Starfish Marketing Group

Top 10 Direct Mail Production Tips

  1. Create a Reverse Schedule - Work backward from your mail date making sure to give your printer/lettershop ample lead-time. Printer/lettershop: 2 weeks from final art, complete data and a check for the postage. Approval: Ask as few people as possible and give them very little time to think about it. Creative: Take as much time as possible, give yourself time to think and involve your printer at this stage.
  2. Bid out the job to at least three printers/lettershops. You'll save a lot of money and learn value lessons.
  3. Use standard - not custom - sizes, it will save you time and money. But, just because the size is standard to a printer doesn't mean the Post office will approve - be sure the size, weight and manner of addressing conforms to postal regulations.
  4. Make sure all package components fit in your outside envelope - ask your lettershop for their "insertion tolerances." Also check that the reply device fits into the reply envelope and that the outgoing address is completely visible through the window.
  5. Include a return envelope in every mailing. Testing confirms Courtesy Envelopes are fine. Especially in this economy you needn't use more expensive postage paid envelopes.
  6. All photographs, graphic images and logos should be in digital form (computer files from a Mac or PC). For optimal transfer of graphic files to your printer, upload files to an FTP site. All images must be at least the size to be printed and in high resolution (300 dpi).
  7. Clean your donor file regularly. Running your file through an NCOA program will correct bad addresses and identify unmailable records.
  8. After selecting names to be mailed, spot check for accuracy. Make sure the names you specified are the names that were actually selected.
  9. Require proofs from your printer and data sign-offs from the lettershop and carefully check for quality and accuracy.
  10. Be sure the lettershop delivered the correct number of mail packages to the Post Office. Don't pay the bill unless you receive a 3602 Postal form from the lettershop.