Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Ever Wonder Where Envelopes Come From?


Think envelopes were a recent invention? Think again! Envelopes have existed in some form or another for thousands of years.  Check out these envelope fun facts below, and if you’d like to learn where envelopes come from today, visit PrecisionEnvelope.com:
·         The first known “envelope” looked nothing like today’s ubiquitous #10. Found by archeologists in the Middle East and dating back to around 3500 BC, the earliest known packaging items were hollow, clay spheres folded around items such as coins used in financial transactions.
·         Until 1845, and for the following 50 years, only hand-made envelopes were available. During the second half of the 19th century, a patent was issued for the first envelope-making machine. It produced flat diamond shaped blanks folded to form a rectangular enclosure. The edges of overlapping flaps were sealed with paste.
·         Today, envelope manufacturing is a long and well established international industry producing an infinite number of shapes and sizes with every imaginable type of paper. There’s a custom envelope to fit every need!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Custom Envelope are Marketing Tools



Printing on an envelope can be a powerful marketing tool. Used correctly, envelopes can provide much more than a cover sheet for your letters or serve as more than just storage vehicles for documents and letters. Envelopes can be part of your marketing message- Acting as a teaser that drives potential clients to read your marketing message. If you’re looking create custom envelopes, here are some useful tips:

  •          Use color to capture attention. Bright, vivid color envelopes can make your mailing stand out from the rest.
  •     Change the style of the usual triangular flap to a rectangle with a button on the top. You don’t need to use a real button. Print it on the flap for an unexpected little surprise.
  •     Use a unique paper texture for the envelope such as wove, linen or coated. It has the advantage of being visually appealing and arouses curiosity.
  •      If you print a corporate tagline on the envelope, keep it short. Don’t clutter the piece, keep it classy. You’ve only got a brief instance to catch their attention, so make sure your most essential message is clear.

Want to try adding custom envelopes to your marketing campaign? Visit Precision Envelope today and get free shipping on your custom envelope order! Just use the code “FREESHIP” at checkout

Monday, April 22, 2013

Direct Mail Marketing & Earth Day

Since today is Earth Day, I can't help but think about direct mail marketing campaigns. A large number of our customers are business owners, and order custom envelopes as part of a traditional mail campaign. Direct mail marketing continues to be a very effective form of marketing, but it can leave an environmental footprint. Certainly digital marketing such as email and Search engine optimization has that advantage over mail, but Direct Mail still remains one of the best marketing tactics in terms of ROI. So as a business owner, you can't afford not to run direct mail campaigns. And you need envelopes for your business. So how do you rectify the environmental impact of direct mail?

Truth be told, there's a number of great ways you can reduce (or virtually eliminate) your carbon footprint when running a direct mail campaign. Most printer and paper mill offers a huge variety of  recycled envelopes and paper, including different styles and varying amount of recycled materials. Recycled paper is high quality and it's prices are roughly the same as paper not made from recycled material. Plus your customers will appreciate that you're "green" mail campaign (some may even choose your business over a competitor for that very reason!).

An eco-friendly direct mail campaign doesn't begin and end with recycled material. Before starting your campaign, make sure to double check your mailing list so you don't end up wasting paper, and money. Make sure that addresses are up to date, and that the mail campaign is appropriate for each recipient on your list. This can also help you improve your campaign ROI by mailing to those people who you think are most likely to convert. And don't forget to proofread your artwork, and ask your printer to proofread it as well! An extra set of eyes is always a good thing when it comes to direct mail.

Remember, being environmentally conscious and a successful direct mail marketer are not mutually exclusive.     Be sure to take the opportunity to do something today for Earth Day- Whether it's something small like walk to the store instead of driving or a being project like using all recycled paper in your office, every little bit helps!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Don't Count out Direct Mail


The CEO of OgilvyOne Worldwide, the world’s largest direct marketing network believes in the power of direct mail. “Almost every household in the civilized world can be reached by mail” he says. “Maybe that’s why every one of our top 20 clients uses direct mail in its marketing mix.”
He cites four strengths of direct mail:
·        
  1. Endurance: Printed messages last longer than digital ones. And, direct mail response rates are consistently 2-3 times higher than email response rates.
  2. Acquisition: Direct mail has always been a great way to introduce products and acquire customers.
  3. Impact: When American Express launched its most prestigious product, the Centurion Card, they did it with mail and it worked.
  4. Sense: Direct mail is sensory. You can’t feel the banner ad or smell an email.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Envelopes: First Point of Contact


Bland looking mailings are not working on today’s savvy consumers. Instead, recent advances in printing and production that enhance your custom envelope with personalized messages and four color printing have made the envelope in direct mail marketing a very pertinent and powerful tool. Here are some tips from marketing experts in creating a custom envelope that will be opened:

  • The more information you can put on the outside of the envelope, without having it look funky, the more likely it will be opened.
  • An envelope with message and graphics on the front is more likely to be opened than one with graphics and text on the back.
  • Your audience is more likely to open a mail piece with color text and graphics, compared to a plain white envelope without messaging.
  • Relevance is also very important. If the message is meaningful to the recipient, you’re more likely to get a positive response.
  • Placing a QR code on an envelope can take recipients directly to your company’s home page. 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Did you Know that Google Uses Direct Mail?


Who said direct mail is dead? Many corporate giants, like Google, Facebook, and Geico use physical mail to drive Internet marketing and expand their audience. Even with Internet marketing, direct mail marketing continues to have a tremendous amount of value. Here are some reasons why Google, which controls nearly 20% of Internet traffic, still users direct mail to send messages.

  • Targeted mailing lists help them reach and entice specific audiences via pinpointed forms of marketing.
  • Once a mail piece is in the door, the consumer can be driven to the website with an enticing call to action.
  • With computer viruses, identity thieves and overwhelming amounts of spam, people are becoming more amenable to physical mail offers. 
  • Users can make a more personal connection thanks to personalized custom envelopes and content, as opposed to one size fits all email campaigns.