admin | Postcard-Magnets Blog

USPS Requirements

By admin in Design March 6, 2011

Yes, the US Post Office can deliver our magnet mailer through their system without a problem. The magnet stays securely attached to the postcard based on our spot glue process.

The USPS processes our custom printed postcard magnets as machinable, non-automated mail. Among other things, this means if you’d like to have your magnet mailers sent via first class, the postage rate would be based on the 1 oz. letter rate (not the the postcard rate), plus a charge for special handling (currently $.20ea).

The USPS offers discounted rates for properly prepared bulk mail. Based on these current rates, here are our current postage prices, if you’d like us to do the mailing [updated 1/27/2013] (subject to change without notice):

US Postage rates

Third (Standard) class bulk mail: $0.29 ea
First class presort mail: $0.44 ea
Non-profit bulk mail: $0.21 ea
Rate based on machinable, non-automated item
We can use your Postal permit; or our permit

If we will be mailing your items, please complete and fax to us a Bulk Mail Form and USPS NCOA Processing Acknowledgement Form — both forms are in the Templates file found on the webpage for each item on our magnetbyMail website. You can choose to use our indicia on the mailing piece (and pay us postage cost), or use your indicia, if it is the type that can be used at any US Post Office (not all are). If using our Indicia, prepare your art layout leaving the appropriate space for us to add the correct Indicia box and text. Note our Mailing List details (also on our website) when preparing your mailing list for us.

Of course, if you want us to ship all the postcard mailers to you, so you can distribute, we can do that, too. In this case there would be shipping charge for UPS delivery.

Everything you ever wanted to know about mailing postcard magnets is on our website.

And you can always call us. We’d love to hear from you!

Good photography

By admin in Design, Resources March 6, 2011

If you’re going to invest money (, time and effort) in a postcard mailer campaign, you should make sure your layout and design looks its best.

If you need good photo images to help convey your message, you should look through .

At Photos.com, you’ll find stock photography that is all shapes and sizes. At least one of the images is bound to be perfect for your project.

Oh, and prices are very reasonable, too. There are plenty of great images available for under US$10.

Images at Photos.com Important note: make sure you obtain high-resolution photos. For print quality, its good to have images that are at least 200 Dots Per Inch (DPI) resolution. Images intended for the web can have much less (72 DPI), so don’t download an image intended for a website.

Also, based on my own experience buying an image at Photos.com, I suggest you first, set yourself as a site user, then add the image(s) into your online ‘lightbox’, and then pay for them with your creditcard. Doing this in an other order can become frustrating. At least that’s my experience.

I do recommend regardless of the abovementioned quirky checkout process. Pricing seems to be better than iStockPhoto.com .

Just our 2 cents, from magnetbyMail.com

Good News in the Mail

By admin in Marketing, Profitability March 6, 2011

Mail Slot The Internet has had a huge impact on the US Post Office. You probably aren’t surprised to hear that.

Instead of catalogs, companies are focused on improving their websites.

Instead of mailing letters, people simply send an email.

And all that is good news for you if you’re marketing with Direct Mail:

First of all, your recipients are more likely to see your mail simply because the pile is much smaller.

And secondly, recipients are more likely to be favorable to Direct Mail ad mail, and even look forward to receiving it, because mail levels are now so low.

So next time you hear that people are mailing less and less, put on your marketing hat and smile.

Just a thought from magnetbyMail.com, home of custom imprinted postcard magnets.

Growing New Customers

By admin in Marketing March 6, 2011

A local association of local growers, dairies and craftsmen held a Farmers’ Market in the town’s center on Saturday mornings throughout the warm months.

They decided to advertise to community residents to remind everyone of the weekly event. With the help of a local Organic Farming Initiative, they received a grant for outreach funds.

They designed a Venti postcard magnet. The postcard had plenty of details describing the Farmer’s Market and how it was making a difference for local farmers and local residents.

The postcard included a large magnet, with all the important details: when and where the Market is held.

The magnet mailers were sent to all residents in the area via bulk mail.

Within weeks, the market became ‘the place to be’ on a Saturday morning. Farmers liked the larger crowds, and residents liked the fresh produce and the ability to chat with their neighbors.

Just another idea from magnetbyMail.com

Hospitals Advertise Too

By admin in Marketing March 6, 2011

A regional hospital had identified a need in the community and added a Womens Diagnostic Imaging Center to its growing campus.

But the investment would have a slow payback if the Center was underutilized.

So the hospital decided to advertise using ‘The Basic’ postcard magnets.

A postcard mailer was designed to announce the Center, and invite women for a free tour of the facilities. The refrigerator magnet was designed as a convenient reminder for women who might need the Center’s services. It provided phone number, address and website info.

Within four weeks, the new Center went from ‘unknown’ to being busy with tours.

And to this day, patients mention making use of the Center’s magnet in their kitchen.

Another marketing solution from magnetbyMail.com

Marketing for Profit

By admin in Profitability March 6, 2011

Since the bottom line of marketing is, well, the bottom line, we decided to see how this applies to custom printed postcard magnets.

Now its worth noting that it can be very difficult to measure profitability using most ad media. TV, radio, billboards — you may see a bump in your business, buts its a challenge to pinpoint exact numbers.

With direct mail postcard magnets its much easier to check your results. Just take your original mailing list, and cross-reference it with your inquiries and sales lists.

Now for the nitty gritty.

Its always good to know how good your postcard magnet promotion needs to be. We suggest you figure your ‘breakeven cost’ before developing your mailing campaign. Here’s how:

Estimate what your average sale is, and calculate the typical gross profit (“TGP”) on this sale .

Then, estimate the total costs of your planned direct mail campaign, and divide this amount by the TGP number. This is the number of sales you need your mailers to make before your campaign becomes profitable.

For example, if your TGP is $40 and you’re mailing 1000 postcards magnets for $1000, then your breakeven is 25 sales (that’s $1000 divided by $40). This means you need to get a 2.5% response rate for your postcard magnets to start making a profit.

No two marketers are alike, but we’ve found most would be satisfied if their campaign simply made break even. That is, the mailing paid for itself, and profits would ultimately be realized on subsequent orders with those new customers.

And then there are Realtors, dentists, lawyers and other professionals with a high TGP. These marketers can find that the mailing can breakeven with just 1 response. More than 1 response is pure profit.

Just another tip from magnetbyMail.com

ideas for layouts

By admin in Design, Resources March 6, 2011

Need some quality, ready-made art templates for your magnet mailer design?

Check out graphicriver.net for complete design layouts by world-class artists.

Files generally include high-resolution images, and Adobe Illustrator or Adobe InDesign elements, and suggestions for font files.

Its most everything you need for camera-ready artwork. You may need to tweak the layout size to fit a postcard. And of course, you’ll need to write your own copy…

The best way to use graphicriver.net is to browse through the templates. Even of you don’t buy anything, you’ll be inspired with plenty of design ideas. And if you do buy something, you’ll be surprised at the low prices.

For example, check out this collection of card and brochure designs by jahimmyess. There are plenty to choose from, you can change colors based on your palette, you receive templates for postcards, brochures, forms, and business cards. And the download will cost less than US$10.

Now that’s impressive!

Our recommended resource for design templates: www.graphicriver.net

Most Popular

By admin in Design March 6, 2011

What is our most popular custom printed postcard magnet?

It’s definitely ‘The Basic’ postcard magnet, our half-sheet, full-color postcard and businesscard – sized magnet.

Why?

Well, sure the low price helps. Even in small quantities, they’re about a dollar or less, including standard-rate postage .

But the magnet size makes a lot of sense to many marketers. Mail recipients don’t necessarily want a huge magnet on their refrigerator unless it has extremely useful info, its very attractive, or they know (and like) the sender very well.

So when you’re new to somebody’s kitchen, it might be good to think ‘baby steps.’

The Basic gets the job done.

It’s available at our website at: magnetbyMail.com

Introducing…

By admin in Uncategorized March 5, 2011

Ta-dah! Introducing the new Postcard Magnets Blog, now online at

www.postcard-magnets.com

We’ll be collecting ideas on how to promote your organization through custom imprinted postcard magnets and magnet mailers.

We’re produced and sponsored by magnetbyMail.com which is where you can get your custom imprinted postcard magnets.

Want to share your ideas on effective postcard magnet promotions? Just send us a message here.

Have questions, or have suggestions? Just let us know.

And thanks for visiting the new Postcard Magnets Blog!

Postcard-Magnets Blog

The Official Blog for magnetbyMail.com

Author: admin