| Is the United States Postal Service (USPS) a | | | | of content you believe is worth the price of |
| marketing innovator? As it turns out, the | | | | postage. The following types of content |
| kind folks in the blue shorts are in fact | | | | pieces will get your creative juices |
| making it easy for even the smallest business | | | | flowing.... pretty much write |
| to duke it out with their biggest competitors | | | | themselves....and are worth reading: |
| by using the USPS "mailing online (MOL)" | | | | |
| direct mail service - check it out at | | | | 1. Price & Product Postcards - Many of |
| | | | you may dream of being able to instantly |
| With MOL, you can escape the dreary part of | | | | contact your customers and tell them whenever |
| direct mail marketing - the printing, the | | | | you come out with a new product or price |
| stuffing, the stamps, etc. MOL users simply | | | | point. MOL makes that a snap. Simply write a |
| create a document, upload it to the MOL | | | | 5-7 word headline followed by a three- |
| website with their mailing list and credit | | | | sentence description ending with a phone |
| card information, and press "go". Within 48 | | | | number or web address for more information. |
| hours, the members of your mailing list are | | | | |
| receiving the marketing message in their | | | | 2. Personal Postcards - Remember your |
| postal mailboxes. | | | | customers birthday, anniversary, graduation |
| | | | or other significant occasion. Be sure and |
| Speed & Price | | | | include a brief description of some product |
| | | | you want to highlight...even just a web |
| The best two parts of the MOL service are the | | | | address. |
| speed and the price. Jobs uploaded early in | | | | |
| the business day can be printed and | | | | 3. Monthly or Quarterly Newsletter - Most of |
| postmarked the following day. The per piece | | | | you would look forward to writing a monthly |
| cost is not much more than the price of a | | | | newsletter with the same excitement as having |
| single stamp since even MOL jobs sent First | | | | a monthly root canal.....but the customer |
| Class get a "presorted" USPS discount. | | | | retention benefits and referral business make |
| | | | it a smart business decision. The easy way to |
| A 4.24 by 6 inch postcard can be printed and | | | | do a one or two page newsletter would be to |
| mailed First Class for just 24 cents. A one | | | | simply include one or more of the following: |
| and two-thirds page business letter or | | | | |
| brochure can be sent "envelope free" (the | | | | - Summarize price and product news...simply |
| last third is needed for the address) for | | | | repeat what you sent out (or should have sent |
| just 56 cents per piece. And the minimum | | | | out) on the postcards. |
| number of pieces you can send per job? One. | | | | |
| That's right, while other direct mail houses | | | | - Summarize industry headlines related to |
| turn away customers with minimums under | | | | your business...give your views, or if you |
| several thousand, the USPS takes all | | | | don't have a view simply reprint the views of |
| customers and gives them all equally great | | | | others (with proper attribution of course). |
| service. | | | | |
| | | | - Case Study...write up three paragraphs on a |
| Before MOL you had to create your master | | | | new or existing customer you helped solve a |
| document, drop it off at the printer, wait | | | | problem...or their experience with one of |
| until it was done to figure postage, apply | | | | your products. |
| postage and addresses, and drop it off at the | | | | |
| post office. This whole process could take | | | | - Top 10 List....any of you with any |
| you a whole month to finish. And if you're | | | | experience at all can write a years worth of |
| say mailing from the West Coast... it would | | | | top 10 lists in a day. How about the top 10 |
| be another week before East Coast recipients | | | | benefits of a particular product? How about |
| received their copy. With MOL your document | | | | the top 10 reasons to (insert topic)? Or how |
| is printed and dropped in the mail from | | | | about the top 10 mistakes made by (insert |
| several dozen USPS distribution points across | | | | topic)? |
| the country...so everyone gets their document | | | | |
| at the same time no matter where they live in | | | | Just Ask For Referrals! |
| the US. | | | | |
| | | | If you do nothing else, just send out a |
| As Easy As Typing An Email | | | | monthly postcard asking for referrals. The |
| | | | commitment to a monthly postcard does two |
| MOL users don't need to know anything more | | | | separately important things for you. It keeps |
| about document creation than how to type and | | | | your contact information in front of your |
| save a document on their hard drive. Novice | | | | customer and it reminds them on a monthly |
| computer users can use their PC "Notepad" | | | | basis that they have immediate access to a |
| utility and save the document as a text (TXT) | | | | friend in the "ABC" business. And of course |
| file. Most users will probably use Microsoft | | | | the number one reason you don't get referrals |
| Word and create a slightly more appealing | | | | is you don't ask for referrals. Well, if |
| document. You may already have access to | | | | you're too shy to ask in person or on the |
| documents through your company that have a | | | | phone, let the postcard do the talking! |
| more professional appearance. You could also | | | | |
| invest in a copy of Microsoft Publisher as it | | | | If you haven't attempted direct mail |
| provides many templates to choose from and | | | | marketing before because you thought it too |
| makes professional document creation a snap. | | | | costly, too time consuming, or too much |
| | | | work....think again. Things have changed in |
| Content Creation - Keep It Simple | | | | your favor. The time is right for you to give |
| | | | it a try. |
| The biggest challenge will be in generation | | | | |