| Is the United States Postal Service (USPS) a | | | | Content Creation - Keep It Simple |
| marketing innovator? As it turns out, the kind | | | | The biggest challenge will be in generation of |
| folks in the blue shorts are in fact making it easy | | | | content you believe is worth the price of postage. |
| for even the smallest business to duke it out with | | | | The following types of content pieces will get |
| their biggest competitors by using the USPS | | | | your creative juices flowing.... pretty much write |
| "mailing online (MOL)" direct mail service - check it | | | | themselves....and are worth reading: |
| out at | | | | 1. Price & Product Postcards - Many of you |
| With MOL, you can escape the dreary part of | | | | may dream of being able to instantly contact |
| direct mail marketing - the printing, the stuffing, | | | | your customers and tell them whenever you |
| the stamps, etc. MOL users simply create a | | | | come out with a new product or price point. MOL |
| document, upload it to the MOL website with their | | | | makes that a snap. Simply write a 5-7 word |
| mailing list and credit card information, and press | | | | headline followed by a three- sentence description |
| "go". Within 48 hours, the members of your | | | | ending with a phone number or web address for |
| mailing list are receiving the marketing message in | | | | more information. |
| their postal mailboxes. | | | | 2. Personal Postcards - Remember your |
| Speed & Price | | | | customers birthday, anniversary, graduation or |
| The best two parts of the MOL service are the | | | | other significant occasion. Be sure and include a |
| speed and the price. Jobs uploaded early in the | | | | brief description of some product you want to |
| business day can be printed and postmarked the | | | | highlight...even just a web address. |
| following day. The per piece cost is not much | | | | 3. Monthly or Quarterly Newsletter - Most of you |
| more than the price of a single stamp since even | | | | would look forward to writing a monthly |
| MOL jobs sent First Class get a "presorted" USPS | | | | newsletter with the same excitement as having a |
| discount. | | | | monthly root canal.....but the customer retention |
| A 4.24 by 6 inch postcard can be printed and | | | | benefits and referral business make it a smart |
| mailed First Class for just 24 cents. A one and | | | | business decision. The easy way to do a one or |
| two-thirds page business letter or brochure can | | | | two page newsletter would be to simply include |
| be sent "envelope free" (the last third is needed | | | | one or more of the following: |
| for the address) for just 56 cents per piece. And | | | | - Summarize price and product news...simply |
| the minimum number of pieces you can send per | | | | repeat what you sent out (or should have sent |
| job? One. That's right, while other direct mail | | | | out) on the postcards. |
| houses turn away customers with minimums | | | | - Summarize industry headlines related to your |
| under several thousand, the USPS takes all | | | | business...give your views, or if you don't have a |
| customers and gives them all equally great | | | | view simply reprint the views of others (with |
| service. | | | | proper attribution of course). |
| Before MOL you had to create your master | | | | - Case Study...write up three paragraphs on a new |
| document, drop it off at the printer, wait until it | | | | or existing customer you helped solve a |
| was done to figure postage, apply postage and | | | | problem...or their experience with one of your |
| addresses, and drop it off at the post office. This | | | | products. |
| whole process could take you a whole month to | | | | - Top 10 List....any of you with any experience at |
| finish. And if you're say mailing from the West | | | | all can write a years worth of top 10 lists in a |
| Coast... it would be another week before East | | | | day. How about the top 10 benefits of a particular |
| Coast recipients received their copy. With MOL | | | | product? How about the top 10 reasons to (insert |
| your document is printed and dropped in the mail | | | | topic)? Or how about the top 10 mistakes made |
| from several dozen USPS distribution points | | | | by (insert topic)? |
| across the country...so everyone gets their | | | | Just Ask For Referrals! |
| document at the same time no matter where | | | | If you do nothing else, just send out a monthly |
| they live in the US. | | | | postcard asking for referrals. The commitment to |
| As Easy As Typing An Email | | | | a monthly postcard does two separately |
| MOL users don't need to know anything more | | | | important things for you. It keeps your contact |
| about document creation than how to type and | | | | information in front of your customer and it |
| save a document on their hard drive. Novice | | | | reminds them on a monthly basis that they have |
| computer users can use their PC "Notepad" utility | | | | immediate access to a friend in the "ABC" |
| and save the document as a text (TXT) file. Most | | | | business. And of course the number one reason |
| users will probably use Microsoft Word and create | | | | you don't get referrals is you don't ask for |
| a slightly more appealing document. You may | | | | referrals. Well, if you're too shy to ask in person |
| already have access to documents through your | | | | or on the phone, let the postcard do the talking! |
| company that have a more professional | | | | If you haven't attempted direct mail marketing |
| appearance. You could also invest in a copy of | | | | before because you thought it too costly, too |
| Microsoft Publisher as it provides many templates | | | | time consuming, or too much work....think again. |
| to choose from and makes professional | | | | Things have changed in your favor. The time is |
| document creation a snap. | | | | right for you to give it a try. |