Easily avoidable direct mail mistakes
Once a business sets aside the time and necessary budget to begin a direct mail program, it’s likely the important factors have already been taken into consideration. Perhaps the list of recipients has been thoroughly researched and narrowed down to the most promising leads, and the quality web-to-print marketing materials are top-notch. But there may be several important details the business forgets, Sarah Procopio, CSO of a business intelligence and marketing firm, told the Denver Business Journal.
Direct mailers should always remember to tack “Or Current Resident” after prospective customers’ names in the address. Procopio added that if businesses forget these three little words, it could possibly mean 5 percent of the direct mail campaign goes undelivered - wasted materials and postage add up to an unnecessary cost.
Procopio also recommends businesses be wary of postal regulations and additional fees that may accumulate based on the letter size and even the font used for the customer’s address. If postal equipment can’t read the addresses or the size is non-standard, the business would have to pay additional fees per item.
However, the most important tip to remember is to keep messages and design clean. According to Presort.com, the direct mail design a business chooses to send will have a direct effect on customers’ feelings about the company.
Businesses that take steps to avoid error within direct mail programs should also take advantage of address verification software. Not only will the software guarantee all mail is sent to current addresses, it can also cut down on wasted budget and marketing efforts.