MOST Efficient Way to Mail Large Batch of Postcards... ?

Question

I am planning to start the Postcard mailing campaign next week.

1. I am planning to print 5000 post cards and send these out in managable chucks of 1000 every 2 weeks. Printing these in bulk is much cheaper.

2. I am planning to purchase a list from listsource of all high equity people in my target area.

My question is about how do most people mail these postcards out.

1. Do you setup Bulkmailing and get a USPS Permit for printing the postage on the card? or do it outside. USPS permit is additional cost but is it better in long run?

There is significant difference in price (considering 5000 cards) which adds up incase I try to use external companies like click2mail etc and if I do 1000 prints every week with them.

Also I understand that USPS Bulk mailings for 6X11 cards is around 32 cents; but I want to understand how other are handling this in most efficient (time + cost) manner. Is there any additional cost to do bulk mailing in addition to USPS Permit cost?

Please advice...

- Raj

Cash Investor and Real Estate Agent

Committed to Real Estate Success!

Raj Kumar · Answer

I agree that it has more information that I want to read. I have tried to read through it few times in past weeks and still not understood what is the best manner. I even went to postal office and the people there are also clueless since they mostly deal with regular retail mailer.

I am hoping to get contextual guidance on how most of the other investors here are doing their marketing. I respect your suggestion on doing few hundred with hand. What is an efficient way to do this incase I wanted to do 1000 (once i tried doing it manually).

I am hoping to learn and develop a process of this! :)

Please advice...

Account Closed · Answer

http://pe.usps.com/businessmail101/getstarted/bulk...

There is more information there than you will want to read.  That is one reason why I suggest just hand stamping some to get started.

Account Closed · Answer

If you are mailing thousands of postcards the easiest and I believe cheapest way to get the postage on them is "permit imprint".  That is where the information from your mailing permit is printed on the postcard by the printer.

Make sure any list you plan to use is "presorted".  You will probably also want to include the mail barcode.

BUT...  before I went to all the trouble to set that up, I would send out about 200 a day for a week.  It will allow you to measure response.  You might want to change your postcard before you get 5000 of them.  You might also decide it is not going to work before you spend all the time and money to get setup to do mass mailing.  Because some people here will say that is overly negative... you could also be overwhelmed by the response and want to slow down.