Ten easy steps to prioritizing your mail project

1. ANALYSIS: Determine what your potential customers/clients need and want to purchase.

6. POSTAL REGULATIONS: Before making a decision on printing, check with Personal Touch Mailing Service on the design and layout of your mailing piece. Your savings could be substantial, utilizing as many postage discounts as allowed.

2. ADVERTISING MEDIUM: Evaluate the benefits of all marketing methods (e.g. direct mail, radio, television, magazines, newspapers) and decide if direct mail is worth pursuing for your business.

7. MAILING LISTS: Review possible mailing lists and consider which demographics will give you the most for your money.

3. COMPETITION: Take a look at other direct mail pieces, especially those from your competitors. Note what captures your attention, such as eye-catching colors, interesting graphics, savvy headlines and informative text.

8. PRINTING AND PRODUCTION: Get printing bids based on finished art and copy or let us handle that for you. Either way, check with us on the size and weight of your finished piece before it is printed to assure compliance with postal regulations.

4. PRODUCT SALES: Know what you really want to sell, but don't try to be everything to everybody. Think about what has been and could be profitable. Target what works best.

9. FINAL PROCESSING: We can pick up your mailing pieces from the printer and then process and deliver them to the post office.

10. RESPONSES: Begin tracking results as your responses arrive so you can determine what worked successfully.

5. SCHEDULE: Develop a schedule for completing your mailing project that includes a.) developing a package and getting bids on printing and design, b.) acquiring the mailing list(s), allowing 5-7 days, c.) printing the mail piece, allowing 1-2 weeks and d.) preparing the mailing, allowing 1-3 days