Direct Mail Questions

[pbbaseball]

for the brc, the bulk mail unit of your local post office will send to the regional sort facility, and they will email you the brc....

for the barcodes on the envelope/postcard that you are sending, you'll need an address printer that will print intellligent mail barcodes... but you only get a 2cent discount for it, so you've got to push a lot of volume to make it worthwhile... i wouldn't recommend for just 1 agent

 

[grod]

Thank you for the clarification. I'm not sure where the break even in volume is, but right now I am planning on mailing between 3 and 4 thousand per month. I plan to alternate between FE and MS. Different mail houses claim a higher response rate for "combo" pieces. Have you had any experience with those?

 

[pbbaseball]

i don't do any combo MS/FE pieces. I have done checkboxes for life, health, home, auto, medicare, dental before, had pretty decent luck with it, but haven't dont it in a long time

 

[grod]

i don't do any combo MS/FE pieces. I have done checkboxes for life, health, home, auto, medicare, dental before, had pretty decent luck with it, but haven't dont it in a long time

What do you use for the address printer?

 

[pbbaseball]

i use a secap 5kle address printer.... old school, only works on a windows 2000 or earlier computer, so I've got an old windows 98 computer that i use with it

 

[todd02]

I just bought this inserter/folder/sealer for $100 at a furniture auction. I'm not sure if it works perfect but it powers on and looks in great condition. pitney bowes di800. Anyone have experience with this machine? Is it better to use a window envelope instead of using an address printer that y'all speak off? Also what is a "3" digit code vs 5? Not sure how bulk mail works. I'm excited to start mailing out my own p/c mailers.

 

[grod]

I'm not the expert on this as I am still in the planning stage for my initial mail drop. But my idea/plan is to print the address onto the brc and use the window envelope. As far as the zip code question, the usps website has information on that as it relates to bulk mail.

 

[GDIAgency]

Jimmy,

depends on how many mailers you are doing.. We have done it all ourselves, invested in the machines to do it fast and easy... as we have migrated to the web, we started doing smaller mailers, so it became easier and cheaper to out source it all...

But then the issue I always have it the privacy of my list.. .as you know the list becomes more valuable over time, with calls, and mailings, etc... so it isn't always about the cost to mail... it is also the fact that my lists are very valuable.... and who knows who gets them from a mail house.. I know I have been offered some of my competitors client lists from mail house employees....

So we do it all ourselves.... spend the coin on the equipment and hire a person that manages it...

 

[InsureTheWorld]

With the postage rate increase for Every Door Direct Mail (Retail) it now makes more sense NOT to do it yourself. It used to be 14.5 cents each postage, but now it is 16 cents each postage. Now it's basically the same price and less time consuming to order everything done for you like at everydoordirectmail.com

what are you guys doing so far this year? im trying to stick to my new years resolution to INCREASE sales!