Direct mail marketing, if done right, can fit any budget. This inexpensive strategy has existed since Ancient Egypt and has persisted all around the globe. You are delivering value to the mailbox, rather than paper clutter, and your product must show that worth. What are direct mail marketing costs? It all depends on if you DIY or outsource, and the size of your campaign. Also, the paper material you send out matters. You have to decide if you like cheap onionskin or heavy-grade parchment. Postcards are the least expensive you can send, printed and bought in bulk at an office store, with USPS stamps and handwritten messages about your product. If you want to go all in, then a multi-page magazine with printed copy can cost thousands of dollars.

Designing Your Mail

More likely than not, this will be your biggest cost. You need to nail your graphic design. Getting that unified theme down, when you have someone’s attention, can help create a positive association between the mail and your brand. You can design for zero dollars if you wish. There are free art software programs you can use, which work on both PCs and tablets, and it will only cost you time and work desktop space. If you want to purchase a copy of the Adobe Creative Suite, the high end of design programs, it will cost you $599.98, with about $239.88 per program like Photoshop, Illustrator or Indesign. A freelance graphic designer will charge $25 to $50 an hour at a minimum. If you go to an agency, they can charge $74 at minimum, or $3500 as a flat fee for certain projects. Say you want to use an in-house graphic designer and hire them as an employee; their average annual salary in the United States would be $62,000. You may also have to cover benefits and more if they work fulltime for more than three months.

Copywriting

You don’t necessarily need a lot of advertising copy. Fewer words can convey more, and a picture can speak volumes. If you want advertising copy, you should know the rates you have to pay the writers. Most freelancers charge ten cents to a dollar per word. That means say one hundred words could cost either ten dollars, or one hundred, depending on who you hire. If you use an outsourcing website like Textbroker, you can set your budget based on the rates that freelancers have. A brochure can cost $950 for a flat fee if you go higher or with an agency.

Printing Your Mail

Let’s say that you decided to go for printing postcards. This would be your cheapest, most cost-effective option, once you get the design. Dozens of printing companies will print your postcard either online or at a physical location. Some will go as cheaply as six cents per postcard, or $19.85 for 500.

Postage

A basic US stamp in 2019 costs 55 cents, and you can buy a book or sheet at any post office. Going back to the postcard idea, and saying you get five hundred postcards for about twenty dollars. That means your postage would be $275. Private mail postage and shipping would cost more, from UPS, DHL, or Fed-Ex. USPS is reliable, and you should only go private if you get a good deal, shipping internationally, or such.

Let Postlead Help Determine A Budget

At Postlead, our services are streamlined to assist you in finding the right mail campaign. We have the tools to help you with budget, materials, and metrics. And we can measure your success. Contact us today. We’ll help you set up a budget, and launch your campaign. Postlead is always here to help you grab people’s attention.<