Friday, March 31, 2023

Direct Marketing: What, Why, How and Examples

What Is Direct Marketing, And What Are Its Benefits For Your Business?

Imagine seeing an advertisement on YouTube. The skip button is the first thing you look for even before finding what the ad is about. Now, imagine getting a personalised postcard addressing you personally with a product/service you are interested in or like.

direct mail marketing

Which of these ads is likely to grab your attention? If your answer is the postcard, then you already understand the effectiveness of direct marketing in a broad sense. As a business owner or marketer, wouldn’t it make more sense to market your business similarly?

Learning how it works and the different ways you can market your business directly to customers could be a game-changer for your company. Below we discuss what is direct marketing and why it is so crucial and beneficial for your business.

So, let us take a deeper look at direct marketing and how you can implement it for your business.

What is Direct Marketing?

Every business owner and marketer has at least once heard about direct marketing and its potential to boost sales. As the name implies, direct marketing involves marketing products and services directly to a pre-selected target audience.

One thing that makes this marketing strategy unique is that one of its primary goals is to initiate a personal relationship with the customer. A direct marketing campaign can use more than one marketing channel to convey the message efficiently to the target audience.

Traditional marketing channels randomly target prospects and hope the relevant audience will notice them. Direct marketing allows you to narrow down on relevant audiences, which ultimately results in higher response and conversion rates.

direct mail operations

How Does Direct Marketing Work?

We have already established that direct marketing campaigns communicate directly with the target audience. Companies can use any communication channel that best suits their requirements for their direct campaigns. The most preferred channels for direct campaigns are

  • Mail
  • Email
  • Social media
  • Phone/SMS

You are likely already using at least one of the above communication channels for marketing purposes. But are you using those channels to their full potential? That is the question that you need to ask yourself.

Quality Over Quantity

You may notice that every one of the channels above is more than capable of reaching out to a massive number of people. Yet, experienced direct marketing experts never make the mistake of focusing on quantity rather than quality.

Prioritise Personalisation

The success of direct marketing in Australia is not in its extensive reach but in sending personalised marketing messages that connect with the target. Personalised marketing means everything from the offer you pitch to using the customer’s name in the marketing message.

The more personalised your direct marketing, the more likely you will get a positive response from your target audience. Of course, it also depends on how well you target your campaign. There is no point in sending flyers for a bike insurance package to an elderly community, even if you address the audience by their name.

Always Have a Call To Action (CTA)

Another noticeable aspect of direct marketing is that it always has an attractive CTA or Call To Action. The CTAs are an integral and essential part of direct marketing. It urges your target audience to respond to your marketing message. Typically the type of response in your direct campaign includes

  • Scanning a QR code
  • Clicking on a link
  • Calling a toll-free phone number
  • Sending a reply card
  • And more

Any response to your direct marketing campaign is a positive indicator. Hence, it would be a good idea to take your time to come up with an attractive CTA for direct response marketing.

Why Is Direct Marketing Important For Your Business?

Now that we know what is direct marketing and how it works, it is time to answer the more important question. Why is it so crucial for your business organisation to use direct response marketing?

What is the reason why more and more businesses are adopting direct marketing? We can give you not one but four reasons why your business needs direct response marketing.

1. Direct Marketing Enables Your To Reach Customers Fast

As we explained, you can use several channels to deliver your direct marketing message. It includes communication channels like email, text messages, etc. These communication channels can send your marketing message directly to your customers instantaneously.

Furthermore, several direct marketing tools can help you create and streamline your direct campaigns. You can optimise your direct mail campaigns using advanced tools like PostGrid. It minimises the time for printing and delivering marketing materials significantly.

2. Direct Marketing Is Perfect For Your Promotional Strategies

As we have mentioned above, the best aspect of a direct marketing campaign is its ability to target a specific audience. Suppose the audience of your marketing campaign is genuinely interested in what you are offering. In that case, it is more likely to generate a response.

Furthermore, the focused nature of the campaign ensures the maximum efficiency of your promotional message. In other words, you can create a marketing message with a particular customer persona in mind. It is almost like writing a personal letter to someone you know well.

3. Direct Marketing Is Customisable

What makes direct marketing such a formidable strategy in marketing is its ability to be personalised or customised. Personalised messages have a significant impact on prospective customers. Of course, this is under the assumption that you have the relevant customer data required for the personalisation.

For instance, let’s say your customer database includes information about your target audience, such as

  • Age
  • Income range
  • Browsing habits
  • And more

You can use all this information to determine which product/service, tone of voice, etc., is ideal for your direct marketing campaign. In other words, you can develop customised marketing content for all your prospective and existing customers.

4. Direct Marketing Is Measurable

Measuring the effectiveness of your marketing campaign is much easier for a direct marketing campaign. All you have to do is keep track of the response you get for a specific CTA you used for the campaign. If it’s a toll-free number, count the number of calls you received.

But, many advanced options provide better measurability and insights for your marketing efforts. For example, you can use a QR code in your direct mail campaign to take the customer to your website or landing page.

Once the target audience reaches your website/landing page, you can gather the necessary information using your existing analytic tools.

What Are The Benefits Of Using Direct marketing For Your Business?

There are numerous advantages of using direct marketing for your business. You may have already noticed some of these benefits from what we discussed so far. But, to be safe, let us list and explain the benefits of marketing your product or service directly to your target audience.

Targeted Marketing

Perhaps, the most compelling benefit direct marketing Australia offers your business is the ability to target marketing/advertising. When your target prospects are genuinely interested in the product/service you provide, you effectively increase the chance of a conversion.

Better targeting also leads to better marketing content and messages, which you can repurpose for future marketing campaigns. In short, direct marketing allows you to understand your target audience better and develop more effective marketing communications for your business.

Budget Marketing

Employing direct marketing for your business enables you to focus on specific demographics you want to target. What does that mean for your business? You might wonder. Well, it lets your business set feasible sales targets for your business.

As a result, your business can improve sales while keeping your marketing budget in check. It means your company can run direct marketing campaigns at a fraction of the cost of standard broadcasting promotions.

You can also consider using advanced automated systems for your marketing campaigns as they minimise wastage. For example, a direct mail automation system like PostGrid ensures accurate delivery of your marketing materials. It saves you valuable time and money on direct mail marketing and optimises your marketing expenses.

Increase Sales To Existing And Lapsed Customers

As you know, it is significantly easier for companies to generate sales from their existing customers than to pursue new leads. It is true in the case of direct marketing too. Your current customers are already familiar with your brand, and some trust already exists in them.

When re-establishing relationships with lapsed customers, direct marketing could be the ultimate tool at your disposal. For example, you could send a direct mail postcard to your lapsed customers with a custom discount offer. It can be an effective way to reconnect with your customers.

Not to mention the personal nature of direct mail postcards, which boosts the chance of generating a response. One of the best direct marketing examples is systems like PostGrid even offer a scheduled mail feature. It allows you to set a time when the system can automatically send mailers to your inactive customers.

Enhance Customer Loyalty

Another benefit of direct marketing Australian business organisations should be aware of is its ability to enhance customer loyalty. When building and maintaining customer relationships, you can’t find a better option than communicating directly with the customers.

Think about it; direct marketing is one of the few strategies that appeal directly to the customer using personalised content. And since you are targeting your existing customers, you already have all the data you might need.

You have the customer’s basic details and know what kind of product/service the customer is interested in. So, all that’s left for you is to use this data to reconnect with the customer and strengthen the relationship.

Combining your business’s customer loyalty programs with your direct marketing techniques cements your bond with customers. Some effective strategies for boosting customer loyalty include

  • Giving discount offers
  • Sending birthday cards
  • Inviting customers to special events
  • Early access to online sales

Excellent Launching Pad For New Businesses

If your business organisation is relatively new, direct marketing Australia can be an excellent launching pad for your business. By facilitating effective communication with your target audience, direct campaigns increase sales.

More to the point, you can create genuine advocates for your brand through effective direct marketing techniques. Furthermore, direct response marketing makes it easier for new business organisations to adapt and respond to changing market requirements.

Some of the other ways new businesses can benefit from direct marketing include

  • Market-specific products and boost their sales
  • Efficiently clear discontinued stock
  • Easily renew sales
  • Boost customer retention rates
  • Cultivate customer loyalty
  • Conduct follow-ups on promotional offers

Measure product performance

Suppose you are trying to determine the demand for a specific product or service your company offers. In that case, direct marketing might be your answer. As you know, marketing directly to the customer enables you to try out new markets and evaluate your sales result.

Furthermore, it allows you to measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts for specific products/services. As a result, marketers can adjust or modify their marketing efforts to get the best possible outcome for their direct marketing campaigns.

However, to do this effectively, you or whoever is in charge of marketing must monitor and analyse marketing results. It is significantly more manageable if you use a direct marketing tool like PostGrid because it lets you access detailed insights and analytic data.

Types Of Direct Marketing You Can Use For Your Business

Business organisations can categorise their direct marketing efforts into different groups depending on their communication channel. Below we discuss some of the best and most effective ways to market your business directly to the target audience.

Direct Mail

Some might think that a traditional marketing channel like direct mail is out of place in this list. But, hear us out. There is a reason why business organisations, including large enterprises, continue to use direct mail as one of their trusted direct marketing channels.

The short answer to why you must use direct mail as a marketing channel is that it is highly effective. It is so effective that its ROI is significantly higher than most direct and digital marketing campaigns. Furthermore, mailing or sending bulk mail for your business is no longer a messy and endless process.

Automated direct mail tools like PostGrid enable you to send direct mail to your target audience effortlessly. You can easily customise the direct marketing campaigns by integrating PostGrid’s API into your existing systems or CRMs.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is another famous example of direct marketing that can benefit your business. There is a reason why marketers call email the currency of the internet. Almost every person browsing the internet has an email address, which makes it an ideal marketing channel.

Email marketing is an excellent way for businesses to generate leads. However, you may find that the open and response rate for email marketing is below that of direct mail. Because let’s face it, we all tend to ignore our emails, sometimes without a valid reason. 

On the other hand, email marketing is much faster and more flexible for your direct marketing needs. And there are so many specialised tools in the market that you will have no problem automating your email campaigns.

Social Media Marketing

They say- to reach the right audience, you must go to the right place, and social media is THE right place. Where else can you find millions of people brandishing aesthetics and celebrating their taste more openly than on social media? Social media platforms are a perfect fit for direct marketing

You can use organic social media marketing to build a community for your brand and develop customer relationships. But what makes it one of the best direct marketing examples is that it enables you to target specific audiences. 

Social media giants like Facebook (Meta) have so many advanced targeting and marketing features that some companies depend entirely on social media marketing. Hence, it is easy and convenient for businesses to execute direct marketing campaigns via social media platforms.

SMS Marketing

SMS marketing is an example of direct marketing, which involves sending permission-based text messages to the target audience. The basic working of SMS marketing is no different from email marketing, except that here you use the customer’s phone number.

You can send all kinds of marketing messages via SMS marketing, including 

  • Updates 
  • Promos
  • Discount offers
  • Event Invitations
  • Sales notification
  • And more.

The upside of using SMS marketing is that it offers a quick and cost-effective way to reach out to your prospects. On the flip side, SMS or text messages can only accommodate text content, and you miss the chance to utilise pictures.

Telemarketing

Telemarketing is what marketers might call a classic example of direct marketing. It involves calling prospective customers over the phone and convincing them to take the desired action. In most cases, this desired action is buying a product or service from your business.

The typical process in telemarketing involves multiple sales representatives reaching out to potential customers. Of course, you also have the option to outsource call centres. One significant advantage of this direct marketing is the human capability to be persistent and convincing to the audience.

Besides that, you also get a real-time response from the audience. Hence, there is no waiting around, hoping the customer will take your bait and get in touch with you. It is no wonder that telemarketing is still one of the most commonly used direct marketing examples.

Leaflet Marketing

Leaflet marketing is one of the best direct marketing examples for small businesses. Small-scale businesses love leaflet marketing because it offers a simple and affordable way for businesses to reach out to their customers.

In addition, leaflet marketing has an outstanding response rate provided that you execute it right. You can even automate the whole process using tools like PostGrid. Your direct marketing campaign becomes a whole lot easier with an automated solution.

And since Australia Post offers Unaddressed Mail, you can have your leaflets delivered directly to their doorstep. Of course, you would have to figure out local areas with clusters of target audiences. Luckily, PostGrid even offers geocoding and Geo-mapping capabilities to streamline your direct marketing campaign.

Other Direct Marketing

There are several other direct marketing examples that you can try out for your business, such as

  • Direct selling
  • Catalogues
  • Push notification marketing
  • And more

The key is analysing your marketing requirements, target audience, and budget to narrow in on the most appropriate direct marketing method. You should also consider if you can automate the marketing campaign as it can save a lot of time and eliminate errors.

Conclusion

It is high time that business organisations learn what is direct marketing and why it is essential in today’s business environment. Many companies are still in the dark about marketing their business directly to customers.

If done correctly, direct marketing can offer so much to businesses. The sooner you realise it, the better it is for your business. Implementing direct advertising for your business is not that big of a challenge if you have the right set of tools.

Take PostGrid, for example. It is a direct mail automation tool that lets your print and deliver personalised marketing messages to the target audience. As a result, your direct marketing campaigns become much more streamlined and error-free.

Similarly, other advanced automated solutions for various direct marketing channels can help you. Hence, every company must make it a point to do its research to run effective marketing campaigns that yield the best possible results.

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The post Direct Marketing: What, Why, How and Examples appeared first on PostGrid.



source https://www.postgrid.com.au/direct-marketing/

source https://postgridaustralia.blogspot.com/2023/03/direct-marketing-what-why-how-and.html

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Direct Mail Formats

Direct Mail Formats: How to Choose the Right One and What Are Their Benefits?

Direct mail campaigns need a lot of planning regarding the target prospects, timing, budget, and formats. These factors also determine the scope of your campaign and help you predict results.

Hence, it is crucial to gather all your teams, align your goals, and then decide on the marketing outline.

australia post bulk mail postage costs and rates

You need collateral that grabs your audience’s attention and best communicates your marketing message. It should be pleasing to your prospects and have the ability to take them ahead of their customer journeys.

There is a wide variety of direct mail formats you can use, from small postcards to letter packages. Each type has its advantages and characteristics that you must consider before picking one for your mailing strategy.

In this blog, we will talk about all the cool direct mail formats that you use to increase your campaign’s engagement levels. Let’s begin!

How to Choose the Ideal Direct Mail Formats For My Campaign?

Some marketers make this decision at the last minute or even leave it up to the designing team to choose mail collateral. Naturally, it becomes more of a preference than a well-thought plan.

If your business also does so, you need to break this pattern! It is time to take a step ahead and put more thought into your direct mail format ideas. Here are some aspects that can help you select the ideal collateral type:

Your Marketing Goals

Determining the purpose of your campaign can help you make the right decisions at every stage. It is essential that when a prospect views your mail, they understand its meaning and act accordingly.

You may conduct a mailing campaign for the following reasons:

  • Promoting a new product or service
  • Launching a new franchise
  • Introducing a new range of products
  • Generating fresh leads to increase sales
  • Upselling to existing customers, etc.

Usually, all direct mail formats are ideal for specific sets of situations. Therefore, understand your goals in-depth and see which marketing mail type matches them the most.

The Product or Service You Want to Sell

A retail product may not need you to produce and mail expensive and creative direct mail formats. However, you need to invest more and develop something unique for selling a luxury item to a niche audience.

Your Budget

The most crucial deciding factor is your marketing budget! If you need to execute a campaign on a tight budget, use direct mail formats affordable to print and distribute in large volumes.

Your budget affects two things the most:

  • The quality of your mailers
  • Mailing volume

Most marketers focus on either one of the two to conduct a result-driving campaign!

Target Audience

Your target prospects also dictate your choice of advertising mail format. You cannot send the same type of mailers to every segment of your audience and expect the best outcomes.

Businesses must segment their audience into different groups depending on their demographics. It allows them to design custom mailers that are relevant to their requirements.

Your Messaging

Does your mail format have enough space to fit your message? Is your collateral not matching the theme of your messaging? These questions can help you pick direct mail formats that help your copy pop and drive more responses.

direct mail operations

Which Direct Mail Formats Are the Most Popular?

Below, we have compiled a list of direct mail types that you should look into for conducting effective and profitable campaigns:

Letters

Marketing letters are personal, explanatory, and persuading. They can help you build personal relationships with your audience and ask them to complete the call to action.

Letters have a professional or formal look, but you can personalise them to connect with the readers emotionally. Hence, it is one of the best direct mail formats that wins over prospects with specially-curated messages.

Compared to other creative direct mail formats, letters are simple and elegant. They also don’t have any unique design elements. Though that would work great for some B2B products and services, you should think of ways to make them look less like spam mail.

You can try using colourful envelopes with one-line teasers that entice recipients to open your letter and read ahead.

Highlights:

Postcards

Postcards are rectangular-shaped direct mail formats ideal for communicating short messages. You can use them in landscape or portrait orientation based on your artwork. PostGrid’s direct mail services offer several postcard design templates to enable you to create your artwork effortlessly.

If you want to increase your open rates, postcards can help you achieve this goal because they don’t require envelopes. Recipients can simply flip the postcard and see your message.

Postcards come in various sizes, from standard 6 x 11 to oversized. The large-sized ones help you stand out from the other mail items that a person gets in their mailbox. Also, it makes a better impression and motivates prospects to respond.

Highlights:

  • Small and compact
  • Attention-grabbing
  • Flexible to use
  • Long-lasting
  • Useful as coupons
  • Excellent for promoting events

Self-Mailers

Self-mailers are also direct mail formats that don’t require an envelope for direct mailing. But, they are different from postcards because of their foldability. You can send self-mailers that are double-fold, triple-fold, gate-fold, Z-fold, etc., according to the number of sections you want to include.

Flyers, brochures, leaflets, etc., are also self-mailers that you can employ for your campaign. They are relatively inexpensive to produce and are more visually appealing than letters.

Furthermore, these direct mail formats are usually not personalised, making them easily shareable

Highlights:

  • Affordable and easy to track using QR codes and pURLs
  • Easily incorporated into broader marketing strategies
  • Increase brand visibility

Catalogues

If the word catalogues bring bulky books to your mind, it is time to change that misconception. Businesses continue to print such heavy catalogues but not for mailing.

Instead, they produce smaller versions and mail them in direct mail formats to help recipients get a glimpse into their products. Then, they can visit the company website online or view the digital catalogue to learn more and order.

Catalogues are not apt for every company, but they can do wonders for industries like interior items, paints, veneers, electrical equipment, etc.

Highlights:

  • Ideal for demonstrating several products in one place
  • Giving numerous options to prospects to induce sales
  • Driving recipients to your website

Newsletters

They are one of the most underrated cool direct mail formats because businesses don’t know how to use offline newsletters. But, it is simple! You can start by printing out copies of the same newsletter you send to your prospects via email now and then.

Then, compile a targeted mailing list to mail your newsletters and drive responses. The key is to add an exciting offer and upfront CTA to guide readers on what to do next. 

Highlights:

  • Best for educating prospects and customers about the latest news and industry trends
  • Showcasing your expertise in the field
  • Keeping readers hooked on upcoming issues and engaging them on other platforms

How Can PostGrid’s Direct Mail Formats Help You Boost Your Campaign Results?

PostGrid offers several direct mailing collateral options to fit your expectations. But, it offers something way more helpful—automated solutions. Yes, you got that right! Our services allow you to conduct direct mail campaigns online without you having to do anything.

PostGrid’s direct mail API lets you design and print your direct mail formats in only two business days. Our vast network of established printers helps print your items in top-notch quality and prepare them for mailing. From stuffing to affixing postage stamps, you can outsource every minor step using PostGrid.

Thus, you can save tons of effort, costs, and time—assets invaluable to a company! Also, you get many other features, like:

Conclusion

There are many direct mail formats that you can try out for your mailing campaigns. Thankfully, PostGrid offers A/B testing to help you determine which mail types work in your favour. You can send out small batches to check the performance levels and modify your campaign.

Furthermore, PostGrid’s direct mail fulfilment service allows companies to automate everything and sit back. Thus, they can conduct large-volume, highly-effective campaigns from the comfort of their homes or offices. Furthermore, they also have the choice to send on-demand direct mail formats as and when the need arises.

Are you willing to incorporate PostGrid’s automated direct mail API into your system to create and mail the best direct mail formats? Request a demo now and see PostGrid in action!

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The post Direct Mail Formats appeared first on PostGrid.



source https://www.postgrid.com.au/direct-mail-format/

source https://postgridaustralia.blogspot.com/2023/03/direct-mail-formats.html

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

US Address Format

How to Use the US Address Format Correctly

Using the correct format while addressing an envelope or package helps you ensure that it reaches the correct destination. Also, it helps the postal service to mail your items efficiently and speedily.

us address format

However, we often forget about checking the American address format before sending something to the US. It can result in various issues, like delays, returns, and lost mail. Hence, taking out a moment of your time to cross-check your address format can save you a lot of trouble.

While mailing from Australia, you should take care that you write the US address according to the United States Postal Service (USPS) address format. It speeds up the delivery process and eliminates any unnecessary trouble.

Keep reading this blog to know how to write an address US. We will also discuss some tips that will help you make your mailing addresses valid and deliverable.

How to Write US Address on Envelope or Parcel

US mailing addresses usually range from three to six lines. Find below the components of the US address format:

Recipient’s Name

Always write the recipient’s name on the first line. It is also called the attention line, so you can begin by writing “ATTN” or “ATTENTION.”

Company’s Name

You can mention the company’s name on the second line. Some people write the company’s name on the first line if they aren’t sure of the recipient’s name.

Delivery Address

The third line typically consists of the street address. The USPS also refers to it as the delivery address line. Some examples of US street addresses are:

  • 106 DOYERS ST
  • 8 ARLINGTON DR
  • 599 NW BAY BLVD
  • 72 ANDERSON PL

As you can see, there are several abbreviations in street addresses. For example, ST stands for ‘Street,’ BLVD stands for ‘Boulevard,’ and PL stands for ‘Place.’ You can check the complete list of abbreviations on the USPS website.

Also, you should use the correct abbreviations for street directional, like N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE, SW.

City, State, and ZIP code

The second last line has three crucial elements of an American mailing address: city, state, and ZIP code.

The US addresses also use the state abbreviation instead of the name, like Australian addresses. So, write the city name at the beginning of the line, followed by the 2-digit state abbreviation.

Again, make sure to use the correct abbreviation as prescribed by the USPS.

The last thing you should add to this line is the ZIP code. It works in the same way as postcodes work in Australia. However, postcodes have only four numbers, whereas ZIP codes range up to nine digits.

Most people only use the 5-digit ZIP codes. But, it is advisable to add ZIP+4 codes (the additional digits added to ZIP codes) to ensure accurate mailing.

This line should look something like this:

ALLENTOWN PA 18101 0598

Country Name

The correct US address format while sending mail from Australia has the word ‘USA’ on the last line. If you want, you may write ‘United States of America,’ but it is recommended to write ‘USA.’

It is one of the most significant aspects of your mailing address while mailing internationally.

So, the US address format is:

Recipient’s full name
Company name
Street address
City, state, ZIP code
Country name

Here’s an example of an American address according to the above format:

CAROLINE MILLER
JSP INC
105 KROME AVE
MIAMI FL 33185 3700
USA

direct mail operations

Different Types of US Letter Address Formats

Apart from the standard US address format that we discussed above, there are some variations that you should about.

Residential Addresses

While mailing a residential address, you need not add the company name on the second line. You can begin with the recipient’s name and add the street address on the following line.

ALARIC DIAS
8 ONTARIO ST
CLEVELAND OH 44113-1602
USA

PO BOX Addresses

The US shipping address format for PO boxes is not very different from the other address formats. You only need to replace the street address with a PO box number.

Here’s an example:

STUART GELLER
TROPIC PRODUCTIONS LTD
PO BOX 6903
LOS ANGELES CA 90079 6285
USA

Note: If you want, you can also add the street address on the line above the PO Box number.

Military Addresses

The US military address format is a little tricky. On the first line, write the full name of the service member you are mailing. You may or may not add the rank, grade, etc.

If you don’t know the name, you can add a specific title, like Supply Officer, Commanding Officer, etc.

Also, add the unit designation and FPO/APO details with a ZIP code.

Below is an example of a US military address:

SGT JACE SMITH
UNIT 1582 BOX 174
APO AE 09350

Addresses With Secondary Details

Add an extra line to your address in cases where you need to mention additional address details, like a suite number. For example:

ANNA PARKER
SUITE 20 A
10 CAMPBELL AVE
TUCSON AZ 85641 0189
USA

Crucial Guidelines to Follow While Writing US Addresses

Below are some essential and helpful guidelines that can help you write US addresses correctly:

  • Write your mailing address in uppercase letters and refrain from using punctuation.
  • Leave one space between the city name and state abbreviation and two spaces between the state abbreviation and ZIP code.
  • Use black (any dark-coloured ink) on white paper (any light-coloured paper).
  • Use simple and legible fonts.
  • Keep your address parallel to the longest side of your mail item.
  • Always place the postage and the address on the same side.
  • Avoid using extra glossy envelopes. It is advisable to avoid any coated or shiny paper stock altogether.
  • The postal sorting equipment reads your mailing addresses from the bottom up. So, do not interchange any lines, like adding the suite number below the delivery address line instead of above.
  • You may use words such as ‘RESIDENT’ OR ‘OCCUPANT’ if you aren’t sure of the recipient’s full name.

This is custom heading element

Not following the proper US address format can lead to delays and lost mail. Your mail may be misdirected or misrouted easily due to an incorrect address format.

Hence, it is significant to write your mailing addresses the right way and follow all the guidelines closely. However, you may face difficulties cross-checking addresses and following the format all the time. Also, it takes a lot of effort to verify every abbreviation and ZIP code before mailing.

PostGrid’s address verification API and software can help you solve these problems. They allow you to verify any number of mailing addresses in no time. Furthermore, you can standardise your addresses according to the prescribed format simultaneously.

Find below some more useful features of PostGrid’s address verification:

  • Fuzzy matching: Our API can fix all addressing errors, like incorrect abbreviations, missing ZIP codes, spacing errors, etc.
  • Autocomplete: It can also auto-complete addresses using geocoding. For example, if your customers want to shop online from your website, the API auto-fills their address details when they start typing them.
  • CASS-certified: PostGrid is CASS-certified; hence all the addresses are verified as per the authoritative database of the USPS.
  • Zero-code integration: You don’t need technical or coding expertise to integrate our API into your CRM.
  • NCOA: PostGrid also takes the National Change of Address (NCOA) data file into consideration while verifying your addresses. So, you can be assured that you have all the current mailing addresses only.

Conclusion

We hope this article enables you to understand how do US addresses work. Make sure to identify which type of address you want to mail to and follow the correct format accordingly.

PostGrid makes it easy for businesses to capture valid, deliverable addresses. Also, it helps them update their database from time to time.

Request a demo to learn more about how we can help you follow the correct US address format via our address verification solutions!

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The post US Address Format appeared first on PostGrid.



source https://www.postgrid.com.au/us-address-format/

source https://postgridaustralia.blogspot.com/2023/03/us-address-format.html

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Australia Post Delivery Times

How Long Does It Take To Deliver Your Mailers Through Australia Post?

Have you ever wondered how long it takes for your customers to receive direct mail from your business? It is often confusing to understand Australia Post delivery times. In fact, it is one of the reasons why many companies are reluctant to use direct mail communication for their business communication.

australia post registered mail

However, direct mail is one of the most promising marketing channels today, with an incredibly high response rate. It is not hard to understand why it stands out today when most companies solely depend on digital channels for their marketing needs.

At this point, it is vital to get a comprehensive understanding of Aus Post delivery times for streamlining your direct mail communication. Furthermore, companies that send communications like billing statements should also understand the delivery time for their postal mail communications.

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Australia Post Delivery Times

Australia Post offers several different postal delivery services to its customers. As you can imagine, each service has varying characteristics, including different delivery speeds and postage. Businesses can choose a postal delivery service with the most suitable Australia Post delivery times and budget.

The different postal services offered by Australia Post are

  • Regular Letters
  • Priority Letters
  • Parcel Post
  • Express Post parcels and Express Post letters

Australia Post Delivery Times For Regular Letters

The Australia Post delivery time for Regular Letters can vary based on the origin and destination of the mailer. It also implies that the delivery time for the same state and interstate deliveries can vary.

Same State Delivery Times

  • When sending Regular Letters within a metropolitan area of a capital city, the delivery time is just 2-3 business days
  • A Regular Letter sent within the city or town or to the city/town adjacent to it has a 2-3 business days delivery time
  • When sending a Regular letter from a metro area of a capital city to a country location, the Australia Post delivery time becomes 3-4 business days
  • A Regular Letter sent between two country locations has a delivery time of 3-4 business days

Interstate Delivery Times

  • The delivery time for Regular Letters sent between metro areas of capital cities is 3-4 business days
  • The delivery time for Regular Letters sent between metro areas of capital cities and country locations is 4-5 business days
  • When sending a Regular Letter between country locations in different states, the delivery time ranges from 5 to 6 business days

Australia Post Delivery Times For Priority Letters

As the name implies, Priority Letters get priority over Regular Letters during the processing and delivery process. Hence, the Australia Post delivery times for Priority Letters are usually less than that of Regular Letters.

Same State Delivery Times

  • When  Letters are within a metropolitan area of a capital city, the delivery time is just 1 business day
  • A Priority Letter sent within the city or town or to the city/town adjacent to it has a delivery time of just a single day
  • When sending a Priority letter from a metropolitan area of a capital city to a country location, the Australia Post delivery time becomes 2 business days
  • A Priority Letter sent between two country locations has a delivery time of 2 business days

Interstate Delivery Times

  • The delivery time for Priority Letters sent between metro areas of capital cities is 2 business days
  • The delivery time for Priority Letters sent between metro areas of capital cities and country locations is 3 business days
  • When sending a Regular Letter between country locations in different states, the delivery time is 4 business days

Australia Post Delivery Times For Parcel Post

Australia Post’s Parcel Post is the best and most convenient way for individuals and businesses to send larger mailers. It offers an affordable and fast Australia Post delivery with a $100 compensation.

Same State Delivery Times

The delivery time for Parcel Post mailers can vary depending on their origin and destination. In general, the Parcel Post mailers get delivered within 2 to 5 business days. However, Parcel Post can take around 8 to 14 business days for delivery if it is sent within Western Australia.

Interstate Delivery Times

The Australia Post delivery time for sending a Parcel Post between two metro areas is about 3 to 6 business days.

Destination  Australia Post Delivery Time
Australian Capital Territory 3 to 11 business days
New South Wales 4 to 10 business days
Northern Territory 7 to 14 business days
Queensland 5 to 11 business days
South Australia 6 to 9 business days
Tasmania 6 to 14 business days
Victoria 2 to 8 business days
Western Australia 9 to 15 business days

Australia Post Delivery Times For Express Post Parcels and Express Post Letters

As you may know, an Express post is the fastest way to mail an item from point A to point B. In other words, it has the shortest Australia Post Express delivery time. According to Australia Post, Express Post can provide next-day delivery to every address in the Express Post network.

The Express Post network covers 80% of Australian addresses. It includes business addresses, private addresses and Post Office Boxes.

Same State Delivery Times

As we mentioned, the Express Post service has a delivery time of 1 business day to most locations. However, the Australia Post Express delivery times can go up to 5 days due to current circumstances. But, the chances of this happening are scarce.

Interstate Delivery Times

The table below shows the delivery time for interstate delivery of your mailer using Australia Post’s Express Post service.

Destination  Australia Post Delivery Time
Australian Capital Territory 2 to 7 business days
New South Wales 2 to 6 business days
Northern Territory 3 to 8 business days
Queensland 2 to 6 business days
South Australia 2 to 5 business days
Tasmania 3 to 11 business days
Victoria 2 to 8 business days
Western Australia 3 to 7 business days

How To Optimise Australia Post Delivery Times Using PostGrid?

There are many options for businesses to send their postal mail via Australia Post, including Express Post, which offers next-business-day delivery. As a result, you can choose the best postal service suitable for your budget and Australia Post delivery times.

Businesses can ensure optimal postal service delivery for their communications by employing PostGrid’s direct mail automation. Postal delivery services often face delays due to various factors such as unstandardised addresses, improper packaging, etc.

PostGrid takes care of the entire direct process, including standardising addresses. Furthermore, it takes care of your bulk mailing needs by printing and delivering personalised mailers and sending them economically via Australia Post.

Conclusion

Businesses use direct mail communication for a variety of reasons. Healthcare organisations and insurance companies use it to send billing statements, realtors send marketing postcards, etc.

The delivery requirements for each of these cases vary. Some require a faster Australia Post delivery time, while others may not require fast delivery. Thankfully, Australia Post offers different postal services that can meet the needs of all types of businesses.

Regardless of the postal mail requirement of your company, you can use a tool like PostGrid to optimise your direct mail communication. It fully automates your postal mail process and even schedules your mail delivery.

As a result, you can ensure that your direct mail process is never interrupted and the communication is always on time.

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The post Australia Post Delivery Times appeared first on PostGrid.



source https://www.postgrid.com.au/australia-post-delivery-times/

source https://postgridaustralia.blogspot.com/2023/03/australia-post-delivery-times.html

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