are listed must all meet USPS requirements. In addition, you must mail at least two hundred pieces at a time to qualify.
Towne Mailer is familiar with every aspect of the bulk mail process, and we have all the equipment, software and knowledge to help you create, design, process and mail an effective bulk mail piece. Plus, we can help you acquire the best mailing list for your needs. Our clients benefit from the lowest possible postage rate and we charge you only for what we do for you. Quite often the postage savings more than offsets our fee.
If you are interested in learning more about our bulk mail services – and how you can improve your business through a strategic bulk mail campaign –call us today at 877.882.6245.
