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Direct Mail For Political Campaigning

Political consultants consider direct mail to be one of the most cost-effective ways to communicate targeted messages to swing voters. Imagine the possibilities: A letter from a senior group assuring likely voters over 60 that your measure is well-designed and cost-effective. A brochure about youth recreational opportunities to two-parent households. An endorsement card from a popular Democratic official to likely Democratic voters urging them to vote for your measure on election- day.  Whatever the strategy, use direct mail to send powerful, targeted messages to key voting groups. Types of Direct Mail There are several different types of direct mail to consider. Persuasion mail does just that – persuades targeted voters, through copy and images, to support your measure. These pieces communicate key messages and urge readers to vote for a measure. A letter from an elected official, a postcard highlighting endorsements, a full-color brochure filled with photos of threatened lands – all of this is persuasion mail. Persuasion mail is also used to increase absentee ballot voting among targeted groups. Typically, an absentee ballot application is combined with a persuasion piece and sent to likely supporters. Absentee ballots are a good way to lock in votes among likely supporting groups early. Educational mail, as opposed to persuasion mail, informs voters about a measure without asking them to vote “yes.” This can be an important way for public agencies and foundations to educate voters about a measure. Direct Mail Production Here are some things to consider when designing and implementing your direct mail program: Plan ahead. Map out your pieces – format and content, targeted universe, and production timing — in a direct mail plan early in your campaign. Get an accurate list of voters. Lists can be obtained from a list vendor – a private, for-profit company that maintains voter files. These “voter counts,” as they are called, provide voter turnout figures and the number of voters in various categories (seniors, Republicans, women, etc.). Concept, copy, and photos should be compelling. Use photos and language that convey the importance of protecting land, providing recreational opportunities, or limiting sprawl, depending on your campaign message. Don’t say too much: communicate important factual information without overloading the voter. Velocity Direct. Use a reputable printer & direct mail service (local trade associations are extremely helpful). Consider the value of using union printers and of printing the pieces on recycled paper with soy ink. Outline the scope of the print job: piece specifications, quantity, paper stock, number of colors, turnaround time. Outline the scope of the direct mail job: piece specifications, quantity, drop-date. Request written price quotes. Time your pieces carefully. When to drop your mail depends on your campaign strategy and mail budget. If you’re only doing a piece or two, drop as close to election- day as possible. If your direct mail plan includes numerous pieces to different target groups, spread these out over the course of weeks, or even months. Time these pieces to reflect current events whenever possible. Velocity Direct can help manage your campaign large or small. We have expertise in everything we’ve discussed today. We have vast resources to ensure our relationship takes YOU where you need to go. There’s a reason why Velocity Direct is # 1 when it comes to print & direct mail. Our goal is to help you win the race!  Velocity Direct LLC Source: tpl.org

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Direct Mail Printing – 10 Important Strategies

Posted by admin | Posted in Customer Service | Posted on 06-05-2009

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Direct mail is more than just a three-legged stool: list, offer and copy. To make it really stable, you need the fourth leg called production.

Direct Mail  production which encompasses both printing and mailing services is generally given little attention – sometimes with disastrous results.  Most of the focus is on pre-production efforts; so therefore the last steps are rushed and it is wrongly assumed that the final production will go through quickly and efficiently. Too little attention is paid to the smaller, lesser-known details of production.

According to the Direct Marketing Association, almost one-third of the in-home cost of a direct mail campaign is the actual production. And, depending on the format of your package, up to 80% of the production cost can be PRINT production.

While design, strategy, copy, artwork and lists are all no doubt important, it would be foolish to consider the actual physical production as a foregone conclusion. In fact, during my many years in dm production, one maxim stood out — the simplest direct mail campaign requires the greatest care!

Here are 10 important strategies you must follow in order to achieve success with direct mail:

Strategy #1: Use a direct mail designer who is experienced with direct mail production techniques. He or she will save you time and money. It will be the cheapest money you’ll ever spend.

Strategy #2: Use a printer who is experienced with direct mail production techniques. He will be a valuable partner by preventing minor issues from becoming major mistakes.

Strategy #3:  It is always advisable to provide artwork in its original design format to the printer. PDF-formatted art allows the printer to make only minimal design changes at his end. Adobe InDesign and Quark Xpress are the two most common design programs.

Strategy #4: An excellent way to avoid costly delays is to take advantage of the expertise of your production vendors prior to the actual production by having them sit in on design sessions.

Strategy #5:  Schedule the proper amount of time in your timetable for production. This will allow for the necessary quality control and buffer time to accommodate unexpected delays.

Strategy #6:  Select the most appropriate vendor for your job based on your needs and not just your budget. Building a solid relationship with the ideal vendor will ensure that your jobs will not turn into nightmares.

Strategy#7:  Be careful what paper stocks you plan to use for your direct mail campaign. They must be compatible for both the imaging equipment as well as the downstream insertion machines. The wrong stock can cause expensive delays and reprints.

Strategy #8:  Calculate ‘overs’ into your print order up front. It is a cheap insurance policy to allow for lettershop (mailshop) setup and spoilage as well as the occasional printer under-runs. Above all, refuse to work with any printers who specify an ‘industry policy of 5% over or under.’

Strategy #9:  Keep the number of versions of offset-printed stock or laser ’shells’ to a minimum. Increasing the number of versions raises the risk for error during production. Whenever possible, use variable data printing (VDP) or personalization to minimize the number of printed versions.

Strategy #10:  You can keep your imaging costs down by pre-printing (offset print) non-personalized areas of your letter. These areas include multiple pages and special techniques such as colored text, underlining, signatures and handwritten notes.

Conclusion:

Success in direct mail is not only dependent on the proper list, copy and offer but also on sound print production strategies. Since a significant part of a direct mail program cost can be print production, it is important that care be taken with even the simplest campaign.

Incorporate as many of these strategies as you can into your direct mail campaigns. The more you incorporate, the less problems you will encounter in getting your mailings successfully into the hands of your target audience.  We here at Velocity Direct would love the opportunity to earn your business.  Call us or drop us an e-mail and we would be happy to start working on a marketing project tailored to your business!  Velocity Direct LLC

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