info@completemail.com | 831-425-5556 REQUEST A QUOTE HOME MAILING SERVICES DIGITAL PRINTING TESTIMONIALS FAQS ABOUT CONTACT Blog 4 Direct Mail Printables to Grow Your Small Business Have you carried out a direct mail marketing campaign for your small business yet? If not and your business has been around for quite some time, it’s a great idea to expand your marketing practices to mailboxes. Direct mail might sound outdated or inconvenient, but it’s thriving even in the modern era of digital marketing. It actually makes you stand out from the competition because countless companies can market online to millions of people, but the channel to physical mailboxes is narrower. Custom mail services can put a variety of print materials in front of your audience with precision, so you know your materials are reaching people within your target audience. When working with custom or business mailing services, ask about the following printables and how they can integrate into your marketing strategy. 1. Event flyers Is your business holding an event you’ve only been advertising through online spaces? You can send out a simple flyer with all pertinent information to targeted neighborhoods, which is especially useful for nonprofit organizations and local businesses. Flyers come in many sizes but are commonly 8.5”x11” and either sent in envelopes or folded, sealed, and stamped. One of the largest benefits of flyers is that they run a lower cost when they’re printed in bulk and on economical paper material. READ MORE: 4 DIRECT MAIL PRINTABLES TO GROW YOUR SMALL BUSINESS Make Your Business Cards Memorable with These Design Tips Do you have a collection of business cards or cards lying about your home or business? Find a few of them and compare them with your own, viewing from the perspective of someone who doesn’t know your business or is looking for your services. What impression would they have? If your cards were designed and printed by custom mail services, your cards are likely to be high quality and designed to attract your audience. But if you’ve designed and printed your own cards, or used an online service without input from graphic design services, see below for the basics of making your business cards memorable. Print your cards on quality material People noticed two main features of your business cards: the material it’s printed on and the design. The material is most noticeable once they hold the card and feel its sturdiness—or weakness. If the material feels flimsy like construction paper, the card won’t seem professional, and neither will your business. Your card is a reflection of your business and brand, so the material should be sturdier. Cardstock and gloss cover are common choices for cards. They come in different thickness levels, but even the thinnest cards feel sturdy. The thickness of a card is expressed by points, which are equivalent to 0.001 inches. If you choose a custom mail service provider with a large selection of card materials, they can show you samples of various points, with a typical range of 11 to 30. Cards with 11-14 points are thin and lightweight, the ideal choice for handing out at trade shows or other events. Upwards of 30 points are heavy duty cards for making a long-lasting impression, and can withstand rough handling. The thicker the card, the higher the cost, so you’ll want to factor your marketing collateral budget into your plans. READ MORE: MAKE YOUR BUSINESS CARDS MEMORABLE WITH THESE DESIGN TIPS Ask These Questions Before Choosing a Custom Mail Services Provider Many small businesses and organizations use direct mail marketing companies to print their marketing collateral. Some also use graphic design services to create their collateral from scratch. If mail marketing is a new addition to your outreach campaigns, you’re in need of the right custom mail services provider to simplify the process and keep your schedule from getting convoluted. Ask potential providers the questions below to narrow your list down to the best fitting companies. READ MORE: ASK THESE QUESTIONS BEFORE CHOOSING A CUSTOM MAIL SERVICES PROVIDER Don't Sabotage Your Direct Mail Campaign with These 3 Mistakes There are three big mistakes organizations make when designing direct mail campaigns, which are caught when working with reputable custom mail services. However, you should also be aware of good practices—and bad practices. Before you embark on your next campaign, look through these three mistakes that can sabotage your marketing efforts: 1. No Call-to-Action (CTA) Every piece of direct mail needs a CTA. This is a singular action you’re telling your audience to do. It doesn’t have to be making a purchase or scheduling an appointment. It can be directing your audience to a newsletter subscription, visiting your website, participating in a holiday event your business is hosting, etc. Your mail should have exactly one CTA. If you skip out on it, you’ll have a harder time nurturing a prospective customer’s interest. If you have more than one CTA, you risk losing their attention. READ MORE: DON'T SABOTAGE YOUR DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGN WITH THESE 3 MISTAKES Developing an Effective Call-to-Action for Your Direct Mail You don’t know how much direct mail your audience receives. You can guess that on an average day, their mailboxes are sparsely filled with a few fliers and envelopes. Other days might see them packed with packages or letters and cards. However, you can’t always predict how much mail your audience will sort through before they see yours. Custom mail services are no stranger to maximizing the impact of direct mail. When designing flyers, postcards, and other types of mail, the best direct mail marketing companies focus on the call-to-action (CTA). READ MORE: DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE CALL-TO-ACTION FOR YOUR DIRECT MAIL How Direct Mail Services Can Boost Your Marketing Efforts Is your digital marketing campaign running out of steam? If you’re not getting the response you want from potential customers, you’re missing out on a bold opportunity provided by custom mail services. Instead of relying on a singular method of marketing, expand your borders with direct mail to reach audiences online and offline. Direct mail reaches new geo-locations and demographics By incorporating direct mail into your marketing, you can reach highly-specific audiences. A custom mail services provider can help you build a targeted mailing list to reach the appropriate demographics for your business. If your business only serves locally, this is extremely important as you don’t want to waste your budget on people unqualified for your services. READ MORE: HOW DIRECT MAIL SERVICES CAN BOOST YOUR MARKETING EFFORTS Ensure People Read Your Direct Mail with These Tips Is your direct mail campaign not getting the results you want? Whether your return on investment is low or your response rate is lukewarm, you can revamp your direct mail efforts in multiple ways. One is by working with an experienced custom mail services provider to improve your mailers and ads. Another is by improving your mail designs in the following ways: Grab attention by getting personal Direct mail is free from the cluttered territory of digital marketing, but your mail campaigns still face competition. How many times have you opened your mailbox to find a pile of mailers, bills, and print ads? Do you remember which mailers caught your attention? They might have been designed creatively, had vibrant graphic designs, or been personalized. Personalization is a simple way to put your direct mail ahead of the competition. Simple ways to personalize your mail include adding your recipient’s name, incorporating a handwritten element, and addressing the envelopes by hand. If you have the time, budget, or ability, you can write messages directly to the recipient. Nonprofit organizations often do this by thanking recipients for prior donations. READ MORE: ENSURE PEOPLE READ YOUR DIRECT MAIL WITH THESE TIPS Why Businesses aren't Abandoning Direct Mail Any Time Soon If your marketing strategy is primarily digital and has little to no focus on direct mail, you’re missing out. A multi-channel marketing strategy with custom mailing services can boost your outreach, but businesses that are familiar with direct mail campaigns know firsthand how the advantages go beyond that. Direct mail is tangible and memorable Direct mail is more personal because unlike digital mail, customers can physically interact with it. It’s a bit of a novelty in this increasingly digital age, especially for young adults who grew up online. It also has a longer lifespan than digital ads. Recipients might keep a mailer around if they suspect they’ll need the services later. Creative and bold designs can also make your mailer stand out, hook a customer’s curiosity, and stay in their minds longer than a standard digital ad. That’s not to say digital ads aren’t useful, but having multiple channels of marketing can expand your reach to people who glaze over digital ads or avoid spending time online. Additionally, direct mail is shareable. If your business serves college-aged adults, a single flyer could be seen by multiple roommates. 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