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Direct mail is often dismissed as an outdated marketing gimmick as more people opt for email marketing or social media advertising. However, despite this rise in new digital forms of advertising, direct mail is still one of the best ways to get a return on your investment. That said, it’s not cheap. Running a direct mail campaign costs more per message and requires an upfront investment when compared to online channels. So how can you reduce these costs and enjoy the returns? Here are some cost-saving ideas you can try.

Identify your target audience

This is the fastest way to cut back on costs. By identifying your target audience, you don’t waste postage and incur unnecessary costs for people who don’t need what you are offering. Rather you can save that money and focus your efforts on those who are interested. That said, you also need to increase your client base to consolidate your production. This means focusing on growing your mailing list by expanding it within your target audience.

Send standard, not first class

Save even more cash by opting for standard mail instead of first class. Standard postcard direct mail for instance takes anywhere between 7-10 days to arrive, while first-class only takes a day or 2 for local deliveries and 4 for national delivery. While a faster arrival time is alluring, it is also costly.

Work with a direct mail company

Direct mail companies are a great way to get bulk postage deals without going through the hassle of it all. Take, for instance, for a 4×6 postcard or any mail of the same size; you need to send it with first-class postage of $0.36 per piece; however, via a direct company, you can get the postage down to about $0.29, saving you $0.7 per postcard.

They can offer you such prices because they have permits from the USPS to help companies and NGOs cut costs on postage. Outsourcing your direct mailing to such firms saves you a lot in the long run, even with the additional costs of hiring them.

Clean up your mailing list

You need to update your mailing list often as most of the people you target keep moving around. Even one month can make a tremendous difference. Regular upkeep of your mailing list reduces the number of returned mail you get and the costs incurred.

Stick to the postal size regulations

Oversized or irregular-sized mail costs more to send. The postal service has 3 size limits: letter, postcard, and flat. These sizes also determine how much postage you pay, so if your post is oversized, you end up paying more. Make sure you double-check the postage dimensions before you print; this way, you don’t budget for letter rates and get charged flat rates.

Direct mail campaigns are a great way to connect to your audience, but planning a marketing campaign on the basis of savings rather than on the ROI (return on investment) is never a good idea. You would much rather try something else. However, by implementing these simple money-saving tips, you can run a successful direct mail campaign that will yield good returns.