When targeted correctly and designed well, direct mail can be the most responsive form of marketing communication and it need not be too expensive. Stuart Searle reveals how a mailing house can help keep the costs of direct mail to an absolute minimum.
Every business has the ability to carry out its mailing in-house, but as many arts organisations are only too well aware, the time and logistical effort required to do this can be a real challenge for all but the smallest of operations. This is one of the reasons why mailing companies are so popular but not the only one. Another function performed by a mailing company is to enable its clients to access the most cost-effective method of production and posting to fit their budgets. Real savings can be made by savvy marketing professionals working closely with their mailing companies to improve the cost effectiveness of their mailings.
Some of the measures that arts organisations need to take seem quite obvious these days (though that doesnt necessarily mean that everyone does take them!). The days of unsolicited bulk mailing are surely over, and data profiling enables focused mailshots to reach the right target audiences, maximising response rates. Once used, data needs continually monitoring and updating. Correct addresses and postcodes should be the minimum concern, and filtering out those on the Mailing Preference Service and Deceased registers should be par for the course.
Beyond this, there are other practical issues that can be taken to reduce postage costs. For example, size matters, and more and more people are realising that folding can save you money. Items less than 240mm x 165mm and under 100 grams are the cheapest to post. Bringing items into the letter rate for postage is the simplest cost reduction you can make.
Fulfilment is another area where savings can be made. Machinery works faster than people, so why not use it? A good mailing company will have facilities to insert envelopes and polythene wrap magazines automatically, and also to print if required. The cost benefits are clear and the time from printer into the mail system is reduced.
Perhaps less well known is the fact that Royal Mail is only one of a number of postal providers (known as mail consolidators) who are so keen to manage your organisations direct mail that they compete with each other to offer the cheapest service. One of the key roles of a mailing company is to find the cheapest postal provider for its clients, often saving them significant amounts of money, but with no reduction in service. Its a real win-win situation. Eastbourne Theatres, the Kings Lynn Corn Exchange and the Society of London Theatres are three of our clients who all benefit from lower mailing bills, because we shop around and manage the associated administration on their behalf. As the mailing company for ArtsProfessional magazine we are currently conducting a trial to compare the quality of service provided by Royal Mail, the normal service used, with that of another postal provider. This will provide you with a first-hand experience of how well different postal providers work. We look forward to bringing you news of how well they perform.
Stuart Searle is Managing Director of First Mailing, a fully functional mailing house offering printing, poly-wrapping and envelope enclosing facilities to the arts sector, councils, the Government, publishers and other commercial sectors. For more information, or for a mailing quotation, contact Mike Thwaites, Business Development or Leanne Carmedy, Office Manager.
t: 08456 349522;
w: http://www.firstmailing.co.uk;
e: sales@firstmailing.co.uk
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