What Is A Self Mailer And How To Use It Effectively For Your Business?
Implementing a direct mail campaign for the first time for your business can be daunting. One of the safest approaches you can take is to use self-mailers for the first time. It enables you to minimize your risk factor and cost-effectively execute a campaign. But what is a self-mailer? And why is it better than traditional letters for your marketing campaigns?
What Is A Self-Mailer?
A self-mailer is a piece of direct mail that does not require an envelope to send it. Since this mailer doesn’t require an envelope, you can affix the appropriate postage and provide the address information directly on the mailer.
Businesses often prefer using a self-mailer instead of enveloped letters because they are extremely cost-effective. The postage for this type of mailer is relatively inexpensive, especially if you are pre-sorted bulk mail. Additionally, you can save money on envelopes.
It is no wonder that 25.2% of direct mail are self-mailers. Although there are different kinds of self-mailers in the market, most businesses use mailers made from a single piece of paper. It is essential to use paper or cardstock with high durability for your self-mailers to ensure they can survive the journey to their destination.
Some self-mailers are folded into panels to form bi-fold, tri-fold, Etc. You can use glue spots or adhesive tabs to keep them secure during their journey. Self-mailers can also come in small booklets and newsletters with a saddle stitch with multiple pages.
What Are The Different Types Of Self Mailers?
Direct mail comes in different sizes, shapes, and models. But you can categorize all the direct mailers you send (or most of them) into two categories. The first direct mail category includes the standard sales letters, which can consist of brochures, catalogues, Etc.
And as you would expect, the letters go inside an envelope on which you provide the necessary address information. The second direct mail category is self-mailers. Unlike standard letters, they do not require an envelope to send them.
A self-mailer can be anything from a postcard to a catalogue. As long as your business mailer does not require an envelope for mailing it, you can classify it under self-mailers. Some of the most desirable types of self-mailers that business organizations use include the following.
- Postcards
- Booklets
- Catalogues
Sheets of paper/cardstock with its edges folded and sealed.
Besides the self-mailers listed above, you may also come across other direct mailers. Some self-mailers come with wafer seals or glue. It provides minimal security or privacy to your business mailer, typically absent in most self-mailers.
Consider using a cardstock self-mailer for your business with a response card that the recipient can easily tear off. Besides that, you can use the tear-off card to add discount coupons redeemable at your physical store/office.
Also Read: Amaze Your Target Audience With Folded Postcard Mailers
What Are The Benefits Of Using A Self-Mailer For Your Business?
In the sections above, we mentioned some of the most significant benefits of using a self-mailer for your business. Here, we elaborate on these benefits or the effects they can have on your direct mail marketing campaigns. Here are some of the most significant benefits of using self-mailers for your business,
Let Your Creativity Free
One of the most appealing benefits of using a self-mailer for your business is that it offers the perfect opportunity to let your creativity free. Unlike enveloped mail, your self-mailers have nothing covering up the beautiful design you use for the mailer.
It allows you to use aesthetic and creative design ideas for your business self-mailer and quickly grab the recipient’s attention. Being able to directly display your promotional material without the inconvenience of an envelope gives self-mailers a significant advantage over standard letters.
More Money In Your Pocket
Another significant advantage of using a self-mailer for your business is that it is an effective money-saving alternative to enveloped mail. With self-mailers, you can cut through the expense of the envelopes and print multiple pieces for your marketing mailers. Additionally, you don’t need an extra pair of hands to put the mailer inside the envelope, saving you time and money on labour.
Some may assume you would have to use an envelope for your self-mailer to add an extra component. For instance, suppose you want to add a coupon to your direct mail. In that case, you can directly incorporate the same into your self-mailers. By using perforations in your single-piece mailer, you can let the recipient easily remove the coupon from the mailpiece.
The Ideal Match For Mass Marketing
The self-mailer could be your best choice for implementing mass marketing campaigns for your business. It helps you convey simple and short messages to your target audience in the most efficient way possible.
Self-mailers can create an instant visual impact on the audience, which is ideal for your mass marketing campaign. By doing so, a self-mailer enables you to deliver a clear marketing message to your audience. Moreover, self-mailers are suitable for reaching out to your existing customers and audiences who already know your brand.
Also Read: Best Direct Mail Marketing Companies
How To Send a Self-Mailer For Your Business?
You can send your business self mailers using two ways. One is to send the self-mailers by yourself, and the other is to send them using an automated direct mail system like PostGrid. Although both methods have advantages and disadvantages, a computerized solution like PostGrid is often the best choice, especially if your business wants to send bulk mail.
How To Send A Self-Mailer The Traditional Way?
Sending your business self-mailers on your own can be confusing for someone with zero experience in direct mail campaigns. Most marketers now depend on digital marketing solutions. They need to learn how to send a self-mailer for their business.
It is even more challenging if you want to pre-sort your mail and mail them in bulk. Assuming that you already have your mailers ready, you can start by choosing a marketing mail service offered by Canada Post. There are three ways of sending your marketing self-mailer to your target audience using Canada Post, and they are:
- Personalized Mail
- Postal Code Targeting
- Neighbourhood Mail
Canada Post even provides you with a process map for sending your marketing mail, including self-mailers for your business, and it looks like this.
Determine the ideal mailing type → Determine your audience → Choose your budget → Design your mailer → Prepare your self-mailer for deposit → Create an order → Deposit your mailers → Make the payment.
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How To Send A Self-Mailer With PostGrid’s Direct Mail Automation Tool?
PostGrid’s direct mail automation tool makes sending your business self-mailer significantly easier. You can use PostGrid’s web interface or connect its direct mail API with your website, including your CRM solution.
All you have to do is sign up on PostGrid’s website, and you can immediately access its dashboard. PostGrid’s dashboard provides all the capabilities you need to meet your direct mail needs. You can send bulk mail using a CSV file and a desirable mail template for your self-mailers.
Besides that, you can also access PostGrid’s free template gallery to create your self-mailer postcard and send it to your target audience. By connecting PostGrid’s direct mail API with your CRM, you can even personalize your mailers effortlessly. As a result, sending you marketing mailers is no longer a time-consuming task.
Schedule a free demo to try out PostGrid’s direct mail automation for sending your self-mailers and see how it can help your business’s marketing efforts.
Also Read: Canada Post Hold Mail
