Archive for December, 2009
Dec
28
Bulk Mail Strategy: Target Neighborhoods Not Zip Codes
Bulk mail advertising is a proven method for increasing sales for just about any type of business. The goal of all advertising is to deliver results that justify the cost. That’s the tricky part. Advertising is often a “trial and error” process that can be expensive. Here’s a tip that can help improve the results of your bulk mail advertising campaign: Target Neighborhoods NOT Zip Codes.
It’s easy to target specific neighborhoods when you use Mail Carrier Routes defined by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Here’s an example of how targeting with Mail Carrier Routes works. There are about 160 million residential addresses in the United States. If you wanted to target just one state, say Arizona, you’d be down to about 2.6 million deliveries. You could then narrow down your mailing list to just one county, i.e. Maricopa County and you would still have 1.5 million. So, how about mailing to just one zip code in Maricopa County, like 85226? That would still give you a pretty big list, about 14.5 thousand! Here’s some good news, zip codes are made up of individual mail carrier routes. Each route includes the daily deliveries of an individual mail carrier, usually about 300 to 500 addresses. The boundaries of mail carrier routes are defined, and using a carrier route map, you can target very precisely. For example carrier route number 6 in our chosen zip code 85226 has just 450 deliveries.
Carrier route mailings are sometimes referred to as saturation mailings because they include every address within the boundary of the route. The list is complied by the USPS and is updated every two months, so it is very accurate. Carrier route mailing lists are usually presorted in the sequence that the carrier walks his route, and therefore can be mailed at the lowest postage rate available.
Using mail carrier routes is one of the best ways to compile a geographic mailing list. But what if you want a more targeted list, taking into consideration the age and income of your prospects? You can do it! The average age and average income of the households within most carrier routes are available at no additional charge. Average home values are also available.Don’t forget about your own first hand knowledge of the area. In most neighborhoods, wealthy people live next to other wealthy people. The same goes for middle class and poor folks. A new neighborhood development with moderately priced homes will probably be purchased by young families with children. So, you can draw some demographic conclusions from a geographic list without paying for a specialized list.
Of course a good mailing list is just one of three important elements of a successful bulk mail advertising campaign. The product or service being offered and postcard design are the other two considerations. Each is vital. Try using mail carrier routes and target neighborhoods not entire zip codes and save money on postage in the process!
We have put together a video that summarizes the key points of this article. Feel free to check it out at
