“The most successful men work smart, not hard.” is a quote that people often throw around. If you think about it, we humans always try to live by this quote. Everything from the invention of the wheel to automated solutions came out of the same idea. Hence, it should be no surprise that this idea eventually influenced direct mail marketers, and the mailing house was born.

As individuals, we may often fail to “work smart,” but with business organizations, things are a lot different. They make a conscious effort to improve their work-smart-attitude. The evolution of mail houses is a perfect example of this.

Without this consistent effort, a business can't grow to its full potential. But what is a mailing house? And how can it help your business work smarter?

These are just a few questions off the top of your head now. Rest assured, we will answer those questions for you. We will do one better by explaining everything you need to know about mailing houses and how you can use them to your advantage.

You might think printing and mailing your marketing and communication material is easy, and you can do it yourself. However, without the help of a mailing house like PostGrid, things can go south pretty quickly. Preparing and mailing half a dozen business letters can take considerable time.

Imagine having to print 1000 or 10,000 letters every month. You can see why automating the direct mailing process for such business organizations is so important. In such cases, seeking the help of a main house is a necessity and not an option.

The human error rate for a straightforward data entry process can be as high as 4%. That means, for every 1000 mail you send, there could be 40 errors, and for every 10,000 mail, it is 400 errors. Right now, an automated mailing house should start to look like a good idea.

A manual process could lead to errors like choosing non-standard-sized envelopes or using the wrong address format. And the more mail you send, the more the chance of an error occurring in the direct mail process. Hence, if you have bulk mail requirements, it is best to use a mailing house for your direct mail.

On the other hand, if you are a small business and your direct mail needs are limited, you don't need automation. Before deciding whether to use an automated mailing house for your business, consider the per-piece rate.

Paying for automated direct mail software when you only send a dozen marketing mail weekly does not make sense. So, unless you have to send a considerable amount of direct mail periodically, you don't have to use a mailing house service. However, the advantages of automation remain whether you have bulk mail requirements.

 Also Read: Real Estate Prospecting Letters

A digital or automated mailing house is the traditional letter shop on steroids. They are faster, more efficient, and highly precise. It is the best way to ensure the optimal running of your direct mail campaigns. And unlike hard physical steroids, there is no side effect to automating your direct mail operations.

The only concern that you may have about digital mail house services is the cost. As you can guess, automated direct mail software does not come for free. Even if you use a web interface, you may still have to pay a fee for the service.

But before you worry too much about your direct mail expenses, let us point out one thing. Employing digital or automated mail house services does not have to be an expensive affair. Considering the deep discounts for bulk mailings from the USPS, you can see that automation is a cost-effective option.

Of course, this only applies if you qualify for bulk mail discounts in the first place. In other words, digital mail house services are not the ideal choice for direct mail unless you have bulk mail requirements. Then again, automation is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to advanced software solutions like PostGrid.

Simply put, using advanced automated solutions like PostGrid gives you access to its top-quality printers and direct mail expertise. PostGrid's experts ensure your business gets the best out of its automation capability. Here are some benefits of using a digital mailing house like PostGrid with advanced automation capability.

Quick And Easy Direct Mail Personalization

Perhaps, the best thing about a mail house like PostGrid is that it allows you to personalize your mailer with the click of a button. Yes, that's all it takes – the click of a button. How does PostGrid's direct mail automation software accomplish this? The answer is simple – CRM integration.

You can integrate PostGrid's direct mail API into your website, including your CRM solution. PostGrid can seamlessly integrate with all major CRM and other solutions, such as

• HubSpot
• Salesforce
• Zapier Direct Mail
• Active Campaign
• Zoho
• Microsoft
• PipeDrive
• InfusionSoft
• Marketo
• Drip
• QuickBooks

Our mail house services include helping you set up the automated system, and you get all the support you need. Of course, you can also access our detailed API docs to make the integration smoother.

Once the integration is complete, you can use a single letter template to draft direct mail, business letters, invoices, etc.., to your customers. The mailing house uses CRM data to personalize your printed marketing or communication materials.

Similarly, you can personalize your direct mail with relevant products based on the customer's previous orders. 80% of your target audience is more likely to purchase from your brand when you provide a personalized experience. Hence, a digital mail house like PostGrid can help you boost your conversion rate.

Significantly Boost Your ROI

Automation can help you boost your ROI. Unlike what many people think, the financial incentives of using automation far outweigh your investment. Of course, merely using the right mailing house for the job is not good enough. It would be best if you had a solid direct mail action plan to maximize your ROI.

Let's say that the response rate of your direct mail campaign remains the same even after automation. Even then, you may still see an increase in your ROI. How? Because using mail house services like PostGrid can send your mail for just 85 cents instead of the standard $1.20 fees.

Besides that, automation ensures there is practically zero chance of error in your mailing process. It means you can minimize your return mail. Additionally, using standardized addresses enables you to do faster and more accurate mail processing. All these aspects contribute to boosting your direct mail ROI, and you can access it all through a mailing house like PostGrid.

And if you want to go further, you can utilize PostGrid's address verification API. It lets you ensure the deliverability of your addresses. As a result, PostGrid's mail house services enable you to eliminate return mail and maximize your reach.

A digital mailing house and platform like PostGrid offers a variety of service classes to suit your direct mail needs and budget. For example, take the PostGrid Print & Mail integration pricing for HubSpot. It provides these types of direct mail automation services, such as:

• Starter (FREE)
• Business
• Enterprise

So, if you are still unsure whether PostGrid is the right fit for your business, you can start with our Starter pack. It is free of cost, and you get access to all the necessary features to automate your mailing process. And if you find that PostGrid delivers all the mail house services you need, you can upgrade to a higher plan.

More Efficient Direct Mail Operations

Another significant advantage of automated mail house services is ensuring more efficient direct mail operations. Of course, this is not something new because why would companies use the service if it wasn't efficient in the first place?

When direct mail marketing was at its peak, many printing organizations started offering mail houses. Similarly, some mail houses also started offering printing services. The reason is that a one-stop mailing house improves the mailing process by simplifying it.

However, with automation, the efficiency of your direct mail campaigns enters a whole new dimension. As we mentioned earlier, there is practically no scope for error when you use automated mail house services for your direct mail.

Besides that, you can also access several other services from the mailing house to enhance your marketing or communication efforts. Here are some of the related services you can access from mailing houses.

Access To Mailing Lists

Some mailing house services provide their clients with mailing lists that could help them boost their reach. However, you must check the mailing list's reliability because it won't be instrumental if the addresses are undeliverable.

The best way to ensure the quality of the mailing list you get from the mailing house is to verify mailing lists. For example, PostGrid's address verification solution can help you check your database against USPS's official address database. And all it takes is a CSV file via PostGrid's web interface.

Personalization

Personalization is a pretty standard feature in most digital mailing houses. What you need to consider here is the personalization level it allows. With an advanced digital mail house, you can address the audience by their name, use varying messages, and even use custom images.

Address Verification

Some advanced mail house services like PostGrid provide access to a CASS-certified address verification tool. It allows you to ensure the deliverability of your existing and future addresses. Although this is a separate service in most cases, it offers numerous features and advantages.

For instance, address verification tools like PostGrid have features that can improve your marketing campaigns, such as Geocoding. You can also use the Address Autocomplete feature to enhance your website's (and landing pages) user experience.

Scheduled And Triggered Mail

One of the main concerns for businesses when employing direct mail campaigns is time. Direct mail, or as they rightly used to call snail mail, is not the fastest communication channel, and everyone knows it. But things are very different with the help of a digital mailing house like PostGrid.

We are not saying that using mail house services will speed up the mailing services like the USPS. However, it does allow you to plan your direct mail operations better and execute them in a way that minimizes the time needed.

Digital mail house services like PostGrid give you access to features like scheduled mail delivery. The feature lets you schedule when you want to send your mail. Hence, you get the opportunity to time your mailer to reach the target audience at the right time.

For example, you can use a scheduling feature to send customized postcards to customers on their birthdays automatically. It is an effective strategy to show your customers that you care about them, build trust, and establish a relationship with them. You can do all that thanks to the mailing house service.

Another similar feature you can access with the help of mail house services is triggered mail. The triggered mail is the same as a triggered email. But here, instead of sending an email that no one reads, you get to send a personalized postcard or letter.

The triggering action could be anything from purchasing your product/service to subscribing to a newsletter. The digital and automated mailing house can automatically send postal mail to the target audience when they complete a triggering action.

For example, you could send a thank you card to the customer every time or the first time they make a purchase. It also saves time and effectively nurtures leads without lifting a single finger.

 Also Read: Real Estate Leads for New Agents

 Also Read: Direct Mail Personalization Is Critical Here's Why

Choosing the exemplary mailing house service for your business organization is difficult. Some mailing houses offer more features and capabilities than others, and no two are the same. As you can see, digital mailing houses like PostGrid can have several advanced capabilities.

Choosing between these advanced capabilities is difficult without knowing your unique direct mail requirements. However, you must consider some essential capabilities before choosing a mail house for your business.

#1 Real-Time USPS Address Verification

Technically, you can use a mailing house even without address verification. However, it is best to have this feature because quality data is essential in direct mail. After all, your direct mail depends on the quality of your address data.

Hence, the best way to streamline your direct mail campaigns is to ensure a real-time USPS address verification process. PosGrid's digital mail house services include an advanced address verification tool. It comes with advanced features, including Address Autocomplete and Geocoding.

#2 Optimized Pricing And Mail Delivery

You may have noticed that USPS changes its mailing prices now and then. It is essential to revise your mailing budget when this happens or optimize your marketing expenses by some other means. A reliable mailing house will help you optimize your direct mail expenses.

You can combine mailings to specific neighborhoods with the correct mail house to access USPS bulk mail discounts. Furthermore, the mailing house should ensure that the mail reaches a valid ZIP code. You can use PostGrid's address verification solution to access the complete ZIP+4 code for your mailers.

Providing the complete ZIP+4 code can speed up the mail process by USPS, significantly reducing the delivery time. With mail house services like PostGrid, you can also print standardized addresses on your mailers. As a result, USPS's machinery can quickly read and process your mailers without any delays.

#3 Advanced Mail Tracking And Analytics

Without tracking and analytics capabilities, no marketing effort can succeed to its full potential. Direct mail is no exception. Hence, you should invest in mail house services like PostGrid, which offers advanced direct mail tracking and analytics features.

Only with such tracking and analytics data can you calculate a tangible ROI for your direct mail marketing efforts. The tracking capability of your mailing house can help you determine the effectiveness of your campaign. It enables you to identify your campaign's shortcomings and make necessary changes.

#4 Top-Quality Customer Service

Another crucial aspect to look for in your mailing house is top-quality customer service. Of course, every direct mail company claims they have one of the best customer services but not all of them deliver. A simple way to identify reliable direct mail companies is to look at their certifications and security compliances.

Take PostGrid, for example. It comes with CASS certification, which means it can access USPS's official address database for address verification. On top of that, PostGrid mail house services adhere to all major security compliances like HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC2. These factors help you identify reputable organizations that you can trust.

#5 Working Relationship USPS

Another strong indicator of your mailing house's reliability is its working relationship with USPS. USPS is the biggest postal service provider in the US with the most extensive address database in the country. Although private mail services have a similar address database, they can not even begin competing with USPS.

Furthermore, USPS is also the best choice as your direct mail delivery partner. USPS offers attractive discounts for bulk mail campaigns. Even without the deal, USPS provides the best price in the market for sending your marketing and communication materials. Hence, choosing a mailing house that uses USPS for direct mail fulfillment is best.

 Also Read: Automation in Healthcare Operations

If your business organization sends hundreds of postal mail or more, you need the help of a mailing house, and that's final. You can no longer deny that digital mailing houses like PostGrid play a significant role in the success of direct mail campaigns.

An automated direct mail tool like PostGrid enables you to access features that can significantly help your campaigns. It facilitates easy personalization, quality printing, and efficient postal mail delivery via USPS. On top of all this, mail house services like PostGrid give you more control over your campaigns.

With PostGrid, you can access a central dashboard that lets you manage all your direct mail campaigns. You can access your mailing history or track your mailers from the dashboard. Also, a complete mailing solution like PostGrid provides an address verification solution.

You get a well-capable mailing system when you combine PostGrid's address verification and automated direct mail solution. As a result, a digital mailing house like PostGrid optimizes your mailing operations, saving you time and money.

 Also Read: Key Features of Lettershop Mailing Services