Going Postal: Not a Bad Idea

When's the last time you checked out your Postalcontaining yourinvoice might not elevate the price
Service's web site?per unit and will do double duty.
You might be surprized at the valuable business3. You can Send Unaddressed Bulk Mail
information you canfind. It's difficult to speak inUse economical, unaddressed bulk mail to deliver
specifics, given that readers of thisarticle areyour advertisingand marketing content directly to
international but each country's postal service hastargeted neighborhoods. You cantarget according
differentterminology, regulations and rules.to geography, demographics or lifestyle clusters.
However, a visit to AustraliaWhen you combine this with a Business Reply
Post, Canada Post and the US Postal Service webservice, you can buildyour own databases of
sites revealedsimilarities.customers who you can then target
Did you know the following?withpersonalized, addressed mail.
1. There are many ways to reduce your shippingPrices for unaddressed mail will vary, according to
costs.quantity, size,weight, etc.
As an old buddy of my mine says, you can get itAsk your Postal Service consultant if they can
good, cheap or fast.help you establish thebest geographic territory for
Pick any two. That's the rule of thumb foryour mailing. For example, Canada
shipping products.Post's Householder Counts and Maps feature
Typically, the larger the product and the fasterpinpoints the counts ofhouses, apartments, farms
you want it delivered,the more you will pay.and businesses throughout the country, alongwith
However, there are other considerations.letter carrier routes.
Thephysical dimensions of the product, the weight4. Business Reply Services Help you Build your
and even the densitycan impact on the cost ofown Databases
shipping. If you ship a lot of items, spendsomeThe reply is prepaid. Business Reply Mail allows
time with a postal service consultant to decideyour customers orpotential customers to
your most cost -effective method of packing andcommunicate with you at no cost tothemselves.
your best choice of shippingoptions.Most postal services allow business reply for
Your postal consultant can also offer securitycards orenvelopes. Use envelopes when
advice -- insuranceoptions and information aboutconfidentiality is a factor; cardswork best as
protective packaging materials thatsafeguard yourmagazine inserts or similar.
items.Pricing will be based on specifications.
2. You can save money with bulk mailings.Ask your postal consultant if they have a
You might qualify for a discount if you have atemplate to assist you indesigning your card or
high volume ofmaterial to be mailed and shipped.envelope, or check the web site for this typeof
For example, the US Postalservice.
Service allows discounts for Parcel Post mailings4. Your Postal Service Offers Tools to Small
of 50 items ormore, but you must first obtain aBusinesses
Mailing Permit and pay an annualmailing fee. MostThis will vary, depending on the country you live
postal services have similar options. You payin. However, lookfor databases, online ordering of
alower price if you meet minimum requirementsshipping and other materials,courier services, help
and because you dosome of the work -- likewith ecommerce web sites, package trackingand
presorting by postal code -- yourself.more. Australia Post offers inventory
Bulk mailing is available for envelopes, postcardsmanagement,telemarketing, warehousing and
and parcels.fulfillment services as well.
Tip: Include as much material as you can for theSpend some time on your Postal Service's web
price you're paying.site. You might bepleasantly surprized at what you
Adding some advertising material to an envelopefind.