7 Big Reasons You Should Be Mailing Postcards

Sampling of Paw Print postcards

Do you receive a lot of emails? Too many? I know I do. The average American receives 88 emails per day, with office workers seeing over 120. Even if an email is full of worthy content, it can be hard for it to stand out in a full inbox.

What about direct mail? Some days, my household doesn’t receive any. When I do find something in my mailbox, I certainly notice it, and I tend to remember it. Some of the most memorable pieces I receive are postcards.

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Direct mail works for Amazon too

White-Amazon-Logo

We’ve entered the biggest shopping season of the year, and online sales are more prevalent than ever. And who is King of that digital domain? Amazon.

Amazon has made its mark as an online storefront for everything you need, want, and can’t live without. Not just products, but services (free shipping and free grocery delivery!) and content (movies, music, e-books, and more) have all come to fall under the Amazon umbrella.

But, despite Amazon’s massive digital presence, sometimes they still need to turn to offline channels to get their message across. One of those channels is direct mail, like this letter Tom received with a special sign up offer for Amazon Music Unlimited.

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Which Type of Direct Mail Should You Send?

Young smiling businesswoman reading a direct mail letter at desk

There’s no denying it – direct mail is here to stay.

Direct mail outperforms email in several areas, including open rates, memorability, and reading preference. In our heightened digital era, handling a physical piece of mail can be a breath of fresh air.

However, “direct mail” is a broad category, that encompasses several different styles of mailings. Depending on your campaign goals and overall marketing objectives, one format may be more effective than another.

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Write Your Best Appeal Yet with These Tips

Consider your most recent fundraising appeal. How did it go? Did it hit the right note? Or did it not quite achieve what you hoped it would?

When it comes to appeal letters, small changes can make a big difference. Here are some helpful tips to consider before you sit down to write your next appeal.

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Direct Mail Tracking & ROI Success Indicators

Smiling woman removing mail from mailbox

Personal. Reliable. Trustworthy. Useful. These are all words that have recently been used to describe direct mail. Direct mail is a powerful marketing and fundraising tool. A key to its success lies in tracking response and measuring results. If you have no way of knowing what a recipient does once they receive your mailer, you can’t know the true value that mailer holds for your target audience. So, what do we measure? And how do we make mail trackable and measurable? The following measurements and tracking strategies can apply to for profit businesses and nonprofit organizations alike.

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Direct Mail Works: Enhance Your Fundraising Appeal

woman reading mail at deskOne of the biggest reasons people don’t give is from a feeling of futility—how can my contribution really make a difference?

To turn this feeling around, you must show a donor how important they as an individual are to your cause. A personal way to do so that continues to get results is direct mail. A direct mail piece that sends the right message, to the right recipient, at the right time, is a compelling and effective way to connect with your target audience.

But what makes a powerful mail piece?

Let’s look at a recent appeal mailing from Giffords PAC, an organization working to end gun violence founded by former Congresswoman and shooting survivor Gabby Giffords.

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Is Social Media Print’s New Best Friend?

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While print and social media may compete for your marketing dollars, they don’t have to compete for your customers. In fact, using them together can make your marketing more effective. Let’s look at five ways print and social media can work together.

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Envelope Creativity Boosts Response Rates

Entrepreneur opening a padded envelopeOne of the biggest hurdles of direct mail? Getting people to open the envelope.

Postcards and self-mailers have the advantage of standalone, eye catching content. The graphics are immediately visible, compelling the recipient to read on.

But for many mail pieces, an envelope is essential. Using an envelope doesn’t have to be limiting, however. In fact, today’s printing technology allows envelopes to be more personalized and attractive than ever before. Customization turns envelopes from basic commodities to effective direct marketing tools.

Why Direct Mail?

cartoon envelope with megaphone

In our digitally saturated world, direct mail stands out:

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5 Ways Direct Mail Enhances Digital Fundraising

Emails with young woman holding a tablet

Are your fundraising campaigns multi-channel yet?

Digital developments are changing the way many non-profits fundraise. If you aren’t making use of digital channels to reach your donors, you risk falling behind.

While digital is vital to success, the most effective fundraising campaigns make use of direct mail and digital resources to create a cohesive donor experience, increase gifts, and be more impactful.

Here are 5 reasons to implement digital strategies into your next fundraising campaign:

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5 Considerations for Creating Standout Mail Pieces

Woman reading direct mail piece

When we think about great direct mail results, we tend to think about the list, the message, and the call to action. However, things like the size, shape, and texture of the piece play a key role, too. Let’s look at five considerations for creating standout mail pieces.

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