How to Send a Letter UK

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How To Send a Letter In The UK: An Easy Step-By-Step Guide

Have you ever wanted to implement an old-fashioned direct mail campaign but couldn’t because you didn’t know how to send a letter?

If yes, you would be among many who don’t send a letter because they don’t know how to. Today, most marketers and business owners have no idea how to mail a letter UK. However, direct mail offers a significantly higher response rate than most mainstream marketing ideas.

Furthermore, you can use direct mail for bulk mailing invoices, bills, patient reports, and much more. It is crucial to understand how you can send a letter via post for business communication. Here, we will teach you how to send a postal letter in the UK.

You will get a step-by-step guide to sending a letter in the UK, the services you can use and their salient features. The article also explains how to address your mailers and tips on writing or printing your business letters. 

Step-By-Step Guide To Sending a Letter In The UK

Step 1: Check If You Can Post

The first thing you need to do before you can send letters in the UK is to check whether you can send them. Some items are prohibited from being sent via Royal Mail. You need to ensure that your mailer does not contain any prohibited items.

What usually happens is that most senders are unaware of which items are prohibited from sending via post. Even something as simple as a lottery ticket is not permitted to be sent by post. Similarly, there are many such items that you might think are okay to send via post.

Here is the complete list of restricted and prohibited items you CAN’T send by post.

Step 2: Select An Envelope For Your Letter

As you know, the postage cost of your letter depends on the mail piece’s size and shape. Several vital documents and foldable letters require an envelope. Envelopes also come in different sizes, and you can pick one that’s best suited for your mail piece. You can get the envelopes for the letters from your local Post Office. 

Step 3: Address Your Letter

When you write a postal address on a letter, consider putting the information from smallest to largest. Just remember to add the postcode at the end of the address. Hence, the addressee’s name comes first in the address, then the house number/name and street name. You can then write the town/city. 

If necessary, you would also have to provide the locality of the address. Similarly, you would also have to provide the country name if you send an international mail. Finally, ensure that your delivery address is aligned to the left. 

We will give you a detailed explanation of addressing a UK letter as you proceed further.

Step 4: Weigh Your Letter

We know that the size and weight of your letter determine its postage rate. Hence, it is good to weigh your letters before going to the nearest Royal Mail branch. It helps you get an accurate idea of the required postage for your mail piece.   

As a result, you can spend just the right amount of postage you need. Such a practice is hugely beneficial, especially for businesses sending bulk mail. It saves you a significant amount of postage. And all you need is a weighing scale for measuring the weight of the postal item from home or company.

Keep in mind that the weight of the package need not be accurate to a microscopic level. The postal service provider such as Royal Mail defines a specific range for the postal mailers. So, as long as you ensure the letter weighs falls within the specified range.

Step 5: Choose The Best Postage Option For Your Letter

Individuals and businesses can choose a postage option based on how soon they want their letter to arrive at its destination. Sometimes, the sender may also be required to track the package or a sign from the recipient if they are sending legal documents or essential items. Again, you need to consider the dimensional measurements of your mailer to decide what kind of postage it needs. 

Normal Letters

A standard letter can have a maximum width of 16.5 cm, a max length of 24cm, and a max depth of 0.5cm. You can use a 1st Class or 2nd Class stamp from Royal Mail for your normal-sized letter. Remember that the former costs only 66p, whereas the latter costs 85p.

Large Letters

When it comes to larger letters, the maximum width increases to 25cm, and the max length to 35.3cm. Similarly, large letters also have a higher maximum depth limit than regular letters. Additionally, the weight is also a big concern for large letters.

For letters that weigh up to 100g costs you about 96p to post by 2nd Class. However, sending the same postal letter can cost £1.29 if you use the 1st Class postage service. Your postage charges vary as you increase the weight of large letters. The following table should help you get a good idea of the postage for large letters.

Large Letter Weight	2nd Class Postage Rate	1st Class Postage Rate
Up to 100g	£0.96	£1.29
Up to 250g	£1.53	£1.83
Up to 500g	£1.99	£2.39
Up to 750g (Maximum weight for a large letter)	£2.70	£3.30

Postage Option And Delivery Time

Businesses and individuals prefer using 1st Class posts when making fast deliveries. Usually, the 1st Class post is delivered within one working day, but there is no guarantee. On the other hand, sending a letter via 2nd Class takes roughly 3 working days, but it is much cheaper than 1st Class post.

Special Delivery Guaranteed Services

Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm® and Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9am® is postage options from the Royal Mail. As the name suggests, the Special Delivery Guaranteed services guarantees the delivery of your postal letters by 1 pm and 9 am on the next working day.

Step 6: Place The Necessary Postage Stamp/Postage Sticker On Your Letter

Once you know the necessary postage for sending your letter, all that’s left to do is place the necessary postage stamp/postage sticker. Ensure it is clear and visible when placing the postage stamp or sticker. 

Also, make sure you don’t place the stamp so that it bends over the edge. Additionally, ensure that the postage stamp is not placed on the same face of the letter with the address. It is also worth noting that many postage stamps contain barcodes that help track the postage. To protect the integrity of these barcodes, you must ensure that the postage stamp is flat and easily scannable. 

Step 7: Post Your Letter

Once you have got the proper stamp and the address for sending a letter in the UK, all you have to do is post it. You can go to your nearest post box or go directly to your local Royal Mail branch for posting your letter. 

Furthermore, Royal Mail offers reliable customer service that can help you with any queries about the postal service. So, you can always contact Royal Mail regarding any questions, such as finding the correct postage or delivery time for a specific letter.

Did you know that there are several rules and regulations that you need to follow when implementing direct mail marketing for your business?

Read our blog “How To Comply With Laws Regarding Direct Mail Marketing?” to make sure you are compliant with the laws and regulations of direct mail marketing.

How To Address A UK Letter

Getting your delivery address is one of the most crucial parts of sending a letter in the UK. If you are unsure about the address in any way or if you do not have the full postal address, it may lead to delayed deliveries or returned mail.

Such issues may not be a big deal if you send personal letters. Still, it is never desirable for business communications. Hence, most businesses employ a print and mail API like PostGrid to personalise, print, and deliver business letters.

However, not all companies have an advanced system like PostGrid to manage their direct mail operations. Here’s how you can address your UK letters to ensure fast and efficient delivery. First, you should check whether the following details are in your mailing address.

1. Name of the recipient or addressee.
2. House name/number and street.
3. Locality (if relevant for the specific address).
4. Village/Town/city Country (usually not necessary)
5. Postcode. 

Things To Note When You Write A UK Address

Royal Mail does not require you to write or print all the information listed above on the postal delivery address. For example, most UK postal addresses do not include the “locality,” as it is only relevant to some postal addresses. 

Similarly, there are also instances where you may have to provide additional detail on the postal address. Here are a few things to note when writing the UK postal address on a letter. 

Remote Addresses

The geographical location of some postal addresses may be at the remotest places in the UK. In such cases, you can use the geographical location of the address’s nearest village or town. You can write or print “Nr” followed immediately by the closest named area. However, it is also worth noting that this is usually unnecessary in a UK postal address.

Country Name 

The country name is usually unnecessary for letters, especially for domestic postal addresses. If you do not have the town and postcode for the postal address, you can add the country name to the address.

Writing Or Printing Postcode

As you might have noticed, the UK postcode uses an alphanumeric, unlike the ZIP codes used in the US, which only contains numbers. When writing the postal code for UK addresses, ensure that you write or print it in all capitals. It will ensure that Royal Mail’s mail sorting system can easily read your postcode and sort it without delays.

Tips For Writing/Printing A UK Letter

Here are some tips you can use to ensure no unnecessary delays or return mail when sending a letter in the UK. 

• Never use full stops and commas when writing a UK address.
• Always align each line to the left and never centre the lines.
• Always try to include the postcode of an address.
• Use Royal Mail’s Postcode Finder for finding the postcode of an address. 
• If you are sending the letter to an organisation, add a line for the organisation’s name.
• Make sure to leave a margin around the entire address, which is about ½ inch wide.
• If you are writing the postal address on the envelope by hand, use a pen or ink that’s clear and visible against the envelope’s colour. 
• Do not use pencil or other writing equipment that easily smudges, and always maintain a text size similar to the font size of 10 to 15.
• If you are printing the address, use an easily readable font and make sure that the colour of the ink stands out against the envelope. 
• You don’t need to write down the country name in the address if you have already provided the town and postcode in the letter.

Different Types Of Mail Services From Royal Mail

As we have mentioned earlier, the sender can choose from various direct mail options for sending their letters. There are primarily three different types of direct mail services that businesses can use, and they are

• UK Standard Service
• UK Signed Service
• UK Guaranteed Service

However, Royal Mail breaks down the three different types of mail even further. For example, the UK standard service includes both 1st and 2nd Class options. The significant difference between 1st Class and 2nd Class mail is their delivery time and postage rates.

UK Standard Mail

UK Standard service consists of mainly two postal mail services from the Royal Mail

• 1st Class Mail Service
• 2nd Class Mail Service

1st Class Mail Service                                          

The 1st Class mail letter allows you to send letters from rates as low as 88p and small parcels starting from £3.85. One of the most significant advantages of 1st Class mail service from Royal Mail is that the letter is usually delivered on the next business day.

Furthermore, Royal Mail delivers 1st Class mail deliveries even on Saturdays. It also comes with a compensation cover of £20. The maximum weight of a Royal Mail 1st Class mail is 20kg. So, in case you want to send something heavy and want to do it fast, you can always count on 1st Class mail service.

2nd Class Mail Service

Royal Mail’s 2nd Class mail service enables you to send a letter from 66p. Sending small parcels using 2nd Class mail is cheaper than 1st Class mail and costs you only £3.20. Royal Mail also tries to deliver your packages on Saturdays.

1st Class mail usually delivers your letter within one working day and costs more in postage. 2nd Class mail costs less, but the delivery time is two to three working days. Both 1st Class and 2nd Class mail are the same regarding the compensation and maximum weight. 2nd Class mail also includes compensation covering up to £20 and a maximum weight of 20kg.

1st Class And 2nd Class Mail: Delivery Confirmation & Tracking

You get an online delivery confirmation if or when you post a letter at a Royal Mail Post Office branch. The online proof is available for small and medium parcels. However, that does not mean it is a tracked service. 

All you can do is check online and confirm whether your parcel has been delivered or if a delivery attempt was made. You can also access when the delivery or attempt was made on the Post Office page. 

UK Signed Service

When it comes to UK Signed mail service, there are two distinct options, and they are

• Royal Mail Signed For
• Parcelforce Worldwide express48

Royal Mail Signed For

The Royal Mail Signed For service is a part of Royal Mail’s UK Signed mail service. You can get the Royal Mail Signed For service at £2.60. The postage rate for this UK Signed service compared to Parcelforce Worldwide express48. 

Hence, Royal Mail Signed For service enables you to ensure that your vital package safely arrives at its destination. You get the recipient’s signature as proof of the delivery of your item. Furthermore, the service is available for both Royal Mail 1st Class and 2nd Class mail.

Apart from the signature proof, you also get online delivery confirmation for your delivery. Royal Mail Signed For service even includes compensation of up to £50. 

Parcelforce Worldwide express48

The Parcelforce Worldwide express48 provides businesses and individuals with a fully tracked delivery of two working days. You can get the express48 service for sending a letter in the UK starting from a price of £12.12.

As you can see, the express48 service is significantly more expensive than sending a Royal Mail Signed For mail. However, express48 service lets you track the entire journey of the mailer, and it requires a signature from the recipient.

You can even opt for a Saturday delivery if you are willing to pay an extra £9. Additionally, you get a £100 compensation and the option to buy additional coverage as high as £2,500. You can use the service to send packages within a 30kg weight limit.

UK Guaranteed Service

Royal Mail provides several postal mail services that guarantee your mailer’s delivery within a specified time. Listed below are the popular UK Guaranteed services

• Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am and 1 pm
• Parcelforce Worldwide Express24
• Express9, express10 and expressAM

Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am and 1 pm

• Your mail gets guaranteed delivery by 9 am or 1 pm.
• Royal Mail guaranteed Saturday delivery for an additional fee.
• Full tracking of your postal mail.
• Requires a signature from the recipient upon delivering the mailer.
• You get covered for valuable items and late deliveries.
• Get up to £500 compensation for delivery by 1 pm.
• Get up to £50 compensation for delivery by 9 am.
• You can opt for additional coverage up to £2,500.
• Get optional consequential loss cover-up to £10,000.
• Royal Mail provides a refund for late deliveries.

Parcelforce Worldwide Express24

• Fully tracked delivery services starting from £16.68.
• Signature required from the recipient on delivery.
• Get up to £100 compensation.
• You can opt for additional coverage up to £2,500.

Parcelforce Worldwide Express9, express10 and expressAM

• Get guaranteed delivery by the next day, 9 am, 10 am or noon. 
• Each parcel can weigh up to 30kg.
• Send full consignments of parcels without a weight limit.
• It comes with a loss of damage cover up to £200.

You can also learn more about optimising your business’s direct mail delivery on our previous blog –“How to Speed Up Direct Mail Delivery“

Conclusion

Sending a letter in the UK is not difficult. Royal Mail provides you with various services to meet all your personal and business needs. However, business communications via letters or direct mail can be significantly improved with automation capabilities.

Businesses that often use bulk mail services can significantly benefit from a direct mail automation tool like PostGrid. Industry verticals, including healthcare, insurance, financial services, and more, can use PostGrid for sending important documents. 

You can send documents such as patient statements, payment reminders, event invites, invoices, etc., to the target audience. PostGrid enables you to automatically personalise, print, and deliver your letters so that you don’t have to learn how to mail a letter UK.

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HIPAA Compliant Direct Mail

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HIPAA Compliant Direct Mail

HIPAA is short for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The act is meant to protect the medical or health information of patients. It provides data confidentiality and security provisions for safeguarding sensitive information and allowing people to have better control over how their data is used.

HIPAA applies to all organizations, including healthcare institutions and pharmaceutical companies that deal with health information on a regular basis. These companies are called HIPAA-covered entities and are supposed to carry out all their offline and online communications under its provisions. Any violation of the HIPAA provisions could attract legal action and heavy penalties.

One of the main purposes of HIPAA is to regulate marketing activities that require dealing with PHI (Protected Health Information). While sending direct mail, including PHI, direct mail marketers must make sure to stay HIPAA compliant.

What is HIPAA?

HIPAA was brought into force in the year 1996 by Congress for two main reasons. The first reason was to regulate the use of PHI and protect it from fraud and misuse, while the other reason was to help people get healthcare insurance benefits while they shuffle between jobs.

HIPAA direct mail is crucial to establish patient communications through correspondence, keeping the patient’s information on priority. You cannot expose confidential information when sending a HIPAA direct mail including fingerprints, date of birth, Identification information, license and security numbers. With HIPAA compliance, businesses have the right to safeguard their personal information. Mail items are targeted to a specific demographic audience with content related to their health. These items include Explanation of Benefits (EOB), Patient billing statements, Patient letters and notices and, more.

Title 2 consists of the Privacy Rule that was established in 2003 and states the use and handling of PHI. It limits the disclosure of personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. As the name goes, the rule was formed to give absolute control of one’s own health information to people and prioritize their privacy. This rule was accompanied by several provisions and protocols that healthcare providers and other covered entities should strictly follow.

One of the other rules of HIPAA is the security rule that states everything regarding data stored and transmitted electronically. It also prohibits organizations from sharing sensitive information with third parties so that the privacy rule can be honoured. Similarly, the enforcement rule makes sure that all involved parties comply with HIPAA. All violation investigations are conducted under this rule.

What Is Protected Health Information or PHI?

We have already come across the term PHI, so let us know more about it. PHI could be any slightest information that reveals a person’s medical data or even their identity. Even a person’s name is considered as PHI that should be protected and kept private.

Find below a list of details considered as PHI:

• Name
• Email address
• Mailing address
• Date of birth
• Facial images
• IP address
• Medical statements
• Health insurance information
• National insurance number
• Phone number
• Availed health plans
• Any medical test reports
• Medical billing information
• Correspondence between medical staff pertaining to a patient’s health
• Biometric identifiers and anything that can possibly be related to a person’s health or identity

HIPAA-Covered Entities

Any business or individual handling PHI can be referred to as a “covered entity.” This term was coined for easy classification of entities and to determine whether they should be HIPAA compliant.

• Health plan entities like all the health insurance companies are covered entities and need to follow all HIPAA provisions strictly. Though not all their communications are covered under HIPAA, they always need to be careful.
• The next on the list is healthcare clearinghouses that process medical information. Clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, nursing homes, and even professionals like doctors, psychologists, and dentists are all covered.
• Other than all the healthcare providers listed above, there are more entities and people who need to remain HIPAA compliant. For example, clinical trial recruiters, someone working in an old age institution, or a home nurse. When it comes to communicating private medical data, especially via post, all related individuals and organizations are covered entities.
• All the above points talk about providers that directly or indirectly deal with medical data regularly. But, HIPAA applies to a lot more companies, such as a gym promoting their services based on people’s medical data or a belly band manufacturing company. Any company that is likely to use health information to promote its products and services is advised to comply with HIPAA. Not only that, since a person’s identity is also regarded as PHI, every company that uses names and mailing addresses to send out direct mail is the covered entity.
• Cloud hosting companies, email and direct mail solution providers, and fax and SMS service providers are also not excluded. Furthermore, firms storing PHI electronically, also called “business associates” who take data from covered entities for providing their services are indirectly covered under HIPAA.

The Royal Mail, FedEx, and other mail service providers are excluded from HIPAA because they don’t have access to view, create, receive, store, or transmit PHI. They merely take letters and parcels from one place and drop them off in another without knowing the exact contents of the mail.

HIPAA Compliant Mailing: The Use Cases

HIPAA compliant mailing service providers like PostGrid help you send high-quality items without displaying a patient’s health condition, finances, treatment-related data, and more that is kept private. In addition to this, HIPAA compliant mailing is one of the great ways for hospitals, healthcare marketers, etc. And, they can send the following documentation:

• Explanation of Benefits (EOB)
• Patient billing statements
• Patient letters and notices
• Medical statement inserts
• Patient or physician mailers

Sending HIPAA Compliant Direct Mail

Basically, HIPAA restricts all hospitals, nurseries, clinics, healthcare professionals, and other healthcare providers to share data with other companies for marketing purposes, although it doesn’t stop them from marketing their own services to their patients using PHI.

For example, a hospital can send direct mail, including information regarding their upcoming diabetes checkup drive to their old patients, irrespective of whether they are diabetes patients. Hence, they can use their own data for advertising but cannot share the same with outsiders.

So, what can covered entities and associated businesses do to remain HIPAA compliant? Firstly, they can send out all their communications using envelopes. Avoid sending postcards or self-mailers that allow the postal workers to view your mail. It is best to stuff your mail in sealed envelopes with no windows so that all PHI is completely kept hidden.

Secondly, select a HIPAA compliant direct mail solution provider like PostGrid. Its print and mail API can store your data securely while also assisting you in all your direct mail activities. Find below a few examples of healthcare documents that PostGrid can help you print and mail safely and legally:

• Medical statements
• Test reports
• Invoices
• Discharge summaries
• Medical receipts
• Patient letters
• Breach of security notifications
• EOB (Explanation of Benefits)
• EOC (Explanation of Coverage)

There are many benefits of sending mail through PostGrid. You can be relieved of the stress related to dealing with PHI. With PostGrid, you can make sure that all your data is handled well and all the HIPAA provisions are followed strictly, leaving no room for legal hassles.

Moreover, PostGrid offers cost-effective and all-in-one rates and speedy turnaround solutions for delivering your medical documents swiftly. Other than that, it also helps you with your direct mail planning, designing, printing, and tracking activities.

Some more tips for sending HIPAA compliant direct mail are:

• Obtain the explicit consent of patients prior to sending them any direct mail item.
• Send all correspondence via certified mail so that you can receive the recipient’s signature and proof of delivery. These things can safeguard you from any possible legal issues.
• Clearly state your company’s identity on all your mail items.
• Explain the purpose of your mail and how it is relevant to the recipient.

Wrapping Up

HIPAA is meant to safeguard the interests of the general public as data breaches are happening more regularly now. It states that all medical information must be used only for relevant purposes. Hence, healthcare institutions and providers are prohibited from sharing data with outside parties for any purpose, let alone selling it.

Following the rules laid down by HIPAA enables entities to avoid legal issues and fines. It also helps them target an audience relevantly and focus only on prospective customers.

Streamline your direct mail activities while conducting campaigns legally. No more manual effort or mental stress. Get Started with PostGrid’s direct mail API and automate everything.

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What Is Retail Marketing

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7 Retail Marketing Ideas to Attract More Prospects and Improve Your ROI

Starting a retail store takes a lot of investment, time, and effort. And once you are ready, you need a solid retail marketing strategy to get customers to walk through your doors and purchase products.

The UK retail industry already has over 300,000 businesses! A well-drafted marketing program that fits your brand’s goals and needs can help you stand out.

Luckily, you have many marketing channels and tools at your disposal. But selecting the best platforms where you can find and engage with your target customers is vital. 

This blog explores what is retail marketing while discussing many ideas, examples, and use cases to get you started!

Let us dive in!

What Is a Retail Marketing Strategy, and How Is It Beneficial?

Retail marketing comprises all the steps businesses take to invite customers to their stores and improve profitability.

It is a marketing mix of the four Ps- product, price, place, and promotion! Retailers must focus on these aspects to repeatedly prompt customers to buy their products over time!

Thus, a retail marketing strategy covers short-term and long-term goals and revenue! It helps you create brand awareness, push customers to choose your brand and retain them.

In-store marketing tactics include layout, signage, window displays, posters, and more! Though this retail marketing strategy allows you to make the shopping experience memorable for customers, it poses a challenge.

The challenge is to bring customers to your store!

How will they know about what you sell?

Do they have your store address?

Why should they choose you over your competitors?

Retail marketing answers these questions, allowing you to inform customers about your brand and give them an undeniable reason to visit you!

More benefits include:

• It helps improve your brand image and create trustworthy relationships.
• It allows people to learn about your brand and visit you.
• It drives repeat customers and brand loyalty.

A thoughtful and effective retail marketing strategy allows businesses to push buyers ahead of their sales funnel and become brand promoters in the long run!

You can draft a retail marketing strategy for your business and list the objectives. But it would be best to have adequate tools to bridge the gap between you and your customers.

Direct mail is an excellent choice for retailers to connect with their buyer personas with tailored messages. They can draft relevant postcards, business letters, or other formats and ship them to a segmented address list!

It allows them to speak 1:1 with the decision-makers without waiting for them to open an email or visit your social media pages.

Which Channels to Use for a Retail Marketing Strategy?

Retail marketing includes store-based, online, and offline marketing channels.

You may create a marketing mix that best suits your needs and budget!

A store-based retail marketing strategy is essential because almost all retailers optimise their stores to advertise products. They also instruct their floor staff to help customers find items and cross-sell simultaneously.

When you treat your customers well and fulfil their expectations, there are high chances they will return. Also, they might spread the word to their family, friends, and neighbours, helping you get more footfall.

You can include direct mail in this retail marketing strategy for higher results! For instance, you may print and mail marketing postcards to your prospects to grab their attention.

Add an offer and prompt them to visit you—to spread visibility and grow sales!

The good news is that you can combine mail marketing with other channels, like email, Google ads, and more!

PostGrid’s direct mail API integrates with your favourite marketing tools, like Salesforce, Zapier, Hubspot, and others. Thus, you may conduct an integrated retail marketing strategy to reach more customers and boost your ROI!

At PostGrid, we discuss with many clients- What is retail marketing and how to start without investing a lot of time and money?

Our long-term client, a leading electronics retailer, discussed this question with us a year ago.

They were already using word-of-mouth publicity with emails to get buyers to their offline stores.

But they needed to add a personal touch and personalisation, making an offline retail marketing strategy essential. It is when they started using our direct mail services to establish emotional bonds and leave an everlasting impression on their audience.

How Can Direct Mail Change The Retail Marketing Landscape?

Direct mail has been around for a long time! But more businesses are recognising its benefits recently as a way to break through the digital clutter. 

Marketing mail produces a £14 ROI on every £1 you spend! Also, 60% of direct mail recipients open their mailers, and 40% read the message.

These direct mail statistics highlight how mailing can add value to your retail marketing strategy and help you directly contact your prospects!

Online-only retailers can gain their audience’s trust by sending an offline message. It helps tell people you are a legitimate business serving a huge customer base!

Offline stores can add direct mail to their retail marketing strategy to send coupons, promo cards, postcards, and other items. They can ask customers to carry the mailer to the store for a discount.

This retail marketing strategy is one of the best ways to convince people to visit your store, drive sales, and improve brand awareness—all in one!

PostGrid’s direct mail services break down common traditional mailing myths!

Myth: Using direct mail for your retail marketing strategy is expensive. 

Fact: Our pricing plans help companies send mailers affordably in the UK and worldwide. 

Myth: Businesses cannot track direct mail. 

Fact: We help businesses track their retail marketing strategy results with custom QR codes, links, and coupon codes. They can also see their campaign progress in real-time.

Myth: You may need weeks or months to plan a direct mail campaign. 

Fact: PostGrid offers industry-best SLAs to launch a mailing campaign on your behalf whenever required! 

We can go on and on about how direct mail is now affordable, speedy, and result-driving! 

Initially, our client was sceptical about sending mailers under their retail marketing strategy because they believed it didn’t produce any results. But they wanted to give it a try!

Their first campaign generated a 22% response rate with over 10% conversions. It was a massive hit in driving sales and helped them gain more social media followers, proving direct mail is not dead. 

Click here to contact us for more information on how we help businesses send effective mailers. 

Top 7 Direct Mail Ideas for Your Retail Marketing Strategy’s Success

You can print and mail items to prospects and customers during every stage of their buying journeys. Understanding and fulfilling their needs at the correct time helps you create relevance and authority.

Here are the top seven ideas for your retail marketing strategy:

Introduce Your Business.

Most prospects are not sure of your company at the top of the sales funnel! They need clarification about who you are and which products you sell.

You can use your retail marketing strategy to connect with them at this stage and create brand awareness. It lets you list their problems or needs and inform them about your solutions!

Retailers can send an introductory business letter. Address the reader by their first name and use a format yet friendly tone. It helps break the ice and start a conversation!

Guarantee responses for your retail marketing strategy by adding compelling offers. Even a tiny 5% discount announcement enables retailers to get new customers to their stores.

Create Personal Connections With Marketing Postcards. 

Send custom postcards to your audience to evoke nostalgia and establish emotional bonds.

Use a short and sweet message that resonates with them and motivates readers to complete the CTA. It is the best retail marketing strategy that works at all stages of the advertising and selling processes.

Here are some examples:

• Holiday greeting postcards
• Birthday and anniversary wishes
• Event announcements
• Offer promotions
• Appreciation postcards

PostGrid’s direct mail API lets you send eye-catching postcards for your retail marketing strategy on every customer milestone. You may use our pre-built templates to create your postcards within minutes.

Our automated direct mail solutions assist you throughout the campaign, saving you time, effort, and money!

Redirect Customers to Your Online Stores. 

Linking your offline retail marketing strategy with online channels allows you to

• Reach a broader audience
• Boost visibility and brand recognition
• Maintain consistency across all platforms, and
• Drive higher sales

It helps you increase the number of touchpoints, enabling customers to engage with you on a platform they choose.

For example, you can initiate a multi-channel retail marketing strategy with direct mail and email.

Send your marketing emails after recipients get your customised direct mail item! Please use the same headings, offers, and CTAs to help readers remember you and respond!

Send Triggered Mail to Build Relevance. 

Triggered mailings for a retail marketing strategy are impactful because you can grab opportunities and send relevant mail pieces.

For instance, you may send a well-curated mail item to all prospects who

• Visit your website for the first time
• Purchase items
• Add things to their cart but didn’t complete checkout, or
• Complete another year of shopping with your company

Improve your retail marketing strategy’s response rate by connecting with customers when your brand is fresh on their minds. It increases your chances of converting prospects and generating repeat business.

Your existing customers also appreciate triggered mailings at ideal times, like their first-year anniversaries or when their subscriptions are about to expire.

Use the Ideal Direct Mail Format

Businesses can use several direct mail types for their retail marketing strategy according to their campaign’s purpose and message.

Short messages only need a small space, making postcards an apt choice. And you can use letters to explain your products in more detail.

Aside from the space, many factors decide which format to use for your retail marketing strategy, like

• Your target audience
• Promotional offers
• Campaign type

For example, you can print and mail educational newsletters to prospects who are yet to acquaint with your brand. It allows them to read up about your product range, paving the way to creating more conversions!

Postcards are your best choice if you are still determining which mailer type to use! They are personal, memorable, and effective! Also, they cost less, keeping your retail marketing strategy prices in control.

Letters are ideal for interacting with a more educated audience that knows about your company and is in the decision-making phase.

Create a Response Mechanism

It is vital to add trackable features to your mailers to guide prospects about what to do next! Try including QR codes, links, coupon codes, or custom contact numbers to tie responses to your retail marketing strategy and measure results.

PostGrid simplifies adding these features to your mail items without extra effort. And you can view the campaign insights through your dashboard.

Engage Old and Existing Customers

Your retail marketing strategy must pay equal attention to existing customers and prospects.

Generating repeat business from existing customers is more straightforward than acquiring new leads. Sending timely mail items to them helps turn them into loyal buyers and brand promoters over time!

Use your retail marketing strategy to appreciate people who purchase from you often and make them feel special. You may send a handwritten note inside a custom envelope they can store and cherish forever.

These small steps enable you to create a valuable network. Hence, if you introduce a new product line or participate in a trade show, you already have customers, attendees, and brand ambassadors to support you!

Direct Mail Use Cases for Your Retail Marketing Strategy

You can print and ship direct mailers in many ways to improve engagement and bring your audience closer to your brand.

Here are the use cases you can refer to for your campaigns:

Cross-Selling or Upselling Offers

Target high-ticket customers with personalised and cross-category promotions. It helps you keep in touch and motivate them to buy more items from your store.

You can use a customer-centric retail marketing strategy to consider their preferences and draft relevant offers.

Cross-sell and upsell campaigns allow you to produce recurring business from your existing customer base. It is the highest revenue source for all retailers and lets retailers cultivate brand loyalty.

Our client wanted to do something similar for their upcoming campaigns. They had already converted thousands of customers and decided to cross-sell other items.

PostGrid allowed them to print and mail square-shaped postcards with high-resolution graphics to do something unique. These postcards for their retail marketing strategy performed very well, with many recipients sharing pictures on social media!

Reactivation

You can use your customer base to learn who hasn’t purchased from you in a specific period, say six months. Then, you may launch a reactivation retail marketing strategy to promote discounted rates and win your customers back!

Web Targeting

Retailers can integrate our print and mail API into their website to launch web targeting campaigns. Send custom mailers to website visitors, shoppers, and customers who abandon shopping carts.

You may also use your retail marketing strategy to get back to prospects who fill out the contact form. Replying with a mail item makes an excellent first impression and helps you convert potential customers faster!

Location Targeting

Advertise offers and products to everyone within a radius of your store’s location. Send personalised mailers to create an impact and encourage readers to visit you.

Location-based marketing is the best retail marketing strategy to target people living closest to your store.

PostGrid allows you to send Royal Mail door-too-door items. This campaign lets you ship your marketing mailers to every household in specific postcodes or neighbourhoods.

Latest Edition Offers

Contacting your customers to announce your latest offers is another retail marketing strategy to help you grow! It allows you to create more conversion opportunities and increase sales.

Examples of Global Retail Brands Using Direct Mail

Many worldwide brands use direct mail for their retail marketing strategy to connect with their target audience. Here is an example of IKEA and how it incorporated traditional mailing:

It is a Swedish company selling homewares and furniture. IKEA has often integrated direct mail with its online marketing channels to get successful results. 

This company sends mailers with multiple discounts, promotions, and offers to raise awareness and encourage people to buy their products. 

Though its digital marketing plans perform well, this company generates more results with direct mailing. Hence, many people have noticed IKEA using traditional channels more often for their retail marketing strategy and other purposes. 

IKEA also sent magazine-style catalogues featuring its products in an appealing and attention-grabbing manner! 

PostGrid works with many commercial printers that prepare several direct mail formats. They can assist you in sending catalogues to your targeted audience! Drop an email at sales@postgrid.co.uk to discuss this further!

More Details About Using PostGrid’s Direct Mail Services to Send Personalised and Targeted Mailers

PostGrid’s direct mail and address verification services enable you to prepare and ship mailers to the correct addresses. They assist you in fulfilling your retail marketing strategy goals and driving new and repeat business!

Here is what our client shared with one of our account specialists during our recent monthly meeting—

“PostGrid helped our retail business to skyrocket its sales when we didn’t expect it to, with its incredible mailing solutions. More than a year ago, we didn’t understand how direct mail could be a valuable addition to your marketing efforts. Now, we send custom mail items monthly that significantly add to our revenue.” 

Below are our most helpful features that add value to our client’s business:

• Address validation: Companies can improve their retail marketing strategy by sending mailers to the correct destinations. PostGrid allows them to autocomplete, standardise, and verify delivery addresses to reduce mail returns and reshipping.  
• Bulk mailing: You may send on-demand or bulk mailers based on your needs and campaign goals. Our scalable solutions can help launch your small-scale or large-scale retail marketing strategy at the same speed and efficiency. 
• Campaign reports: You may view your retail marketing strategy’s performance reports via your dashboard. PostGrid lets you stay updated and improve your upcoming campaigns based on detailed insights and analytics. 

Sign up to learn more about sending automated direct mail under your retail marketing strategy with PostGrid!

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The post What Is Retail Marketing appeared first on PostGrid UK.

Via https://www.postgrid.co.uk/what-is-retail-marketing/

source https://postgridunitedkingdom.weebly.com/blog/what-is-retail-marketing

source https://rubyhbenson.blogspot.com/2023/04/what-is-retail-marketing.html

Edtech Marketing

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Edtech Marketing Strategies in 2023

Educational institutions saw some revolutionary changes in the last couple of years. We have gone from a classroom education system to an entirely digitised education model. Although the transition was not the smoothest ever, it has become the new norm.

Ed tech products are rapidly growing to meet the expectations of educational institutions and their students. However, most educational institutions are unaware of the progress in EdTech and its advantages.

EdTech companies need to develop an effective EdTech marketing strategy to raise awareness and generate leads for their business. To do this, EdTech companies need to keep themselves updated on the latest EdTech market trends.

This article will take you through some leading Ed-Tech marketing trends and strategies you can follow to get the best result for your business.

Top 7 EdTech Market Trends To Watch Out For In 2023

With the growing demand for EdTech solutions, the EdTech marketing strategies are also rapidly changing. The conventional marketing strategy other industry verticals use may not work well for EdTech companies.

Listed below are seven of the most promising methods of marketing for education companies. Effectively implementing the following EdTech marketing strategies will help you target your campaigns better and boost your conversion rate.

#1 Prioritise Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is now a standard marketing strategy for every online marketing campaign. However, the significance of SEO for Ed Tech marketing is not something you want to underestimate. Most educational institutes or schools are still not familiar with EdTech solutions.  

The internet is the number one place the decision-makers from educational institutions turn to for EdTech-related queries and content. Some of the common questions educational institutions search for answers on search engine includes:

• Questions related to organising online classes.
• Platforms for managing online courses and other educational activities.
• Search for EdTech companies capable of providing the desired EdTech solutions.

As you can see, SEO optimisation can lead you directly to conversions. Furthermore, educational institutions that search for EdTech solutions have a genuine intent to buy, unlike the customers of commercial products.

Hence, EdTech companies must prioritise SEO and focus on improving the SERP rankings on all major search engines, including Google.

#2 Email Marketing Is Highly Effective In Education Industry

Generally speaking, email marketing is not the most effective marketing strategy you can find today. However, email marketing is significantly more effective in education than in other industry verticals. 

Understand The Interests And Pain Points Of The Prospects

To ensure the success of your EdTech email marketing campaign, you need to understand the interests and pain points of the prospects. Furthermore, it would be best if you try to understand the different decision-makers in educational institutions to ensure the email resonates with them.

Automate Your Email Marketing

EdTech companies can save time by automating their email marketing campaigns. It enables you to manage your email creation and segment your sending lists easily. Mailchimp, Hubspot, Marketo, etc., are some of the most popular email marketing tools you can use.

Avoid Spamming And Minimise Bounce Rates

When implementing an email marketing campaign, you need to avoid spamming users. The best way to accomplish this is to ensure that you follow all email marketing standards. Additionally, you must provide the quality of your sending list to minimise bounce rates.

#3 Use Direct Mail Marketing For A High Response Rate

Direct mail marketing may sound like an outdated marketing strategy for an EdTech company. But, the truth is that direct mail has one of the highest response rates among both online and offline communication channels.

Direct Mail Offers A High Open Rate 

Direct mail offers a fresh alternative to the mainstream marketing approach that feels less intrusive to the customers. Furthermore, direct mail has a high open rate, unlike email marketing messages that can sometimes go unread by the recipients.

Major Communication Channel For Educational Institutions

Educational institutions still use direct mail as an effective communication channel. They send brochures, notices etc., to the students and parents via direct mail. Similarly, they treat inbound direct mail with the same significance, which means educational institutions will likely notice your EdTech direct mail.

Automate Your Direct Mail Campaigns

Many direct mail automation tools are available in the market today with advanced capabilities. You can use software solutions like PostGrid to personalise, print, and deliver direct mail to your target audience. Furthermore, it lets you connect direct mail campaigns with other marketing channels to implement multi or omnichannel marketing campaigns.

#4 Personalise Messages And Explain How You Can Solve The Customer’s Problem

Personalisation is the key to a successful EdTech marketing strategy. EdTech marketing campaigns are unlike marketing campaigns used for commercial products and services. The pain points in EdTech affect a more significant number of people, including students and teachers.

Focus On The Pain Points Instead Of The Solution

It would be best to avoid common marketing pitfalls such as focusing the marketing campaign on the solution instead of the pain points. The customer doesn’t need to know how your solution is technologically superior to the competition. Instead, explain how your technology can solve the problem educational institutions face.

Use Simple And Easily Understandable Language

Marketing for education companies should be easily understandable to the customer. Many decision-makers in educational institutions are not familiar with complex tech terms. Hence, use language that is understandable even for a child and ensure that the customer understands what you are offering them. 

#5 Employ Video Marketing For Flexible And Engaging Content

Videos are one of the easiest and most convenient ways to convey a message to a wide range of audiences. The masses easily understand them, and you can use attractive illustrations or graphics to convey your message better.

Use Videos To Showcase The Salient Features

Videos are a great way to showcase the unique features of your EdTech product to educational institutions. You can even include a brief text description inside the videos to ensure that no detail or features about your product are missed.

YouTube Or Private Video Hosting

One of the things EdTech businesses should keep in mind when using video marketing is hosting. Using YouTube for video hosting can ensure that your videos are easily accessible and have less loading time. However, YouTube videos also have ads and can disrupt the user experience. 

Custom video platforms like Wistia offer excellent visibility and advanced user engagement features. However, such platforms are usually costly.

#6 Leverage The Power Of Social Media

Social media platforms are one of the most popular channels for Ed Tech Marketing. They give you an easy way to promote your EdTech product without paying for it. You can even target specific target demographics through social media ads. However, you will have to shell out money for social media ads.

Target Social Media Groups

One way to generate leads for your EdTech marketing strategy is to target social media groups. Make sure that the groups you target have members that fall into your target audience. Additionally, be careful not to go overboard with such marketing efforts as you may end up getting blocked.

#7 Employ Pay Per Click Marketing (PPC) For Boosting Leads

Employing Pay Per Click Marketing or PPC campaigns for your business is one of the easiest ways to boost business leads. However, you should also consider that PPC campaigns can be expensive, especially if you use high-demand keywords.

Google Adwords

Although there are several PPC marketing providers in the market, Google Adwords is by far the most preferred one. Make sure that you set a daily budget and carefully think through your ad parameters to get optimal results. A few things you need to consider when creating your PPC campaign include the following:

• The type of visitor you want to target.
• The timing of your PPC campaign.
• The geography of ad placement.

Conclusion

The growth of technology in education in recent years is nothing short of impressive. EdTech has grown by leaps and bounds as it has accommodated the growing needs of digital learning. With more and more educational institutions modernising their operations, EdTech is bound to keep on growing.

Hence, the significance of marketing for education companies is now more prevalent than ever. EdTech marketing strategy must incorporate the latest automation tools for getting the best possible results. Furthermore, EdTech companies need to diversify their marketing channels for ensuring maximum reach.

Using unique EdTech marketing strategies like direct mail lets you capture customer attention and enhance your marketing reach. Furthermore, you can also use automation software like PostGrid to optimise your marketing campaigns.

It enables you to print and deliver personalised letters, postcards, and more to your target audience with the click of a button. Similarly, it would be best if you used smart solutions to enhance the reach of your ED Tech marketing campaigns across a variety of channels and platforms.

The post Edtech Marketing appeared first on PostGrid UK.

Via https://www.postgrid.co.uk/edtech-marketing-strategies/

source https://postgridunitedkingdom.weebly.com/blog/edtech-marketing8985945

source https://rubyhbenson.blogspot.com/2023/04/edtech-marketing.html