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Using Priority Mail Envelopes For Mail Outs...Effective?

by Michael Franklin
16 replies
I would imagine that business owners get bombarded with a lot of marketing in their mailbox so have any of you found using priority mail envelopes instead of regular envelopes as a great way to improve overall response rates to your mailouts to new businesses?

Despite the higher cost, it might be worth it if you get significantly better response....Just wanted to hear if anyone has tested this....
#envelopes #mail #outseffective #priority
  • Profile picture of the author seobirk
    I think all the mail is opened by a secretary to be sure not to throw away a bill or something, however, with marketing something the content plays a key role. If it is a typical sheet of paper it goes probably straight to the bin.

    I have no idea what you are offering, but the easiest tricks for catching attention are including a dollar bill, using postcards or some other elements out of the ordinary. It has to stand out of the crowd.

    To give you a different perspective of things - for instance send a bunch of flowers and add a card with something "This is how I caught your attention, let me help you catch the attention of your target audience" or something alike. Just use your fantasy. And the response rate you get is something totally different.
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  • Profile picture of the author fourstepconsultant
    I think it works. I had a client who used to do it with success. If you read Ultimate Sales Letter, by Dan Kennedy, he has some good solutions. You can also pick up copywriting CD's on Ebay where he discusses it.

    If the marketing is measured, then it would work.

    Matt
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    • Profile picture of the author zmorris
      If you use overnight mailing they will get it first thing in the morning instead of with the rest of the mail. This can be very helpful sometimes.
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  • Profile picture of the author wgempire
    Yes the priority mail envelope will get more attention than a regular envelope and may not get immediately thrown in junk pile, but I have always heard the dollar bill method is the best and at the current priority mail rates would be a much more cost effective way to grab someones attention.

    I the march of dimes always sends a dime in their envelopes, you think anyone is going to throw that away, heck no free money, Got my attention everytime
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  • Profile picture of the author PaulFL
    I've found unique envelopes to be very effective. Anything that helps you stand out. If it's handwritten or a handwriting font and has a personal handwritten return address the open rate increases. Most dimensional mailers will improve open rates.

    I agree that the Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy is an excellent resource. Selling to VITO is another good book.

    I've done some very custom mailers - sent a mailing to veterinarians in a doggy bag and a mailing to insurance agents in a lunch bag, Fedex envelopes and others. They were more expensive but the return was excellent and worth the extra time and effort.

    Of course, the content (headline, body, offer, etc.) will determine your response once the letter gets opened.
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  • Profile picture of the author fourstepconsultant
    In some of our direct mail we used to do hand written with live stamps... We messed up the envelopes so they would get opened. Using pink envelopes that are card sized and spraying them with perfume works wonders as well. Especially to doctors... can you imagine the receptionist saying, "No way I'm opening this letter." as she passes it on. There are cheaper ways to get them to open stuff if you test it.

    As stated above, if you're copy sucks, then it won't matter if it is opened.
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  • Profile picture of the author MaxReferrals
    Guess the definition of whether it "works" is subjective.

    Most direct response folks will tell you anything greater than 2% open rate
    is big.

    I always laugh at that.

    2% open rate = 98% failure rate.
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    • Profile picture of the author RRG
      Originally Posted by MaxReferrals View Post

      Guess the definition of whether it "works" is subjective.

      Most direct response folks will tell you anything greater than 2% open rate
      is big.

      I always laugh at that.

      2% open rate = 98% failure rate.
      Not sure you have that quite right. An average *response* rate on cold, direct mail is 1-2%. There are techniques to increase this above the average: lumpy mail, personalization, etc.

      Not everyone who opens it will read it; not everyone who reads it will respond.
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    • Profile picture of the author Doran Peck
      Originally Posted by MaxReferrals View Post

      Guess the definition of whether it "works" is subjective.

      Most direct response folks will tell you anything greater than 2% open rate
      is big.

      I always laugh at that.

      2% open rate = 98% failure rate.

      2% open rate? I think you mean a 2% response rate....the two are completely different things.

      You might be getting a 77% open rate ..but only a 2% response rate...which means the offer and copy suck.

      In surveys I've done I've come to the belief that far more mail gets opened than we realize. When people only have less than a dozen things to look through...pretty much all of it gets looked at...the exceptions being the few really really obvious unwanted solicitations...and I say unwanted...you probably shouldnt have been on their mailing list anyway...oh well their bad.

      People make it a point to go to their mailbox..they do it eagerly...they do it like clockwork...and usually right when they get home.

      Why? ...because we all secretly believe we are going to get something good in the mail.
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      • Profile picture of the author Tim Brendel
        Priority Mail look-alike envelopes do work and have a higher than average open rate. I have found that brightly colored envelopes such and pink, blue, etc work fairly well also because of the curiosity factor.

        I heard of a creative mailer a couple of years ago that I never did test but wanted to soooooo bad. This is not my method, just one I came across and thought was cool.

        Basically, you buy a bunch of those paper vomit bags, like the ones in the back of an airplane seat. Inside you have a sales letter that says "Does Your _Blank_ Make You Want to Vomit?" (I.E. "Does you website make you want to vomit?" - If trying to sell websites). You then seal the vomit bag with a glue stick and mail it. These get a high open rate because of morbid curiosity.

        Anyway, just my two pennies.
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  • Profile picture of the author fourstepconsultant
    I agree with Doran, most of the marketing that is mailed out is trash! Nobody has a good offer! I'm working for an AC company who spends a fortune on marketing and doesn't track anything.

    If a company does a drop, they have to use unique numbers so they can split test. Different URL's so they can see the traffic. It has to be measured and the bottom line is the $$$ in the client bank account. Nothing else matters.
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  • Profile picture of the author MaxReferrals
    Yeah, correction: 2% response rate. Thx Doran,.
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    • Profile picture of the author Vagabond 007
      Originally Posted by MaxReferrals View Post

      Guess the definition of whether it "works" is subjective.

      Most direct response folks will tell you anything greater than 2% open rate
      is big.

      I always laugh at that.

      2% open rate = 98% failure rate.
      Originally Posted by MaxReferrals View Post

      Yeah, correction: 2% response rate. Thx Doran,.
      Your point?

      People have become rich because of a 2% response rate.
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  • Profile picture of the author fourstepconsultant
    They all have to work together...

    Has to be a good list, piece has to be opened, and the user prospect has to act. Marketing is never a one size fits all.

    The point of the thread was overnight pieces or priority mail pieces. If you're selling a $100K product to executives and you get a 1% conversion, it would still be worth it. It all depends on the margins and conversions. That is the key.

    Matt
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  • Profile picture of the author Bruce NewMedia
    USPS Priority Mail envelopes and small boxes definitely 'work'.

    I've used them many times, but it still comes down to the offer, and who you're sending them to....and obviously it's a much higher cost to absorb, initially.

    Business and personal mail is down every year lately. All things being equal, your business mail competes with less pieces now than in recent memory. But, the economics of using Priority, or for that matter even FedEx, depends on the fish you're going after....bigger fish make it more feasible.

    If your offer already has shown you it will pull, then doing it Priority, should up the numbers. Whether it would routinely pay to use it would need to be tested.
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    Bruce NewMedia
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  • Profile picture of the author vndnbrgj
    Not to be redundant but the offer does need to be good and enticing.

    The job of the packing is to get opened, the job of the copy is to get business.

    You can also use FedEx envelopes. You just go to FedEx and ask for some envelopes. They will give them to you in hopes you mail them with FedEx.
    Just take them to the post office and mail them. It will cost you around $1 to mail them but every one opens FedEx envelopes.

    If you want to get even cheaper, have someone you know hand deliver the FedEx envelopes. Just have them say, "I have a letter for Mr(s). XXX XXXXXX" Hand the letter off and leave to go deliver the next one.

    Takes a little more time, but saves on postage.
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