Catalogs just look nice! A catalog tells your target market audience “We have something of value to share with you.” It is hard to throw away a well-designed catalog. Whether the receiver needs the items or not, they will flip through the pages and even save it for later.
Also interesting to note, Millennials, the group most thought to tune out traditional advertisements in favor of online digital ads, self-report that they prefer to receive information via traditional mailed catalogs versus e-mail.
According to a USPS study, catalogs are the most read type of direct mail, with 42 percent of recipients reading them. When is the last time you had a 42 percent open rate on a bulk email sent out? Not only are people reading catalogs, they are buying from them.
Customers respond strongly to physical catalogs. Paper catalogs distributed via the post office are still an important piece of the marketing puzzle and mailing paper catalogs from your business should be an important segment of your overall marketing strategy.
Whether you are mailing a letter size catalog or flat size catalog, let us show you the way to get the most out of your marketing dollars when it comes to direct mail. You will have more space to advertise without spending more in postage if you choose the letter size catalog, 6" x10.5" or smaller. A flat size can be as low as $0.187 each for postage if you use Every Door Direct Mail. You have so much to choose from without busting the bank. Let’s spend some time exploring all your options when mailing marketing catalogs.
There are a few different ways to mail catalogs:
• Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)
• Direct Mail
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is the most cost effective way to mail through the United States Post Office. You can send a flat size catalog (6.125"x10.5" up to 12"x15" and not more than 3.3 oz. and .75” thick) for $0.187 each. EDDM service lets you reach every home and every address. You simply pick the neighborhood you want to target, and a Postal Service carrier delivers your printed piece to every address while delivering the day’s mail. You don’t need to know the names or street addresses. This saves you the time and money of acquiring a list.
This is a great tool for those companies providing goods or services everyone needs, such as pizza restaurants, lawn care or the neighborhood coffee shop. You can hit as many or as few neighborhoods in a zip code you would like once you meet the 200-house minimum. Everything you need to know about mailing EDDMs is on the USPS.com website in easy to understand language, or you can look at our website, and place an order, and we can take care of everything for you.
Every Door Direct Mail-Retail Indicia Guidelines
• Every EDDM mailpiece must have an EDDM indicia with “ECRWSS” in the address area, within the permit indicia, or below the permit, like the example above.
• The EDDM Retail Indicia does not have a specific size requirement but must be larger than .5" x .5".
• The type font must be in all caps and at least a 4 point size.
• Place the indicia in the upper right hand corner of the mailpiece.
• It should fit in the area 1.625" from the right edge and 1.375" from top edge.
• Leave 1/8" of space around the top and right edge
Direct mail is still a very viable and cost effect way to market to your customers or potential customers. When mailing catalogs, you can choose a size such as 5.5"x8.5" that can mail under USPS Marketing Mail postage rate of $0.256 to $0.302. Your catalog can be up to ¼ inch thick and weigh up to 3.5 ounces, providing abundant space to convey your message. There is also the option of mailing an 8.5"x1l" size catalog with a refold down to 5.5"x8.5" to give you even more space but still taking advantage of the letter rate postage cost. For those of you that really like to make an impression, there is the 8.5"x11" catalog. This is the true statement piece to receive in the mailbox. When you receive an 8.5"x11" catalog printed on 100 lb. gloss text paper, you know this business means business!
Your postage is going to be a “flat” rate of $0.405 to $0.652 each for USPS Marketing Mail. If you would like to mail your catalog First Class, you are charged by the ounce. We can help you sort out all this information when you are ready to start your marketing campaign.
Mailing lists are a very important consideration when planning to mail a catalog. You want to use the most accurate, up to date mailing list you can find. If you are buying a list from a reputable data company, you can assure it will be “fresh” with well maintained addresses that are updated regularly. They have the capability to capture the most accurate data along with updating them with their varied sources to ensure the lists are relevant for your mailing. If you are using a manmade list of your customers, you need to pay special attention to the accuracy of the addresses and names.
You want to make sure the list is run through the post office CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System). This will identify any errors with the address. When you are mailing, any address with an error will be bumped to the highest postage rate. That is why you want to make sure your list is as error free as possible. Even a small error like missing a directional on a street will cause the address to fail CASS. An example of this would be an address such as 123 S. Main Street. This address will fail and be bumped to the highest postage rate if the “S” is missing. It is worth the time to go through the list and check it for any and all errors.
Another consideration when mailing your catalogs is the type of postage indicia you would like to use when presenting your mail to the post office. The most commonly used are US Marketing Mail and First Class. If your company or organization is Non-Profit, you can apply at the post office for permission to mail your jobs using Non-Profits status. This will save you a considerable amount of money. It is well worth the small amount of time and effort it takes to apply. Please go to your local post office and fill out the paperwork. They will be glad to help.
For those organizations that are not Non-Profit, you need to make the decision on what class you would like to use when mailing your catalogs. There are times when you are required by the post office to use First Class Mail, such as official bank or government forms. Other than that, time is the only real difference in the two classes most commonly used. When mailing First Class, the post office guidelines state 3-4 days in transit (however, they do not guarantee First Class) to reach the intended mailbox. When mailing US Marketing Mail, the time is harder to gauge. The post office guidelines state anywhere between 4-10 days to reach the mailbox. And again, they do not guarantee US Marketing Mail. If it is something that cannot wait, choose First Class.
When time is on your side, it is best to send US Marketing Mail, with a savings up to $0.15 apiece. It all depends on time and how much money you have in your marketing budget for your catalog.
You are making a large investment when you mail a catalog to your clients or perspective clients. You always want to make sure you have all the facts and prices up front. You do not want to be hit with any surprises when it comes to Mailing Day. The most important factor when mailing your catalog is TIME. When making a large monetary investment in your catalog, you do not want your timing to be off. One of the worst things that could happen is for your catalog to reach your audience AFTER the sale or event has ended. Always speak with your mailing specialist when planning your campaign. They know the business and will be able to answer all your questions and guide you when making the critical decisions.
What service or item do you want to share with people? A catalog is a wonderful way to communicate with your public. Let us help you. "