Standard Envelope Weight UK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

How to Select the Standard Envelope Weight for Affordable and Quick Shipping?

Typically, the standard envelope weight is 6.75 g, but are other options available? We know businesses widely use paper envelopes to send transactional and correspondence mail. Hence, it is advisable to know your options—primarily the ones acceptable by Royal Mail!

It costs less to ship a mail item of the typical weight of a standard envelope and letter compared to oversized envelopes. Thus, knowing the correct specifications facilitates affordable and effective shipping!

Read on to know the Royal Mail-prescribed weight and size restrictions to bag the best postage rates for your business! 

How Much Do Envelopes Weigh?

The weight of a letter envelope is 6.75 g, but the postage depends on the final weight of your item. So, when you stuff a 4.5 g letter inside, the total weight becomes 11.25 g. 

The #10 envelope type weighing 6.75 g is the standard envelope weight that businesses and individuals use. It uses the 20# paper stock- which is the base weight! 

The base or substance weight describes the collective weight of all the fibres in a paper sheet. You can calculate it as 500 22” x 17” paper sheets. Therefore, a 20# envelope represents this total weight and not the #10 envelope weight, which is 6.75 g. 

Hence, you can select the weight of a standard envelope according to the

• Paper stock: 20#, 24#, 28#, etc., or 
• Envelope type or name: #10, DL envelopes, C5 envelopes, etc.

What Is the Royal Mail Standard Envelope Weight and Its Rates?

Royal Mail has categorised all mail items as letters, large letters, small parcels, medium parcels, and large parcels. All these segments have different specifications and postage rates. Below, we discuss standard envelope weight, size, and price range for letter mailers!  

Letters

There are no minimum weight and size limits by Royal Mail. But, your letter dimensions must not exceed 24 cm x 16.5 cm or 9.44” x 6.49”. Also, the thickness of these letters must be a maximum of 5 mm. And the maximum weight of a standard envelope letter should be 100 g. 

Businesses use this format and standard envelope weight to send personal letters, bills, postcards, greeting cards, etc. It is advisable to use envelopes up to the C5 type to avail of the Royal Mail letter rates and avoid paying unnecessary surcharges. Also, please note that the total weight of the envelope and its contents must not exceed 100 g because the Post Office weighs the final product to calculate the shipping price.  

Below are some popular types of weight of a letter envelopes you may use:

• DL envelopes: These envelopes measure 110 mm x 220 m and are lightweight. DL wallets have the 220 m side upwards, meaning you get a regular upper flap. Alternatively, DL pockets open from the side with the 220 m on the left or right side. This versatility makes DL an ideal weight of a letter envelope for mailing marketing and correspondence mail. 
• C7 envelopes: This weight of a standard envelope is less than DL because it only measures 81 mm x 114 mm. You can use these envelopes for sending thank you and appreciation notes to your customers or RSVP letters. 
• C6 envelopes: C6 envelopes measure 114 mm x 162 mm or 4.5” x 9.5”. They are 1/4th of an A4 size paper sheet, and their standard envelope weight is between 3 g to 7 g. Businesses use C6 envelopes for shipping invites, postcards, receipts, etc. 
• C5 envelopes: These envelopes also fall within the weight of a standard envelope and measure 162 mm x 229 mm. The large size gives you more space to fit in multiple papers and inserts. Also, you can send heavier postcards for marketing purposes, as long as the total weight is within 100 g.

What is the cost of sending a letter via Royal Mail?

You can send a letter of the standard envelope weight of up to 100 g through Royal Mail using several options, like- 1st Class, 2nd Class, Special Delivery Guaranteed, Signed For, etc. 

The weight of envelope for one stamp is also 100 g. It means- you can send all the envelope types discussed above using a single postage stamp worth 95p only. However, you must maintain the weight of their contents to avoid paying extra.

The 95p postage rate is for sending a standard envelope weight letter via 1st Class—the standard Royal Mail service to ship letters and parcels domestically! This option offers several features, like

• Next-day delivery to all addresses, including Saturdays. 
• Compensation cover of up to £20. 
• Same rates for all UK mailing destinations. 
• A signature on delivery is available with the Signed For 1st Class option. 

However, the 2nd Class rates to mail a letter of the standard envelope weight start at 66p. Unlike 1st Class Mail, this delivery service helps you send your items within two to three business days, including Saturdays. All the other features are the same as 1st Class, but it offers a more cost-efficient option for businesses who want to save on postage. 

There is an alternative for companies who want to save costs and increase mailing efficiency—using PostGrid’s direct mail API. Our automated mailing service for sending standard envelope-weight letters and other items helps all businesses to streamline their activities at all-inclusive rates. 

Large Letters

The weight of a standard envelope for large letters must be between 101 g to 750 g. Their maximum dimensions must be 35.3 cm x 25 cm with a thickness not exceeding 2.5 cm. 

The large letter sizes are apt for mailing certificates, magazines, A4 documents, broad greeting cards, cased DVDs and CDs, etc. Also, you can ship your large-sized postcards and marketing flyers without folding them to fit in the smaller weight of a letter envelope and risk damage.

You can use a C4 standard envelope weight and type to send large letters via Royal Mail. C4 envelopes measure 229 mm x 324 mm! And they provide an ideal option to businesses for sending large-sized documents and marketing mail. 

It is a commonly-used envelope type and doesn’t cost a lot. Moreover, you get several custom options for the texture, colour, finish, etc. 

What is the postage to ship large letters?

As said earlier, the weight limit for envelope with one stamp is 100 g only. Hence, large-sized letters may need more stamps to cover the postage. 

Here is the cost sheet to mail large-sized letters of the standard envelope weight up to 750 g via Royal Mail 1st Class and 2nd Class:

Maximum Weight	1st Class	2nd Class
100 g	£1.29	96p
250 g	£1.83	£1.53
500 g	£2.39	£1.99
750 g	£3.30	£2.70

You get the large-letter pricing if your letter is of the standard envelope weight for small letters (100 g)- but does not fall within the appropriate dimensions. Yet, the rates start at 96p only, so a few minor ups and downs do not matter much!

Please note: Royal Mail offers many other services to help you ship small and large letters. But, they might cost you more according to the features they offer! For instance, sending a small letter of the weight of a standard envelope via Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 AM costs at least £25.95. You can check more rates on the Royal Mail website for reference.

Standard Envelope Weight Estimates

This section is to help you determine the weight of your letters and parcels—helpful to calculate the accurate postage depending on the standard envelope weight and size.

Here are some examples:

• Greeting card or letter: 30 g
• CD or DVD in bubble packaging: 130 g
• Mobile phone in a bubble envelope: 180 g
• Gloss-covered magazine in a bubble envelope: 585 g
• DL envelope with four A4 paper sheets: 44 g
• A 400-page book in a bubble envelope: 310 g

Thus, you can estimate that sending a few pages or a postcard of the standard envelope weight may cost you only 95p- the cost to send a small letter via 1st Class. However, you may need to spend more to send a magazine or heavier book because they come under the category of large letters. 

You can take your envelope to the Post Office to weigh it before shipping to get an idea. But, if you want to ditch going through these steps and increase productivity, try PostGrid’s direct mail services. We let you select the weight of a letter envelope, size, direct mail type, mailing list, etc., on your screen, from the comfort of your home or office. And we get the rest done on your behalf at 75% lower costs!

More Details On How PostGrid Helps Businesses Print and Ship Mail Items Effectively

PostGrid’s direct mailing dashboard and API help companies from several industries automate their shipping tasks. Thus, they have more time to focus on other business operations instead of worrying about logistics!

Here’s how PostGrid serves the following industries and enables them to use the correct weight of a letter envelope and get positive results for their campaigns:

• Healthcare: Healthcare organisations can send medical documents safely and systematically using PostGrid. Some examples include statements, lab invoices, test reports, clinical notes, discharge summaries, etc. Providers don’t need to focus on the standard envelope weight and similar aspects. Instead, they can confirm patient identity, facilitate communication, and reduce expenses!
• Insurance: Insurance agencies can print and mail monthly statements, Explanation of Benefits (EOB), policy reinstatement letters, cancellation notices, etc. 
• Real estate: PostGrid helps real estate companies use the correct weight of a letter envelope and send documents, like yellow letters, privacy notices, form 1098, etc., efficiently!
• Financial services: Our services help financial institutions automate sending adverse action letters, bank statements, transaction records, collection letters, etc. They can select any standard envelope weight they want and draft a relevant mailing list- all under one roof!
• Retail and eCommerce: All retail and eCommerce businesses can pick the weight of a standard envelope to ship coupons, invoices, compliance documents, etc., using PostGrid. 

Hence, PostGrid’s direct mail automation solutions allow companies to drive sales and maintain effective correspondence simultaneously. Get on a call today or drop an email at sales@postgrid.co.uk to discuss your mailing needs and see how PostGrid can help!

Conclusion

Not surprisingly, businesses look for cost-effective solutions to ship letters and packages. Thankfully, Royal Mail has reasonable postage rates, depending on the size and weight of your envelopes and other items! However, you should learn how much does an envelope weight in-depth to get lower rates and ship effectively!

If you need assistance, PostGrid can help you at every stage of your mailing campaign. You can send any number of items you want—and whenever needed! Also, there are no hidden fees or long-term contract requirements.

Request a demo now to know how PostGrid allows you to use the standard envelope weight to send your documents and letters systematically!

Ready to Get Started?

Start transforming and automating your offline communications with PostGrid

SIGN UPREQUEST A DEMO

The post Standard Envelope Weight UK appeared first on PostGrid UK.

source https://www.postgrid.co.uk/standard-envelope-weight/

Direct Mail for Retail and eCommerce

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 Compelling Reasons or Benefits To Use Direct Mail For Retail and Ecommerce Businesses

Statista says more than two billion people used an online platform to purchase products and services in 2020. In addition, with just 5.9% of sales happening through stores, more businesses are adopting a hybrid or fully eCommerce approach. So, it is as good a time as any to talk about direct mail for eCommerce and retail industries.

In this article, we will talk about the scope of direct mail marketing for retail and eCommerce companies. It also discusses three compelling reasons or benefits of using direct mail for your retail and eCommerce business.

This article explains why your business organisation should use direct mail as a marketing and communication channel for your business.

What is Direct Mail For eCommerce and Retailers?

To start with the basics, direct mail for eCommerce and retailers is an offline marketing method. It involves sending printed marketing materials, such as:

• Postcards
• Brochures
• Catalogues
• Handwritten notes
• And more

One of the benefits of using direct mail marketing for retail businesses, including eCommerce, is that you can target existing and potential customers. If you are a seasoned marketer or familiar with different marketing channels, you would know that this is a relatively rare advantage.

As you know, direct mail marketing is not a new concept. Business organisations, especially brick-and-mortar stores, have used it for years. However, direct mail for eCommerce is a relatively new concept but not an unexpected one.

Over the years, the physical and digital worlds have become more and more integrated. The multi and omnichannel marketing approaches already involve eCommerce direct mail in their campaigns. 

And now, we even have things like the Metaverse closing the gap between the online and offline worlds. The digital and physical worlds can complement each other and boost sales via both channels. And direct mail for retailers and eCommerce plays a significant role in this.

3 Compelling Reasons For Using Direct Mail For eCommerce

Suppose you are still in the consideration stage for implementing direct mail for eCommerce. In that case, you are probably looking for a reason to take that leap. After all, bulk mailing is relatively expensive, especially if you are not using an automated solution like PostGrid.

We can list three compelling reasons why online brands with an online presence should use direct mail marketing.

#1 Direct Mail For eCommerce Make Your Stand Out

One of the best things about using direct mail for eCommerce is that it’s not a typical marketing approach. Today, even offline businesses rely on digital marketing. Hence, offline marketing, like direct mail, is a breath of fresh air.

With less competition using the direct mail channel and yours being an online business, your direct mail will stand out. You could also say that online media are overflowing with marketing messages and content that people automatically ignore. On the other hand, you have a better chance of getting a positive response from your eCommerce direct mail.

Direct mail has an incredible open rate of 90%, which is more than enough to give you a fighting chance. The email and text messages clutter the inbox and make it annoying even to open it. On the contrary, people like opening their physical mailbox, making eCommerce direct mail more successful.

#2 Direct Mail For eCommerce Helps You Build Trust and Loyalty

Building loyalty and trust among your customers should prioritise every business organisation, including your eCommerce company. We know that it is easier said than done. However, direct mail for eCommerce can help to make it a little easier for you.

Online businesses often fail to establish a personal connection with their customers. But something as small as a personalised postcard could be enough to break this barrier. With eCommerce direct mail like Postcards, you can emotionally impact your target audience. 

On top of that, seeing online brands on print media like direct or publications like the local newspaper raises your credibility. People tend to view (exclusive) online brands with unintentional scepticism. By using direct mail for eCommerce, you can make your brand look legit in the eyes of the customer.

#3 Direct Mail For eCommerce Helps You Boost Website Traffic

Few things bring joy to eCommerce businesses more than boosting their website traffic. Although many eCommerce brands tend not to notice it, eCommerce direct mail has significant scope in increasing website traffic.

The response rate for direct mail is almost 9x higher than most advertising channels. It alone is enough to make eCommerce direct mail an ideal choice for your re-engagement or retargeting campaigns. You can use direct mail to drive more traffic to your website using a QR code or a PURL.

The QR code or PURL could lead to an online sale or landing page. By using an advanced direct mail solution like PostGrid, you can personalise the mailer with relevant products on sale. You can raise the value of your eCommerce direct mail by adding a unique discount code.

3 Compelling Reasons For Using Direct Mail For Retailers

Not all retail businesses have an online presence. However, we strongly advise that such companies implement it as soon as possible. And sometimes, retailers have an online presence without eCommerce capability. In either case, direct mail for retailers is still an efficient marketing channel.

Then there are retailers with a physical and online presence who still choose to ignore direct mail as a marketing strategy. It is almost as if retailers forgot why they used to implement direct mail for retail for their organisation. But don’t worry, we are here to remind you of the same.

Here are three reasons or benefits of using direct mail for retailers:

#1 Direct Mail For Retailers Is Consistent

One undeniable thing about direct mail for retailers is that it is always consistent. The thing with digital marketing is that it often tries to achieve the desired results with a single touch point. With direct mail, things are a lot different.

Most retail stores send bulk mail regularly to their customers. You can schedule automatically run the mailing process if you have a working website and a reliable CRM solution. All you need for setting up scheduled direct mail marketing for retail is an advanced direct mail automation software like PostGrid.

Besides helping you to set up a scheduled mailing for your retail business, you can automate all your mailing processes. It means you can send everything, including direct mail for retailers to invoices using PostGrid’s automated system. You can also use PostGrid’s web interface to set up your bulk mailing.

#2 Direct Mail For Retailers Offer Can Sell Any Product

Direct mail is a marketing channel that can work equally well for all types of products. You can advertise high-risk products like firearms, prohibited on online platforms, including Google and Facebook. With direct mail for retailers, you have no such limitations. 

However, it would greatly help your business organisation if you could automate the whole process. Automation makes it significantly easier to mail different marketing materials, such as brochures, catalogues, postcards, etc. Hence, you can quickly diversify direct mail for retailers using tools like PostGrid.

#3 Direct Mail For Retailers Is Cost-Effective

We are not going to lie and tell you that direct mail marketing for retail is cheap. However, we can tell you that direct mail is highly cost-effective compared to other marketing channels. That’s not all. With an automated system like PostGrid, you can optimise your direct mail expenses.

For instance, automation eliminates any chance of manual error in your direct mail for retailers. It minimises the return rate of direct mail. As a result, companies can minimise the loss of resources, money, and time. You can further enhance your direct mail deliverability with PostGrid’s address verification API.

How To Successfully Implement Direct Mail Marketing For Retail And eCommerce Businesses?

Direct mail marketing for retail and eCommerce businesses indeed has high read and response rates. However, even that does not guarantee success for your direct mail campaigns. Three things can impact your direct mail marketing efforts and decide whether they will succeed or fail.

#1 Target Lists For Retail And eCommerce Direct Mail

You can never underestimate the value of targeted mailing lists for direct mail marketing for retail and eCommerce businesses. A quality target list can do more good for your campaign than hefty discount offers. 

Think of it this way, no matter how good an offer you give, you can’t close a sale if the audience is not interested in the product. PostGrid’s direct mail automation tool can help you with this part of direct mail marketing for retail and eCommerce businesses.

PostGrid’s direct mail API can integrate with almost all major CRM solutions, including:

• HubSpot 
• Salesforce
• Zoho
• Drip
• Marketo
• And more. 

As a result, you can create highly targeted mailing lists for your campaigns. And you can even verify the mailing list using PostGrid’s address verification tool to ensure maximum visibility.

#2 Personalisation

Personalisation is another crucial part you need to ensure the success of direct mail marketing for retail and eCommerce businesses. People don’t respond well to a generic postcard. The least you can do is address the customer by their name in your direct mail letter. 

Personalisation becomes significantly easier if you use an automated direct mail system like PostGrid connected to your CRM solution. It allows you to personalise everything from the customer name to the products you use to target specific customers. Hence, using a tool like PostGrid for direct mail marketing for retail eCommerce businesses is crucial.

#3 Direct Mail Automation

Of course, you can not even begin to implement direct mail marketing for retail and eCommerce businesses without automation. Can you imagine the work hours it can take just to put a direct mail letter inside its envelope for 10,000 audiences?

With an advanced tool like PostGrid, you can accomplish this with a click. As a result, you get more time to focus on the more essential aspects of your business while you leave the heavy lifting to PostGrid. Besides optimising direct mail marketing for retail and eCommerce businesses, PostGrid can help you optimise business communication.

Here is a list of things PostGrid can help you with your retail and eCommerce business.

• Processing tax forms.
• Ensuring communication compliances.
• Printing and mailing custom forms and statements.
• Printing and sending invoices and customer billing statements.
• Printing and mailing customer appreciation notes.

Conclusion

We can undoubtedly say that direct mail marketing for retail and eCommerce businesses is an effective marketing strategy. However, in most cases, companies give up too early, thinking it is too difficult to implement.

Although it is valid for a manual approach, things are different when you use an automation solution like PostGrid. Automation significantly enhances your retail and eCommerce direct mail capabilities, such as automated bulk mailing, personalized mailing, etc. Hence, it is always advisable to invest in an automated system like PostGrid for optimal results for your direct mail campaigns.

Ready to Get Started?

Start transforming and automating your offline communications with PostGrid

SIGN UPREQUEST A DEMO

The post Direct Mail for Retail and eCommerce appeared first on PostGrid UK.

source https://www.postgrid.co.uk/direct-mail-retail-ecommerce/

What is Web to Print

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What Is Web to Print, and How Can It Improve Your Printing Tasks?

You must have heard terms like ‘web to print or ‘remote publishing’ if you regularly print letters, branded items, and documents!

The average office worker uses 6,000 paper sheets yearly, which makes it evident that there is a high demand for printed items even today! Solutions like Web2Print help you create and order high-quality printed materials for your business at lower rates. 

But what is it, and how does it work?

This blog reveals the benefits of remote publishing services and how you can incorporate them into your workflows! 

Let us begin!

What is Web to Print?

Typically, web to print is a printing service that allows businesses to print marketing and transactional items over a web browser, including:

• Cheques. 
• Contracts or agreements. 
• Terms and conditions sheets. 
• Invoices. 
• Customer statements. 
• Bills and receipts. 
• Marketing postcards. 
• Flyers, brochures, and leaflets. 
• T-shirts, mugs, pens, other branded items, etc. 

Hence, Web2Print makes printing any item you want a breeze! It is similar to outsourcing your printing activities to a third party but is much more convenient and flexible.

Businesses began using web-to-print solutions as the eCommerce industry began to rise! They use such services to create consistency through their printing jobs by creating branded templates and keeping tabs on previous orders. 

This service is not only a company transferring files to a printing vendor via email. It allows businesses to connect with more customers across the country because they can print and ship marketing materials in the blink of an eye!

Also, Web2Print empowers companies to create and save their templates according to their branding style. Thus, they can maintain a consistent brand image throughout all correspondence and marketing channels. 

Hence, you do not need to send your files back and forth to the printer several times to make changes or confirm the final artwork. The web-to-print service lets you take control of your designing and printing activities. So you can get your items ready as you imagined them to be before printing! 

How Do Web-to-Print Services Work?

A web-to-print platform is like a custom-made, online shopping website having your company’s transactional, compliance, and promotional items. You can select what you want to print, create a template or use previous ones, and place an order. 

Any user from your company who has login credentials can access this platform and order business cards, brochures, booklets, letterhead, etc.

Typically, companies must upload the files in advance to make these items visible on the o Web2Print platform or browser. It also makes it possible to personalise and proof your printed materials instantly. For instance, web to print lets you add another contact number on your business cards or change the image in a marketing postcard in a few easy steps!

Thus, companies can produce or modify their marketing content without compromising quality. Also, it allows users to place orders with quick turnaround times because there aren’t any edits left, and the printer can start printing immediately!

Remember that Web2Print lets you re-order any material in any volume you need! Additionally, you can do so from the comfort of your home or office! 

What Are the Benefits of Using Web to Print?

A web-to-print solution provider like PostGrid assists you in your daily operations and helps you:

Maintain a Reputable Brand Image 

You can make your templates any way you like! For example, you can pick your old invoice format or create a new one for fresh branding. Either way, web to print lets you ensure that your printed materials represent your company values and improves brand recall. 

You can personalise every item using variable data printing. For example, imagine you want to send out 1,000 postcards to your existing customers in the city for your new store launch. You may print a personalised map from their doorsteps to your storefront to demonstrate how easy it is to reach you. Luckily, PostGrid’s Web2Print solutions let you add unlimited variables to fulfil your campaign objectives. 

Reduce Turnaround Times

You do not need to have several meetings with your printing vendor or get them to send you samples again and again. Using the web-to-print service, you already have every option available at your fingertips. You only need to create what you need online and give the printer a green signal!

Cut Spending on Perishables

PostGrid’s web-to-print API and platform allow you to print items on demand or in bulk! Hence, you can order materials on the go without stocking perishable inventory, like printing paper and ink cartridges. 

Moreover, you do not need to meet the minimum printing requirements because most Web2Print vendors, like PostGrid, club your orders with others. Thus, they can give you discounts even when you don’t need to print many items. 

Order From Any Part of the World

You could be in Hawaii but place an order for printing in Minnesota! It does not matter where you are because all you need to do is log into the browser, order, and pay!

You are not limited to one user or location, making web-to-print easier than ever! It is also helpful because all your sales representatives can order marketing and correspondence items for their clients whenever needed. And you can review the orders in one place and approve or reject them!

View Your Previous Orders and Saved Items

With a web-to-print platform, you can view your saved materials like a catalogue. The online ordering-style solution makes the process fun, transparent, cost-effective, and flexible!

You can access your dashboard and view your previous orders. Additionally, PostGrid lets you access campaign reports and analytics to know your marketing performance and how to improve in the future!

High Security

A reliable Web2Print company like PostGrid offers security and support to its clients. Our automated print and mail solutions are GDPR-compliant and follow all the safety protocols. Thus, you don’t have to worry about data privacy or confidentiality breach. 

Also, PostGrid’s web-to-print service has a 24 x 7 support team to help you set up the API or platform. The process takes only a few minutes, so you can start printing on the spot!

Downsides to Using Web2Print Solutions for Your Business

We have mentioned a few drawbacks below for you to decide whether using web-to-print services is worth it. Let us discuss them below:

Clash With Other Applications and Systems

Often, businesses use a CRM to handle customer correspondence and marketing activities. Thus, incorporating web to print creates confusion and manual errors between different platforms. 

As discussed above, you must upload your marketing materials on the Web2Print platform to view them whenever you need them and place orders. But what if you make a mistake and upload the items incorrectly? It can lead to paying for and printing the wrong products, causing a lot of waste. 

Complicated Functioning

It can take a while to get the hang of all the functions and features of your web-to-print platform. Thus, you may spend more time than you save learning how to use it—which can be a big drawback. 

Also, if you do not use it right, you cannot avail yourself of all the benefits and cost savings!

Luckily, PostGrid’s web-to-print automation services do not pose such challenges. You can integrate our API into your system and start printing materials directly from your CRM.

How to Use PostGrid’s Online Print and Mail Services?

Before you select a Web2Print platform, you must ask the vendor the following questions:

• What is your turnaround time? 
• Do you offer variable data printing?
• Do I need to sign a long-term contract?
• What are your per-piece rates? 

PostGrid’s web-to-print solutions help you print items in only two business days using variable data printing. Also, you don’t need to commit anything because we offer monthly and yearly plans you can select according to your preferences! And you can check our per-piece rates here. 

Here is how you can employ PostGrid for your print and mail tasks:

• Web-to-print API: You can integrate our API into popular platforms, like Hubspot, Salesforce, Zapier, etc. Thus, you can use PostGrid from within your existing system without significant changes. It is one of the easiest methods to use Web2Print without any drawbacks. 
• Automation software: Alternatively, you can install our web-to-print platform to print your materials from a separate system. You may upload your contacts, templates, etc., and it works the same way as the API. However, you get many options for creating templates, mailing lists, adding customisation, etc. 

Conclusion

Printing is one of the most crucial operations of a business! You need to print tons of things, from a quote for a client to marketing flyers for handing them out outside your store!

Thus, employing web-to-print services helps you streamline your printing activities under one roof! It saves you tons of money, resources, time, and effort—making it an excellent deal for your business. Also, the top-notch quality items help you impress your clients and create a professional brand reputation!

Click here to learn more about PostGrid web-to-print services and how you can get started affordably and effectively!

Ready to Get Started?

Start transforming and automating your offline communications with PostGrid

SIGN UPREQUEST A DEMO

The post What is Web to Print appeared first on PostGrid UK.

source https://www.postgrid.co.uk/web-to-print/

What is Offline Marketing

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REQUEST A DEMO

Top 14 Offline Marketing Channels to Help You Drive Sales

Can’t decide between online and offline marketing channels? Maybe, you don’t have to choose one! With advanced technology and numerous tools at your disposal, it is much easier to create any marketing campaign you need!

But, there is still a doubt! Is offline marketing helpful in today’s digital period?

Like Martin Lindstrom, the great Danish author once said: 

“Online marketing rarely can appeal to more than two senses – yet offline often (if utilised the right way) represents the option of multi-sensory appeals.”

And we couldn’t agree more!

Indeed, offline marketing gives customers a first-hand experience of a company’s products or services. 

What would you prefer more? Seeing a large-sized cut out outside the theatre for the upcoming Black Panther movie or a social media ad swimming amongst thousand others?

However, tighten your seat belts because we are about to discuss the 14 most commonly used offline marketing tools with their benefits. Let us get right to it!

What Is Offline Marketing?

Before we get to the buzz, let us clear our basics! An offline advertising channel helps businesses connect with their audience personally. It can be networking at a social event or buying a billboard to appeal to target customers!  

With the growing number of emails, online banners, social media posts, etc., people suffer from digital fatigue and want a break! Did you know that an average office worker gets nearly 90 emails daily? Also, 70% of all users who use an ad-blocker block up to 200 online ads! 

Using offline marketing strategies, you can make emotional bonds with your audience and convince them to give your brand a try! Also, the leads you generate offline are far more reliable than online responses. For instance, a person you exchanged cards with at a trade fair is more likely to close a deal with you than another person who enquired about a product many months back. 

How Does Offline Marketing Work?

Like every marketing campaign, your first step is to plan a layout and schedule. Consider why you want to launch a program and who is your intended audience. These details can help pave the way to a successful offline marketing campaign. 

Try to segment your audience according to your objectives for every campaign. For example, you can target your existing customers and the people in the neighbourhood if you want to promote your restaurant’s new menu. Thus, you can convert new customers and drive repeat business during the same offline marketing program!

Also, plan the timing for your campaign and location. Again, your target audience must dictate these factors. In our above example, you must execute a marketing plan a few days before your menu’s launch and in the vicinity of your restaurant. 

The following steps include drawing up a budget and creating artwork with a compelling copy. Settle these aspects in the first stage of your campaign, irrespective of the offline marketing channels you use. You can do everything in-house, but it is much better to employ automated direct mail services like PostGrid if you want to conduct traditional mailing. 

Once you plan everything, begin to assemble the pieces:

• Shop for offline marketing ad placement, for example, newspaper, signage, or TV ads. 
• Choose vendors that fit your requirements and budget. 
• Get your marketing materials ready, for example, a poster, branded gifts, etc. 
• To conduct a targeted campaign, provide the vendor with a segmented audience list. 
• Execute the program according to the decided schedule and wait for the results. 

The final stage is to track your campaign performance and draft insightful reports. If the results are excellent, you can work with the same offline marketing platforms again. Otherwise, experiment with other channels, artwork, and audiences, until you discover the ideal combination best for your business! 

What Are the Benefits of Offline Marketing Channels?

One of the primary features of offline marketing is that it is very subtle. Unlike online ads that are too much in the face, this advertising form helps companies make genuine connections. 

Most people do not notice that offline promotions are all around them! We see it every day, from a full-page ad in the local newspaper to a colourful poster taped outside a telephone booth.  

Here are some more reasons and benefits of using offline marketing strategies:

• Increase brand awareness: When people see ads from your company around themselves, it boosts your brand visibility. Therefore, they can remember your brand better and learn about your products and services quickly using offline marketing channels. For instance, if they need a new kitchen appliance, they are more likely to contact you when they step outside and see your billboard promoting similar products. 
• Reach customers when they want: Your offline marketing tools can help you reach customers in their comfort zone. Banner ads popping up when someone tries to look up something urgently can be annoying. But, opening the newspaper at a relaxing time and seeing your ad is more impactful because they see it coming and choose to read your message. 
• Test new markets: You can test new regional and national markets via offline marketing programs. Most channels are affordable, so there is enough scope to try new things and expand your customer base. 
• Bridging the gap between online and offline marketing strategies: Using offline marketing, you can get people to visit your website, follow you on social media, sign up for your newsletter, etc. Often, it is the first step towards a conversion. Try adding the proper links and codes to combine your advertising efforts and get higher conversion rates.

The Best Offline Marketing Strategies You Can Employ

Here is a list of the most effective offline distribution channels and how they can help you expand your outreach and increase sales:

Radio Advertisements

89% of the UK’s adult population hears the radio weekly for an average of 20.3 hours! Running radio ads on popular channels helps you connect with your customers when they have enough time and are willing to listen to your message. Hence, radio ads have a better impact and recall rate on the audience than online messages. 

However, you can only provide a few details using offline marketing on the radio, so ensure to redirect your prospects to another channel for more information. You can insert your website and phone number within the ad to let interested customers contact you. 

Television Advertisements

TV ads are among the most commonly-used offline marketing examples worldwide. They allow you to offer customers a visual aid about your products or services, allowing them to identify with your business!

Unlike radio ads, TV advertisements are a little expensive. Hence, you must balance the number of ads with other offline marketing platforms to make the most of your budget. 

Try creating a video that best captures your company’s vision and explains what you have to offer! Thus, customers get your message clearly within a minute or so before another ad plays on their screens. 

Businesses using TV advertising get a 69% hike in online conversions. Hence, it is worth making it an integral part of your offline marketing plans. 

Promotional items

Promotional materials help show your customers and prospects you care for them! Also, it makes them feel special and persuades them to complete your call-to-action (CTA). Sending promotional items for your offline marketing plans helps you grab your audience’s attention almost instantly. 

For example, USB drives, notepads, pen holders, mugs, etc., with your company name and logo, build brand recognition. They are also long-lasting offline marketing tools that stay in a household or office for several days. 

Another example is sending out holiday or birthday cards to your prospects. Add a unique coupon code with a small discount to motivate them to purchase from you immediately! 

If you want to connect with a high-ticket account, you may add a small gift, like a mini speaker, flash drive, calendar, etc. They help you create authenticity and creditworthiness. Also, people often use these offline marketing items, giving your brand more exposure. 

T-shirts are another offline advertising item we recommend businesses use under our corporate gifting solutions. You can give them out at events or send them as direct mail to surprise your clients and win them over. Again, remember to brand all your tools to make your company stand out from the crowd. 

Here is an example of how you can send eye-catching items to your customers:

Tomorrowland, a Belgium-based annual music dance festival, sends its tickets to registrants via postal mail. It packages these waistband tickets in an exclusively-designed treasure chest. 

Such appealing and extravagant offline marketing examples get people talking about you. 

In this example, every registrant who received the mailpiece turned into a brand ambassador for Tomorrowland and promoted the festival by posting pictures all over social media. 

Please note how Tomorrowland succeeded in driving online traffic via an offline marketing program. 

Event Marketing

Participating in events helps you fulfil many offline marketing goals simultaneously, like:

• Network with new clients. 
• Establish personal relationships. 
• Improve brand image and increase visibility. 
• Learn about your competitors. 
• Re-engage old customers and convince them to use your products or services again. 
• Share details regarding the offline marketing event on your website and social media accounts to gain publicity and drive online followers. 

Make an event calendar highlighting all the trade fairs in your city or nationally during the year. Ensure these exhibitions have a nationwide reach and match your industry.

You can advertise your participation using multiple online and offline marketing channels. For example, send invitation cards via direct mail and run social media ads letting people know about your activities. 

Additionally, you can run your offline marketing events, like a workshop, seminars, or conferences. They help you generate more news about your company and set you apart from your competition. Try inviting every customer you know and promoting your event widely to get enough attendees. 

Below is an example of one of Pepsi’s offline marketing events in the 1980s. It is one of the most unique and successful advertising programs you can benefit from knowing! 

PepsiCo conducted a blind taste test nationally to prove itself better than its competitor Coca-Cola. They designed a set-up on streets, wherein passersby could stop and taste the two sodas without knowing which one’s which! Also, they had to pick which one tasted better. 

Not surprisingly, customers selected Pepsi over Coca-Cola by a considerable amount. The result? Pepsi attracted thousands of new customers and had incredible publicity following this offline marketing public program!

Many famous brands, like Google, Facebook, etc., host several events to advertise their services and entice more customers!

You can start with a small offline marketing strategy, like hosting an invited participants-only conference for a panel discussion, industry talks, etc. The point is to do something that best suits your business and can help you drive conversions at your pace!

Billboards Advertising

Billboards are massive offline advertising materials to showcase your message to a broad audience. They are not as expensive as you think and help you appeal to a lot of people altogether!

Last year, UK’s out-of-home (OOH) offline marketing produced 901 million of revenue. And billboards make for about 66% of the total OOH promotional market.

However, please remember billboards only consist of a large-sized image and a one-liner message. You can also insert your brand name and logo, but that is the extent of it. Thus, add a short pURL, so interested prospects can visit your page and enquire further!  

Magazine Ads

Magazines are still in fashion, primarily in fields, like finance, healthcare, hospitality, travel, apparel, tech, etc. It is affordable, effective, and attention-grabbing, making it one of the best offline marketing ideas!

Always insert your magazine ad in a targeted and reputed magazine whose readership comprises your customer demographic. Hence, you can zero in on your intended customers and offer them in-depth details about your company. 

Newspaper Ads

Like magazines, newspapers are also among the top offline marketing examples in the print media segment. They are an excellent option for businesses who want to promote themselves for a long time at low prices! 

Most companies that employ newspaper ads as part of their offline marketing strategies focus on the older generation. For instance, if you sell fitness and health products to people above 50 years, newspaper ads can help you reach them directly. 

But, it is hard to track the performance of newspaper advertising because these printed items promote companies in several sectors. Hence, learning and segmenting the results to see if your brand is getting enough coverage can be complicated!

Business Cards

Investing in business cards is one of the most long-running offline marketing activities companies have! You can hand them out at business events and one-to-one client meetings or attach them to other promotional items. 

Use a unique layout that demonstrates your business values and out-of-the-box thinking! You can use business cards as valuable offline marketing tools, but they are also helpful for day-to-day correspondence. 

Ensure all employees in your firm have a personal business card with their names and details. You never know when they would need to share their contact information with prospective clients. 

Direct Mail Flyers and Postcards

Direct mail has a response rate of 9%, and nearly 96% of UK customers engage with these offline marketing items. You cannot leave out traditional mailing when you plan to launch an offline marketing campaign. It helps you get closer to your goals by pushing prospects to the bottom of the funnel in a short span! 

You have several options to launch direct mail advertising campaigns, like:

Postcards

Postcards are small and cost-efficient offline media examples you can use to communicate with prospects. They create a nostalgic effect, and people love collecting them. Hence, using postcards ensures you stay in a household for a long time because most recipients stick them to their refrigerators or pin them to their boards. 

Additionally, there are several postcard sizes available with thousands of custom options. Try PostGrid’s direct mail API to draft, print, and ship your postcards to develop a memorable offline marketing campaign. Our services can help you integrate direct mailing into your CRM, so you can launch a campaign any time you need!

Letters

Marketing letters are a professional way of persuading your target customers, primarily for B2B companies that focus on account-based offline marketing strategies. 

Google often sends out marketing letters promoting Google Adwords to businesses. It also includes an offer coupon to get more customers on board. It uses a one-page format with three to four paragraphs. But, its content is engaging and appealing to the prospective audience. 

Flyers

Using flyers for offline marketing allows you to depict more information than postcards. Hence, decide which direct mail types you want to use, depending on your messaging and marketing motives!

Flyers can have a single-fold, double-fold, etc., so you can fit in more words or images. They are colourful and interactive offline marketing tools, helping to communicate with customers and make a positive impression. 

Print custom QR codes and pURLs on the front side to guide people on what to do next and accelerate responses! PostGrid’s direct mail services can help you add these trackable features to your items and monitor campaigns online. 

Sponsorships

If you have an adequate budget, you can sponsor specific events as part of your offline marketing tactics. Sponsorships are ideal for talking to your existing and potential customers offline. 

Sponsoring events that interest your target market helps you inform prospects about your brand and its products and services. 

For example, Avis, a car rental business, sponsors many sporting events, like the Super Bowl and the Olympics. This offline marketing strategy helps this company generate leads throughout the year and increases sales!

But, enter into a legitimate contract with the event managers to include your details in all event merchandise and promotional materials. 

Press Releases

You don’t need an in-house PR team if you network enough with your local journalists to get favourable press coverage for your brand. Also, using press releases as offline marketing tools is affordable because you do not need to pay for every issue. 

You must prepare a newsworthy brand story and share your benefits engagingly. However, there is another thing you can do if you don’t want to rely on reporters from publishing houses entirely. You may print and mail press releases to your target audience with other offline marketing examples—via direct mail. 

It lets you narrow the readers for this offline marketing tool and draft whatever you want your audience to know. Such press releases are similar to company newsletters that talk about the latest industry news, your recent accomplishments, your product information, etc. 

Loyalty Programs

Creating a loyalty program for your long-term, loyal customers can help you get unlimited referrals. Some businesses develop an online loyalty program like Starbucks, wherein customers pay using an app and collect Stars which they can redeem for free food and drinks. 

However, you can use several offline marketing ideas for loyalty programs, like affiliate marketing. Ask your customers to refer to other people in exchange for redeemable points, gifts, etc. 

Advertise the incentives of your offline marketing program for customers using several channels to inform more people about it. The more customers join you, the more leads you can generate in your pipeline year-round. 

Vehicle Wraps

Companies have been using vehicle advertising for a long time! But it is hard to get people’s attention on busy streets these days. Yet, it doesn’t mean it is not an excellent offline marketing strategy to drive conversions! 

Design artwork with bright colours and enticing headlines that make people stop and look at your ad. Also, select large vehicles like buses to get maximum customers to notice them at least once during your offline marketing program. You should consider the bus’s route before you stick your ads on it to avoid missing out on profitable opportunities. 

For example, if your retail store is in West London, you don’t want to run offline marketing campaigns in the South. Thus, ensure to enquire about these factors beforehand to get maximum results!

In-Transit Advertising

The average time people travel to their workplace and back is 59 minutes daily. If you add this figure to know how much time they spend in transit monthly, you would agree that in-transit advertising is among the finest offline advertising examples!

You can put up attention-grabbing posters on different train stations and near subways. Some companies also book spaces inside the trains to advertise to commuters. 

Editor’s Note: Always track your performance using offline marketing analytics to improve upcoming campaigns. Most businesses use the dual mode of response and tracking mechanisms. 

For example, you can use custom QR codes to help people respond. Imagine you send offline marketing postcards to everyone who abandons their shopping carts on your website. In such cases, a QR code can redirect them to their accounts so they can quickly complete the transaction. 

Also, throw in a small discount with this offline marketing tool with a deadline to get people to take action immediately. 

Another advantage is you may track every custom QR code to its respondents to measure your campaign results. 

How Can PostGrid’s Direct Mail Solutions Improve Your Offline Marketing Campaigns?

PostGrid’s direct mail API allows you to avail yourself of all the offline marketing benefits discussed in this blog. Also, you can plan and execute a campaign within no time using PostGrid, making it an apt choice for you!

Here is a case study of one of our top-tier clients in London:

Our client is in the financial services industry and wanted to promote its services to at least 5,000 fresh prospects via offline marketing plans. We were thrilled to know they already had some ideas, like:

• Sending out letters listing their benefits and features
• Shipping informative report-type mailers, etc. 

We suggested they conduct A/B testing to try out different offline marketing campaigns and see what works best. One week in, we had already launched an extensive mailing campaign for three batches, consisting of marketing postcards, letters, and newsletters. 

We only sent each direct mail type to 200 recipients to test the mailers, and the results were impressive! Hence, we launched the bulk mailing campaign for the remaining 5,400 prospects and again got positive results.

The trick was compiling a segmented mailing list for the offline marketing program. Also, our templates helped the client design appealing and response-worthy mailers to represent their brand. 

The result? Over 1,500 responses and nearly 800 conversions! Now, the client conducts a bulk mail campaign every three months to increase publicity and re-engage customers.

Conclusion

It is not hard to conduct an offline marketing plan, despite its reputation of being daunting and expensive. Instead, it is one of the best approaches to advertising yourselves to your target audience. 

However, it is crucial to clip your online and offline media examples to survive the competition and get the best of both worlds. Also, it helps you spread out your budget evenly and gain maximum revenue!

PostGrid’s direct mail automation solutions can help you along the way by assisting you in conducting successful traditional mailing campaigns. We provide numerous features, like address verification, mailing list compilation, print customisation, finishing options, and per-piece tracking. You name it!

Sign up to know how PostGrid helps you launch effective offline marketing campaigns at low rates and guaranteed results!

Ready to Get Started?

Start transforming and automating your offline communications with PostGrid

SIGN UPREQUEST A DEMO

The post What is Offline Marketing appeared first on PostGrid UK.

source https://www.postgrid.co.uk/what-is-offline-marketing/