Direct mail can be a very effective tool for your marketing campaign. However, the fulfilment and distribution process can seem especially difficult if you have little to no familiarity with offline channels. This process includes receiving, storing, and shipping mail for clients.
Direct mail fulfilment involves the processes required to get your marketing materials ready for distribution. Data cleansing, automatic folding, insertion, and collation are a few examples of these procedures. You may be guaranteed to get the best response rates, ROI, and of course, a smooth mailing procedure, with effective fulfilment.
Brochures, catalogues, letters, and magazines packaged in envelopes or polywrap, among other things, could be among the direct mail items to be fulfilled and distributed. To carry out the procedure, you require a great deal of skill. The target audience’s level of knowledge will depend on the strategy you use. This is why it is important to outsource your direct mail fulfilment and distribution to professionals.
Preparing for Mail Fulfilment
Before speaking with a fulfilment provider about the goals of your campaign, make sure your prospect data is accurate and up to date. By doing this, any possible expenses from targeting homes where your prospects no longer reside or even data duplication are avoided. If your data is current, your mail fulfilment provider can use flexible data processing to automatically add the recipient information to the campaign.
Consequently, it is important to also discuss the materials needed for the campaign’s design and the goals you hope to achieve. By doing this, you will give the fulfilment & distribution company the opportunity to guarantee that the specific materials you might need are available, and make arrangements to get them on time if they are not.
Stages of Direct Mail Fulfilment
Every direct mail campaign has a distinct or different objective. So, depending on the project and the unique requirements of each client the process could be different. Nevertheless, the fulfilment process typically consists of the following stages;
Collation
Collation takes place quickly in an automated procedure. It is when one or more inserts are put in an envelope. In the flash of an eye, several inserts can be added to the mailer. Even the simplest task, like manually stuffing inserts into envelopes, can take hours when it comes to mass mail. Any type of insert may be placed within the envelope. Your marketing approach, target market, etc. can all be taken into consideration when selecting an insert for your direct mail campaign. The most frequently used inserts are; sample items, vouchers, leaflets, promotional cards, letters, coupons etc.
Folding
This stage pertains to maximising the mailshot to fit in the smallest envelope feasible and employing folding machines to make folds in the appropriate areas for the direct mail set. This might also require many folding techniques, including accordion, roll fold, and slit and nest, to name just a few. Because it impacts the project’s total costs, this step is crucial. To achieve effective folding, the appropriate machine should be used.
Envelope Closing
The next stage after folding in direct mail fulfilment is sealing the envelope. As you might have guessed, not all direct mail falls under this stage. For instance, postcards can be sent without an envelope. Manually closing envelopes can be tedious and time-consuming. With machines, it can be done automatically, ensuring that the contents are well-enclosed and secured.
Polywrapping and Polyprocessing
If necessary, this stage may be included and is often required when mailing printed items like magazines, brochures, and catalogues. It is for those who need a solid enlosure. It can be used in place of delivering several envelopes, as the sections are more than sufficient to seal your mail securely.
Bundling and Packaging
At this stage, the mail is ready to be bundled and packed. To ensure that all mailing is included, this stage necessitates careful preparation and execution. This is something a professional mailing fulfilment company can handle with ease.
Collection
After bundling, packing, and packaging, the next stage in the direct mail fulfilment process is the collection by postal service providers for distribution. At Atlas Direct Mail, we have the best postal service discount solutions from Royal Mail, through to Downstream Access for the best ROI.
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