Direct Mail

1. Direct Mail: Cerqa’s Guide to a Successful Campaign www.cerqa.com

2. Why use direct mail? • Targeted • Tangible • Flexible • Measurable Direct mail reaches out to new customers as well as builds brand loyalty with existing customers www.cerqa.com

3. STEP 1 Plan your campaignProcess Overview, planning your budget, establishing your brand, integrating Your direct mail with other marketing efforts www.cerqa.com

4. Process overview Print Process Send Quantity Size Stock Color Variable data • Folding • Match mailing • Stamping • Addressing • Labeling • Ink jet First-Class Presorted First-Class Standard/Bulk www.cerqa.com

5. Determine your budget: ask yourself… • What is the size of my mailer? • Am I creating my own mailing piece? • Do I need to do any sort of market testing? • Will I integrate my campaign with other marketing efforts? • Do I need to rent a mailing list? Renting a mailing list? Prices are based on number of leads, which categories you use, and how many times you plan on using the list www.cerqa.com

6. Establish your brand • What is your company about? • What qualities do you want customers and prospects to associate with your company? • What are you offering to your customers? • How do people already see your company? www.cerqa.com

7. Integrate mailing with other marketing efforts How? website landing pages email marketing social media pages video demonstrations blog whitepapers Why? • 62% of online campaigns see an increase in return on investment when integrated with offline marketing such as direct mail • 42% of direct mail recipients prefer to respond online • 78% of online consumers have provided a company with their mailing address to receive direct mail www.cerqa.com

8. STEP 2 Design YOUR MAILING PIECEdesign, message, personalization, cross media marketing, eco friendly www.cerqa.com

9. Design the perfect marketing piece You are what you send out: • What you send out needs to represent what your business stands for • When selling high price items, use higher quality print materials • When selling items in bulk, you may be able to save by using more cost effective printing materials Choosing a medium: Letter vs. Postcard Postcards are effective for most products because consumers have to look at your mailing piece in order to sort their mail. It gets in their hands 100% of the time. Letters are better for high price items and financial services. Create a good experience for the customer by using high quality marketing materials. www.cerqa.com

10. Creating the perfect message Direct mail is scanned, not read • Use language that is clear and to the point • Use headlines, subheadings, pictures, captions • Use limited time offers to create urgency • Keep offer simple • Call to action Tell the consumer what you want them to do, where you want them to do it, when you want them to do it and how you want them to do it. www.cerqa.com

11. Personalization matters “Current Resident” vs. [your name] Personalize through variable data printing: • Addresses • Message • Images • Offers • pURLs • QR codes Personalization increases response rates from 1-2% to 20-30% –Direct Marketing Association www.cerqa.com

12. Cross Media Marketing Combine your email, print, and web marketing in a single campaign • Send email soon after mail out as a follow up • Drive customers to pURLs to gather more information • Direct customers to social media sites to promote offers and join mailing lists • Use QR codes to make integration effortless for the consumer Tip: Create consistency and build brand loyalty by keeping the look and feel the same throughout all marketing efforts www.cerqa.com

13. Be green with your direct mail Lean out your lists Use recycled paper Use soy based inks whenever possible • Show your environmentally friendly by: • Including logos showing your environmentally responsible • Asking consumers to recycle your mailing • Adding the percentage of post-consumer content contained in the mailer Cerqa’s Commitment: FSC Certified Eco Friendly Inks Computer to Plate Technology Waste Removal Systems Aluminum Plate Recycling ISO 14001 Certified www.cerqa.com

14. STEP 3 Prepare YOUR MAILING LISTWHO TO TARGET and HOW TO TARGET THEM www.cerqa.com

15. Before acquiring a list, know your customers and target them • The demographics • The type of products they are buying • Their income levels • Where they live • How they pay for their products • What they value — thrift, status, convenience, luxury Response rates are much higher when consumers are already familiar with your company. Figure out who knows you and how to target them: www.cerqa.com

16. Acquiring a list Categories of Mailing List Purchases • Consumer ListsFind your best prospects from more than 135 million consumer households using the widest selection of demographic, purchase behavior and lifestyle filters. • Business ListsIdentify the true decision makers from over 14 million businesses who need your product or service using the most extensive selection criteria including company size, business type and executive title. • New Movers ListsFind new movers, including new renters, in any area that are ready to buy from your company. More than 300,000 leads are added each week. • New Homeowners ListsFind new homeowners in any area that are ready to buy from your company. More than 100,000 leads are added each week. • Specialty ListsFind more targeted consumers, professionals or industries with greater precision and selectivity than traditional compiled databases. Some examples of specialty filers include Expectant Mothers, Newlyweds, Voters, Fortune 1000 Companies and New Businesses. Already have a list? Upload it into Cerqa’s system and we will CASS Certify and Dedupe your list in order to save you money on postage and undeliverable mail. All of our leads are privacy-compliant and current with USPS Move Update standards. www.cerqa.com

17. STEP 4 Send it tracking results, post office guidelines, mistakes to avoid, ways to save money, cerqa’s complete solution www.cerqa.com

18. Ways to Track Results • Customer codes • Coupons being used • Business reply cards (BRCs) • Trackable phone numbers • URLs Who visited, how many times did they visit, who converted • Emails Which links were clicked, who clicked, who forwarded www.cerqa.com

19. Post Office guidelines First-Class Mail® It’s quicker than most other large mailing options, and comes with an advantage: Mail sent with bad addresses is returned to you so you can update your database. Presorted First-Class Mail This option offers you a price savings over First-Class Mail. To receive the discount, you must have 500 or more pieces in the mailing and sort (or group) the mail by ZIP Code.™ Standard Mail® Formerly known as “bulk” mail, Standard Mail costs less than First-Class Mail, although it doesn’t provide address correction services. A minimum of 200 pieces or 50 pounds of mail is required. Sorting This can be as simple as categorizing by ZIP Code or as advanced as by carrier route. The more you sort, the less postage you pay because you’re saving the Postal Service™ work. Annual mailing fees These apply to marketers mailing at discounted rates. Each postage category has its own fee, so if you mail both Presorted First-Class Mail and Standard Mail from the same post office, you must pay two annual fees. -Provided by Deliver Magazine www.cerqa.com

20. Mistakes to avoid • Not targeting your audience correctly • Using outdated and inaccurate mailing lists • Not presenting a compelling offer • Leaving out a call to action • Not having an engaging marketing piece • Not tracking your results • Not following up www.cerqa.com

21. Tips on saving money • Save on postage through: precanceled stamps, postage meters and indicias • Be conscious of postcard size vs. letter size vs. flat size • Have an accurate mailing list • Take advantage of what you are already paying for (when paying to mail an ounce, use the full ounce) www.cerqa.com

22. Cerqa provides a complete solution www.cerqa.com

23. Cerqa can provide a complete mailing fulfillment solution. Contact us today to learn more. sales@cerqa.com (512)439-1281