How to Save Money on Direct Mail Campaign Costs: 6 Tips
There are six proven ways to save money on a direct mail campaign: reuse your templates, cleanse your data, segment and prioritise your list, buy print in bulk, take advantage of bulk postage rates, and keep your mailshot to a standard size and weight. Cost is one of the main reasons organisations don’t send as many direct mail campaigns as they used to – but with the right approach, every stage of a campaign has savings built in. Here is each tip in detail.
| Tip | How It Saves Money |
|---|---|
| 1. Reuse your templates | No new design fees for each campaign |
| 2. Cleanse your data | No postage wasted on deceased, duplicate or gone-away records |
| 3. Segment and prioritise | Smaller, better-targeted mailings outperform bigger wasteful ones |
| 4. Buy print in bulk | Saves up to 30% on print costs |
| 5. Use bulk postage rates | Pre-sorting, Mailmark and advertising rates all cut postage |
| 6. Watch size and shape | Standard formats and weights post cheapest |
Tip 1: Reuse Your Templates
Reusing templates from previous direct mail campaigns saves money because there’s no need to pay a graphic designer to create new artwork for every mailshot. A proven template with refreshed content costs a fraction of a ground-up redesign.
Tip 2: Cleanse Your Data
You can save on your direct mail campaign costs by thoroughly cleansing your data. Checking for deceased, duplicate and gone-away records and removing them means every printed, posted item can actually generate a response – which directly improves the ROI of your campaign.
Tip 3: Segment and Prioritise Your Data
Sending a direct mail campaign to the “right” people is far more effective. By not wasting money on people who don’t want your mailing, you can send a smaller number of mailshots and get better results. Segment your list – by gender and location, for example – and personalise the message with the recipient’s name so it lands as relevant to that audience.
Tip 4: Buy Print in Bulk
Buying print in bulk can save you up to 30% on print costs. Here at The Direct Mail Company we offer affordable printing services for all your mailing needs – we can print anything your direct mail campaign requires, from letterheads, invoices and envelopes to postcards, flyers, brochures and much more.
Tip 5: Take Advantage of Bulk Postage Rates
There are several ways to save on bulk postage rates for your campaign:
- Pre-sort the mail – Pre-sorting saves the carriers time fulfilling the order, and you benefit from a discount on your postage in return.
- Add Mailmark – This service uses barcode technology to save money on postage.
- Use advertising mail rates – If your campaign is for advertising purposes, you receive a lower postage rate than if you were sending business mail.
Tip 6: Take the Size and Shape of Your Mailshot Into Account
The size and shape of your mailshot really do matter. If you plan to send a piece that is an unusual size or shape, or one that exceeds the weight of a standard letter, you will usually pay more to mail the campaign – so designing within standard formats keeps postage at its cheapest.
Save Money on Your Campaigns With The Direct Mail Company
The Direct Mail Company is a professional mailing house aiming to provide 5-star service throughout your mailing. We provide a range of mail fulfilment services at an affordable price, with a fast turnaround, low costs and efficient fulfilment as our main aims. We continually invest in the latest technology and evolve our in-house mailing services to provide full campaign management, and using us as your mailing house means saving on every campaign through our bulk postage rates. We use leading delivery companies including Whistl, UKMail, Citipost and Royal Mail to deliver your campaigns on time. Call us today on 0333 038 3797 or contact us online with your enquiry – and see our tips for optimising your whole campaign and increasing your response rates for the performance side of the equation.
Saving Money on Direct Mail: Frequently Asked Questions
How can I reduce the cost of a direct mail campaign?
Reuse proven templates, cleanse your data, segment so you mail fewer better-targeted people, buy print in bulk for up to 30% savings, use bulk postage rates with pre-sorting and Mailmark, and keep your piece to a standard size and weight.
How much does bulk printing save?
Buying print in bulk can save up to 30% on print costs across letterheads, envelopes, postcards, flyers and brochures.
What is Mailmark?
A Royal Mail service using barcode technology on your mailing that qualifies it for cheaper postage rates.
Is advertising mail cheaper to post than business mail?
Yes – campaigns sent for advertising purposes qualify for a lower postage rate than business mail.
Does the size of my mailshot affect the price?
Yes. Unusual sizes and shapes, or pieces exceeding a standard letter’s weight, cost more to post – standard formats are always the cheapest.
Who can help me cut my campaign costs?
The Direct Mail Company combines bulk print, pre-sorted bulk postage and full campaign management. Call 0333 038 3797 or contact us online.
