How to Create a Direct Mailing using Plastic Postcard Mailers

A good direct mail campaign has several steps to ensure success.  Plastic Postcard Mailers can generally cut back on the time it takes to produce various parts of regular mailings, are highly visible, and offer the best return on your investment.  If you are new to direct mail, it's a good idea to do a little research and most importantly, you need to have a clear goal in sight before you begin.

Here are steps to create a plastic card direct mailing on your own.

Step 1 - Based on your Goal – Choose your Direct Mailing Offer

It is very important that you keep your goal in mind when you are choosing your direct mail offering.  The offering is critical because it is responsible for up to 40% of the campaigns success.  The direct mail offering should encourage the recipient to take action, so be sure to create a sense of urgency. Some good ideas include a discount on the product, a fixed dollar amount discount on the order, a free service with purchase, or give away a pre-loaded Visa Card.  Make sure that your offer separates you from the competition – offer something unique or something people really want, and will, use.

Step 2 - Plastic Card Mailer Design

Plastic card mailers are the newest and best way to do a bulk mailing.  It eliminates the need for a letter and envelope and sometimes other printed pieces.  Innovative laminating processes and digital printing give you a plastic postcard mailer that can include gift cards, key tags and other shapes that are easily "snapped-out" of the postcard mailer.

Plastic card mailer printing options often include standard layouts, custom shapes and sizes, variable data printing, numbering, bar coding and magnetic stripes.  For instant online ordering options, www.My1Stop.com offers the most popular styles of plastic postcards;  3.5" x 8.4375" with one punch out card, 3.375" x 4.23" with 1 card and 2 key tags that punch out and a 4" x 5.5" with one punch out card. Custom dies can also be made for almost any size, shape and configuration of punch out cards.

The most compelling reasons to use a self mailing plastic postcard are:

• Snap-Out Gift/Reward/Membership Card Feature
• Approved by the US Postal Service for mailing (without an envelope).
• Eye-catching Photo Quality Printing
• 30 mil Plastic - Credit Card Thickness for Durability
• Individually Personalized in High Quality Full Color
• Ability to add Variable Data, like Customer Codes, Barcodes, Addresses, Names and more.

Design is everything when printing plastic postcards or promotional plastic mailers.  My1Stop.com has a team of award winning designers that are excellent at communicating visually using images to present your information.  Our design services team has the experience with direct mail campaigns and plastic postcard mailers that will ensure a design that will get results.  Put your brand, or offer, on the top quarter inch of the wallet card.  This is your opportunity to dominate top wallet placement, which offers more card exposure and be sure to focus on designing an attractive wallet card your prospects will want to carry.

Step 3 – Direct Mailing Lists

Create a mailing list from your own customer database or choose a direct mail list broker.  If you use a list broker, think about the type of client you're looking for to help select the right type of list.  Know the difference between the two major lists: compiled and response.  Compiled lists are the least expensive but can sometimes be the least effective.   With a compiled list, the list broker creates the lists based on demographic data and public information sources.   Response lists may include lists rented by other vendors in your segment, those who responded or subscribe to magazines representing an area of particular interest, or anyone who's responded to a similar offer.  Ask your agent or sales representative at the list company to help you make a selection if you aren't sure. They want you to be happy with your choice, and come back for more lists, so they have a vested interest in making sure your mailing is successful.

Always be sure to ask that your name and address be added to the file. This helps you track when the mailing arrives at your customers' homes, so you can begin assessing response rates.

Lists in electronic format are preferred since the data can be uploaded to the printer and printed directly onto the plastic postcard mailer.  Depending on the data, the list should be formatted correctly.  Use a trustworthy printer that offers the ability to review your file before your order to check the format of your data.

Step 4 – Decide How to Mail Your Plastic Postcard Mailer

Depending on your offer you should decide what type of postage to use on the plastic postcard mailer.  Most plastic postcard printers, like My1Stop.com will do the mailing for you using USPS approved Indicia, but you have to decide how quickly it needs to get to the customer.

• Standard Mail - Delivery time 3-14 Days– Standard delivery times of 9 days or less is most common, but not guaranteed.   Standard Mail rates range from .225 to .270 based upon saturation levels of your direct mail list.
• First Class Mail - Delivery time 1-4 Days -Rates range from .335 to .382 based upon saturation levels of mail list.  First Class mail is most often used when your direct mail offer has a specific expiration date.

How Long Should All of This Take?

Using a plastic postcard printer that is highly regarded in producing and designing plastic postcards will cut down the time it takes to design and produce your bulk mailing.  Generally, it can take up to 2 weeks or less from the start to the time the mailing reaches your customers doorstep.

• Graphics:  Standard graphics packages take about 1-3 business days to complete.
• Mailing Lists: Standard list data gathering time can take 1-3 business days depending on the direct mail list broker.
• Production:  Standard production time is approximately 7 business days with most plastic card mailer printers
• Mailing: Standard Mail - Delivery time 3-14 Days or First Class Mail - Delivery time 1-4 Days.

About the Author

Michael Del Chiaro is president of My1Stop.com, America's Online Printing Superstore, and has successfully started up four companies, handling executive operations of each business simultaneously.