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1. What can direct marketing do for my business?
2. How do I choose the right Direct Mail product/service?
3. What are the product specifications and prices?
4. What are the average delivery times?
5. What kind of "response rate" should I expect?
6. How do I target my Unaddressed Admail™ campaign?
7. How do I locate maps?
8. What is the Precision Targeter application?
9. What are the benefits of using the online Precision Targeter application?
10. When would a I use the Precision Targeter application versus EST 2.0 versus EOE, etc.?
11. What is an "offer"? Why is the offer so important?
12. How should my Direct Mail be designed to drive the greatest response?
13. Why do I need a Canada Post customer number?
14. How do I get a Canada Post customer number?
15. How do I access the Online Business Centre (OBC) and Electronic Shipping Tools (EST)?
16. Which EST option is right for me?
17. What do I do before dropping my mail off at Canada Post?
18. How can I save money?
1. What can direct marketing do for my business?
Only direct marketing (which includes direct mail, telemarketing and email marketing) has the ability to:
- Target specific households and/or individuals with a specific message.
- Obtain results that you can easily measure.
Direct marketing delivers advertising, sales and marketing messages to your customers and prospects where they live or work. These messages or offers can be simple or complex.
Recent studies find that:
- 67% of Canadians prefer to receive advertising communications by mail over email (18%), telephone (1%) or other means (8%).
- Source: Value of Mail OmniCan, CP Study 07-27, September 2007.
- 79% of Canadians prefer to receive general business correspondence by mail over email (17%), telephone (3%) or other means (1%).
- Source: Value of Mail OmniCan, CP Study 07-27, September 2007.
- Canadians feel that personal information has the lowest risk when receiving advertising by mail (only 19% felt at risk versus 29% with email and 36% with telephone).
- Source: Consumer Attitudes Toward Direct Marketing, Study 07-219, February 2008.
Read more about these and other market research studies.
2. How do I choose the right Direct Mail product/service?
Canada Post offers a wide variety of products and services that are tailored to meet specific business needs. To find out which type of Direct Mail is right for you, visit Help Me Select a Product or Service.
3. What are the product specifications and prices?
4. What are the average delivery times?
Addressed Admail
Unaddressed Admail
AdCard
Publications Mail
Business Reply Mail
Direct Marketing Online
Read detailed information on Direct Mail Delivery Standards.
5. What kind of "response rate" should I expect?
It goes without saying that the more time and attention you pay to your marketing communication the better the response.
Marketing fundamentals attribute the success of a Direct Mail program to these 3 key factors in varying degrees:
- Have you targeted the right audience? Accounts for 40% - 60% of the success
- Have you made the right offer? Accounts for 30% - 40% of the success
- Do you have their attention? Accounts for 10% - 20% of the success
While we can debate the degree to which each of these elements contributes to Direct Mail success, targeting the right audience with the right offer is still the predominant driver of response.
CAUTION! Don't fall into the "response rate" trap by trying to compare your anticipated response rate with others. A 2% response rate might be a good response rate for some products/services but a 0.25% response rate may be even stronger for a highly specialized offering.
Note: Make it as easy as possible for customers to reply to your messages by paying their postage. Give them an easy and convenient way to reach you—at no expense to them. Check out Business Reply Mail (BRM).
6. How do I target my Unaddressed Admail campaign?
Obtain targeting information from Canada Post using:
Canada Post's Householder Counts and Maps - help you target your customers and prospects by providing information on the number of houses, apartments, farms and businesses throughout Canada, along with associated FSA and Letter Carrier Walk maps.
The Precision Targeter application – allows you to select up to three demographic variables to better define your target market. Target areas can be defined by using map selection tools.
More complex targeting requests can be fulfilled through Data & Targeting Services
To reach customers in a specific geographic area, our free online tool can help to determine, at the delivery route level, how many pieces you'll need and where to drop them off.
To determine your target area based on these types of demographic or lifestyle criteria, our free targeting service can help you find new customers.
7. How do I locate maps?
Neighbourhoods are always changing—new houses are built, businesses open and close, people move. These details are reflected in Residential and Business (Householder) Counts and Maps. Refer to this tool before each mailing to ensure you have the most current information available.
Learn how to use this tool by watching a video tutorial.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4.0 or higher to view the FSA Maps.
The Precision Targeter application provides for simplified targeting tools using web-based interactive maps to draw a polygon, define a radius, drive time, or drive distance from a point on the map.
8. What is the Precision Targeter application?
This new application (coming February 2012) enables you to easily plan, price and place Unaddressed Admail Orders using an interactive step-by-step approach! The Precision Targeter application is sophisticated and smart - yet simple and intuitive – even for new or occasional users of Unaddressed Admail.
9. What are the benefits of using the online Precision Targeter application?
The Precision Targeter application is a complementary, hassle-free, seamless online tool with targeting capabilities and built-in tools sure to impress and simplify campaign planning for existing or new Unaddressed Admail customers. Benefits include:
- One-stop, intuitive, seamless application to help target, plan and prepare an Unaddressed Admail Order
- Simplified targeting tools using web-based interactive maps to draw a polygon, define a radius, drive time, or drive distance from a point on the map
- Expand potential target audience by suggesting additional routes based on the targeting and demographic variables selected
- Access to applicable Unaddressed Admail Contract price (upon log-in)
- Visibility into the most popular routes (High Demand Routes)
- Plus much more……
10. When would a I use the Precision Targeter application versus EST 2.0 versus EOE, etc.?
The Precision Targeter application will not replace current versions of EST (EST Online, EST 2.0, EOE or SOM Only). The Precision Targeter application, designed for small and medium Unaddressed Admail customers, is a new, simplified online solution that encompasses multiple aspects of your mailing value chain.
Features include:
- Target mailings by identifying prospective customers based on location or proximity to a specific address, and demographic filters (e.g. age, income)
- Review estimated mailing costs every step of the way and easily adjust the campaign to meet business and budget requirements
- Download customized targeting analysis or send to a third-party supplier
- Create and print all of the required documents for an Unaddressed Admail Order quickly and easily
- Plus much more….
11. What is an "offer"? Why is the offer so important?
Every Direct Mail program should contain an offer. An offer is the incentive that encourages a customer to respond to your mailing IMMEDIATELY. It must be attractive, relevant, compelling, easy to understand and action-oriented.
Seasoned direct marketers will tell you that the right offer often means the difference between the success and failure of a campaign. In fact, it is not uncommon for an offer to improve response by as much as 100% for the same product or service.
There are 4 key components to an offer presentation—each one making an important contribution to generating a sense of urgency:
- WHAT do you want someone to do?
- HOW do you want someone to do it?
- WHEN should they do it?
- WHY should they do it?
"Try our new magazine by calling 1-800… before June 14 to receive your free trial subscription" is an example of an offer presentation.
12. How should my Direct Mail be designed to drive the greatest response?
Learn about the many options you have to develop a Direct Mail piece that will create interest and more importantly generate a response. Create Compelling Direct Mail.
13. Why do I need a Canada Post customer number?
You will need a Canada Post customer number for any of the following activities:
- Create your order and paperwork online.
- Qualify for lower postage rates.
- Manage your own postage account (if using a third party supplier for mail preparation).
14. How do I get a Canada Post customer number?
For Unaddressed Admail:
If over the next 12 months you plan to...
Mail fewer than 100,000 pieces, become a VentureOne™ program member! You can instantly access everyday savings on shipping, direct marketing and more with your unique customer number. Obtain your VentureOne membership or visit any Post Office.
- No minimum purchase
- No contract to sign
- It's FREE and easy to join!
Mail more than 100,000 pieces, call Canada Post's Commercial Sales at 1-888-550-6333:
- You will receive a Canada Post Contract Number which will entitle you to volume-based discounts.
- If you are a new customer, you will be asked to fill out a credit application.
- Please allow at least 3 business days for processing.
For all other products, call Canada Post's Commercial Service Network at 1-888-550-6333.
15. How do I access the Online Business Centre (OBC) and Electronic Shipping Tools (EST)?
To obtain your OBC login and password:
- Go to OBC.
- Select “To obtain your User ID and Password Click here”.
- Enter your Canada Post customer number (or VentureOne number).
- Enter your Canada Post contract number (if you have one).
- Complete the Customer Information section.
- SUBMIT.
- You will receive your password and login by email.
- You will be asked to validate your information. Follow the steps outlined in the email. Once your information has been validated, you are now ready to log in and access the EST option which is right for you.
Note: VentureOne customers can access EST Online. To access the Desktop solution you must have a Canada Post customer number and a Canada Post contract number.
16. Which EST option is right for me?
Before going any further, check that your computer is sufficiently up-to-date and robust enough to support the EST application. While you can use a computer with a slower Internet connection or processor, it will be slow and we do not recommend it.
Please select the link below to check if your computer meets the EST requirements.
Check if your computer meets the EST requirements.
For addressed products choose the solution that best suits your needs.
Notes:
- Requires a Canada Post customer number and agreement to install the desktop.
- Addressed Admail only
- Addressed Admail with SERP mailing plan
For unaddressed products choose the solution that best suits your needs:
- Find out more information.
- All other forms and container labels must be prepared manually.
17. What do I do before dropping my mail off at Canada Post?
- Provide a sample of your mailing, identical to the item being mailed for each variation (weight, size, content) on or before time of deposit.
- Complete paperwork.
- Ensure your mailing is prepared according to specifications.
18. How can I save money?
It pays to get creative with your marketing dollars! The following are some ideas to explore to help control costs:
- In addition to asking your printer or other suppliers about any volume-based discounts they may offer, consider doing a larger print run now for use later. It's common practice to print quantities for 2-3 mailings in one run to take advantage of volume discounts. You can print the colour-portions now and then print the variable information (dates/locations/offer, etc.) or addresses in black at a later date.
- Leverage business associations or other networks to access "preferred pricing"—they may have pre-arranged with printers or other suppliers.
- Consider co-operating with other companies who are targeting the same market and share marketing costs. For example, a photographer can partner with a florist and a musician to target brides. Or a plumber can partner with other trades or building supply companies.
- Refine your targeting to make sure you are maximizing every marketing dollar. Eliminate those delivery routes or lists you're not certain of.
- Reduce development costs by accessing professionally designed templates such as those available on Canada Post's Direct Marketing Online service.
- Select a less expensive Admail format and do more with colour or your offer to attract attention.
- Work with common paper sizes and print more items on a single sheet. (Your printer will be able to help you maximize your printing dollars.)
- Reduce the number of specialty colours in your design and use stock photography or illustrations instead of custom work.
- For Unaddressed Admail, be sure to complete your paperwork electronically to receive a 1% discount on your mailing and avoid a $5 manual processing fee.
- If you plan to send 100,000 pieces or more of Unaddressed Admail within the next 12 months, you may be eligible for a volume discount. You can send all of the pieces at once, or distribute them over a number of smaller campaigns throughout the year. Call 1-866-282-7169 for more details.
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