Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Is Direct Mail Marketing Viable in the Face of Rising Postage Costs?


Late last year, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced that it will raise the price of postage on January 26, 2014. Minneapolis companies will need to consider the rate hike when planning their direct mail campaigns.


Postage Rates to Go Up

The USPS is calling the $.03 rate hike a surcharge and asserts that it is only temporary and set to expire in two years or less. Many services are affected by the surcharge, including First Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Special Services, and Package Services. This means that sending 5,000 direct mail pieces will cost companies about $150 more in 2014 than in 2013.

The USPS hopes the rate hike will help the Postal Service continue to recover from the recession in 2008. With the announced surcharge, the USPS expects to recoup the funds it lost within 24 months, which is why the increase is only temporary.

Direct Mail Marketing and Rising Postage Costs

With yet another rate hike starting at the end of the month, some companies may wonder if direct mail marketing will continue to be cost-effective in years to come. Before you throw in the towel on direct mail, however, consider the benefits direct mail continues to offer.

One of the greatest advantages direct mail has over other marketing mediums is measurability. Companies can track gross response rates, cost per lead, and conversion rates through direct mail, especially if they maintain good contact lists and use a contact relationship management system.

The Internet has made it easier than ever to track the effectiveness of direct mail campaigns. Companies can incorporate a few digital tools into their direct mail pieces to track response rates, including:

· QR codes printed on a postcard or flyer that direct recipients to your website

· unique URLs set up for each print marketing piece that let you know instantly if web traffic originated from a direct mail piece

· unique online offer codes that are only available through direct mail advertising

Though postage rates continue to climb, direct mail continues to be a viable, cost-effective way to advertise your business. To learn more about direct mail marketing and how the postage hike may affect your bottom line, contact Matreks Printing today at 952-746-4010.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Make the Most of 2014’s Marketing Dollars with Print and Online Marketing


Many Minnesota business owners welcome the New Year as an opportunity to get the most out of their marketing dollars. Some people believe they have to choose between print marketing and online marketing. However, integrating print and online marketing efforts can give business owners the most bang for their buck.

Integrate Your Print and Online Marketing

When used together, print marketing and online marketing can help you build better customer relationships and increase sales. Print marketing can direct recipients to a company’s website, while online marketing can encourage website visitors to request print marketing materials.

For example, print marketing can include a QR code that recipients can scan to direct them to a company’s 
website. A postcard advertising an in-store special offer or sale can encourage recipients to also shop online with a special code. Or, print materials could direct recipients to an online survey or the conversations happening on a company’s social media pages.

Likewise, online marketing can encourage website visitors to request print materials, such as a catalog, brochure, or other informational materials. Not only does this give businesses an opportunity to educate recipients about their services and products, it is an opportunity to add online visitors to their contact lists for future print campaigns.

Maintain a Good List

To effectively market to customers, businesses need to understand their customers’ needs and show them how a product or service may fill these needs. Business owners need to maintain their lists of contacts and include personal or demographic information so they can personalize marketing materials to recipients. The quality of your list can make or break your marketing campaign.

Depending on your industry, demographic information that may be helpful in a marketing campaign are age and gender of recipients, marital status, and whether or not your recipients have children. For businesses that cater to both residential and commercial clients, be sure to indicate whether a contact is a business or residential customer.

Are you ready to make the most of your marketing dollars this year? Learn more about how to get your print marketing campaign started. Contact Matreks Printing today at 952-746-4010.

Adam Johnston
CEO
Matreks Printing