All of the services and expertise you need to create powerful and cost-effective direct mail campaigns.
Direct mail continues to be one of the most successful marketing channels—outperforming response rates for digital channels by a long shot. With direct mail, brands can cut through the digital clutter and deliver tangible, personalized messages that capture attention. But to achieve true marketing glory, direct mail cannot stand alone. Promotional mail works best in combination with other targeted marketing strategies and when it is executed by an experienced mail service provider.
All of Your Mailing Needs Under One Roof
Shawmut can help you build your mailing list, optimize your data, and attain the most affordable postage rates available. Here’s how we can help:
Identify Prospects and Grow Your Mail List
We use a combination of industry-leading data providers and our own MailPlus software to help brands identify new prospects and enhance existing mailing lists. We’ll start by learning as much as we can about your audience demographics, interests, and behavioral triggers, as well as new segments you may want to target. From there, we’ll help you acquire targeted mailing lists and capture new leads from your website.
List acquisition
Predictive modeling
Phone and list data appends
LeadMatch
Clean and Process Your Data
Messy database files or invalid addresses can wreak havoc on a direct mail campaign. That’s why we carefully process each mailing list to remove invalid addresses—saving you money on print and postage. Our mailing team will run a CASS certification and a check against the NCOA database to ensure optimal deliverability rates. In addition, we offer other database management services such as de-duping, segmenting, merging and other data cleaning activities.
CASS Certification
NCOA
Merge, Purge, Dedupe
DNM (Do Not Mail Suppression)
Deceased Suppression
DSF2
Quickly Spot Errors with our Data Preflight Tool
Shawmut also has a data preflight tool to help catch any database errors early on in the production process. Once a client uploads their database, our preflight tool will run an automated check and alert the Customer Service Representative of any issues such as mismatched column headers and data, formatting issues, and any non-domestic addresses that may appear in the list.
Save Time with Combined Print and Mail Services in one Place
At Shawmut, our mailroom is steps away from our pressroom and bindery which can save significant production costs and travel time. Rather than relying on one vendor for print and another to mail, marketers can simplify direct mail by choosing a vendor with in-house mailing services. Our full-service mail department processes approximately 1 million pieces of mail each month including direct mail campaigns for B2B, B2C, education, non-profit clients.
Automated folding, inserting, and tabbing
Metering/Stamping
Personalize and Segment Your Direct Mail Campaign
Direct mail campaigns that are personalized produce response rates that are 3–10x higher than generic campaigns. Variable data services and digital printing capabilities allow marketers to personalize direct mail campaigns based on a recipient’s gender, location, language preference, shopping history, age, and many other factors. Our variable data specialists create programming rules to swap out text or images based on audience segments and other triggers in your database. You can start small by using the recipients’ first name or create thousands of unique variations with advanced database rules and segmentation.
In-line addressing and barcoding
Variable data programming and digital printing
Reach Audiences with Any Mail Format
Because we offer comprehensive print and mailing services under one roof, we’re able to help clients create just about any type of direct mail campaign. Small budgets are no problem with cost-effective postcards and self-mailers. Or if you’re looking to send a more creative option we can help you create a show-stopping dimensional direct mail campaign. From boxes and tubes to uniquely folded pieces and standard #10 envelope mailers, we’ve done it all.
Dimensional, standard, and creative mail formats
Design and packaging services
Promotional products
On-site kitting and fulfillment
Save Money on Postage
Our mailing experts who are certified Mailpiece Design Consultants stay up-to-date on the latest USPS mailing regulations and discount programs. Through our close partnership with the USPS, we can also provide an up-front analysis of your direct mail campaign to eliminate compliance issues before they start. And as a commercial mail service provider, we can take advantage of deeper postal discounts and enhanced services like mail tracking and address correction.
Track results, boost response rates and combine direct mail with digital marketing using Shawmut MailPlus. Our software has all the tools you need to enhance direct mail programs and improve ROI.
With Shawmut MailPlus you get:
Mail Tracking
Confirm delivery of every piece of mail
Informed Delivery®
People who subscribe to USPS Informed Delivery will see a clickable image of your mailer in their email
SocialMatch
Contacts from your mailing list are found on social channels and shown ads that match your direct mail campaign
Social Media Follow-Up
After a customer receives your mail piece, they’ll see follow up ads on social media
Call Tracking
Track and record calls generated from your mail piece
Online Follow-Up
Increase conversions with online retargeting through Google Display Network
LEADMatch
Track and record exactly who visited your website as a result of all media, including direct mail, and get a list of website visitors and their actions
Bring Direct Mail and Digital Marketing Efforts Together
With Shawmut MailPlus, you can easily track and enhance direct mail programs, improving response rates by an average of 25%.
Mail Tracking
Predict and confirm exactly when mail reaches each person on the mailing list. Just like a package shipment, you’ll know when each direct mail campaign is on its way to recipients, and when it will arrive. Mail tracking takes the guesswork out of delivery dates so you can better prepare sales teams and call centers for spikes in call traffic or inbound leads.
Features
Real-time data showing the percentage of confirmed and pending deliveries down to the per-piece level
Reporting that is synced with Google Maps
Ability to search within delivery data by name, address, etc.
Exportable reporting by city, state, and zip
How it Works
MailPlus is integrated with Informed Visibility from the USPS in order to receive and analyze scan data from the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb). When the letter, postcard or flat is scanned by the Post Office’s sorting machines, data embedded in the IMb is recorded and sent back to MailPlus every 24 hours. The data includes the location of the last scan from which we can predict or confirm delivery.
Benefits
Improved marketing campaign planning and project schedules
Better coordination and timing of cross-channel marketing tactics
Easy-to-use dashboard and reporting
One affordable system for mail tracking and marketing
Informed Delivery®
Generate web traffic before your mail arrives via USPS Informed Delivery. Consumers who sign up for Informed Delivery from the USPS receive a daily email showing a preview of physical mail delivering soon. With our Informed Delivery integration, you can add a clickable full-color ad next to the mailpiece preview—providing another and earlier opportunity to drive web traffic and increase conversions. The best part? When recipients visit your website from the Informed Delivery email ad, they’ll activate the powerful online and social media remarketing features of MailPlus.
Features
A clickable full-color ad next to the mailpiece preview in each email
Real-time data showing the number of Informed Delivery emails sent, opened and clicked
Visual dashboard via Google Maps showing location of Informed Delivery emails recipients
Earlier activation of online and social remarketing features of MailPlus
How it Works
In order to receive Informed Delivery emails, consumers must sign up for the service via USPS—and with 20 million users and counting, there’s a good chance your audience includes Informed Delivery subscribers. Now with MailPlus, you can easily upload a clickable ad that will appear alongside the scanned image of your mailpiece. That means a customer can visit your direct mail campaign’s landing page before they even get home to open the mailbox! Once recipients click on the Informed Delivery ad they’ll be assigned a browser cookie and social media tracking code, activating online remarketing strategies. Even if they leave the website without taking action, they’ll continue to see ads on Facebook, Instagram, and the Google Display Network.
Benefits
Generate more impressions from a single mailpiece improving ROI
Simultaneously deliver your direct mail message physically and digitally
Leverage Informed Delivery’s daily email open rates of 86%
Tap into the USPS’ network of 20 million users which grows by 1 million each month
Know when recipients view their physical mail
Get real-time reports of Informed Delivery emails sent, opened, and clicked
Social Media
Increase impressions before, during and after your mailing with SocialMatch and Social Media Follow-Up.
SocialMatch uses your mailing list to find and remarket to corresponding social media profiles on Facebook and Instagram. Once a match is made, users will start to see ads in their newsfeed before your direct mail campaign delivers.
After your direct mail campaign delivers and users visit your website, they’ll continue to see your ads using our Social Media Follow-Up tool. This is a powerful way to increase brand recognition and get the most out of every direct mail campaign you send.
Features
40–60% average SocialMatch rate
14-day ad schedule for SocialMatch (beginning on mail date) and 60-day ad schedule for Social Follow-Up
Real-time data showing the number of matches, ad impressions, and clicks
Ability to segment reports by audience demographics
How it Works
MailPlus SocialMatch uses your mailing list to identify Facebook and Instagram users based on information in their social profile (name, address, employer, etc.). Once a match is identified, ads will be displayed in their social newsfeeds for 14 days beginning on the mail date.
For Social Media Follow-Up, anyone that visits your landing page or website will be assigned a unique tracking code (or pixel) and a browser cookie. Then when users log in to Facebook or Instagram, they’ll see ads in their newsfeed whether or not they were previously identified via SocialMatch.
Benefits
Increase exposure, repetition, and frequency of your message
Improve brand awareness before direct mail campaigns arrive
Maximize the use of your mailing list
Generate thousands of social impressions to people who have and haven’t visited your website
Call Tracking
Track and report on inbound calls from every direct mail campaign. Forget spreadsheets and other manual call tracking methods that are prone to human error and disconnected from other marketing metrics and reporting. With call tracking, each direct mail campaign is assigned a unique number so you’ll know exactly how many inbound calls they generate. Plus you’ll have access to every call recording and caller demographics—providing valuable insight on your audience and sales process.
Features
Real-time data of all inbound call traffic
Secure access to inbound call recordings
Full demographic data on each caller (name, address, device, gender, etc.)
Visual dashboard via Google Maps showing caller location
Exportable caller reports including phone number, demographics, call date and duration
How it Works
We provide you with a unique local or toll-free number for each direct mail campaign. This number will be printed on the mail pieces and included in social media or online follow-up ads. Incoming calls will be tracked, recorded, and available for playback and download.
Benefits
No need to ask callers how they heard about your business
Get a complete picture of direct mail campaign results including inbound calls in one easy-to-use dashboard
Monitor quality of call recordings and use insights for sales follow up or staff training
Online Follow-Up
Increase conversions with online retargeting via Google Display Network. Did you know 44% of people visit a brand’s website and 34% search online for more information after receiving direct mail? The problem is that approximately 96% of website visitors leave a site without taking any action. Online Follow-Up offers an opportunity to remarket to these individuals after they’ve left your site—increasing your chance of conversion by 70%. With MailPlus, you can easily pair your direct mail campaign with online banner ads and retarget visitors who leave your website before taking any action.
Features
Banner ads matching your direct mail campaign follow visitors as they browse other sites via Google Display Network
Real-time data showing the number of unique web visitors, ad impressions, and ad clicks
60-day ad schedule for Online Follow-Up
How it Works
When one of your direct mail campaign recipients visits your landing page or website they get a unique cookie assigned to their browser. This allows Google to identify them as a website visitor and retarget them with online banner ads. Then as they browse other websites, they’ll continue to see banner ads matching your direct mail campaign via Google Display Network.
Benefits
Increase exposure, repetition, and frequency of your message long after your direct mail campaign delivers
Maximize the use of your mailing list
Generate more online impressions for warm leads
Increase conversion rates by an average of 25%
LeadMatch
Know who visited the website from your mailing list and get new leads for your next mailing. LeadMatch removes one of the biggest barriers to direct mail—tracking ROI. This patent-pending technology matches website visitors to specific individuals on your mailing list and shows you what actions they took. At the same time, LeadMatch gathers mailing addresses for website visitors that were not on the list so you can add them to your next direct mail campaign.
Features
Online dashboard with real-time data showing:
The number and names of web visitors from your mailing list
The number of anonymous visitors matched back to a postal address (75% on average)
Actions taken by website visitors (clicks, downloads, etc.) so you can follow up appropriately
Ability to purchase new mailing leads from postal matches (manual or automatic)
How it Works
Prior to sending your direct mail campaign, the LeadMatch pixel will be placed on your website and/or landing page. Once someone visits the website MailPlus will identify anyone from the mailing list and find postal addresses for new leads. This advanced solution uses the IP address, device IDs, browser cookies, and a 300+ point match based on online activity.
Benefits
Track and record exactly who visited the website from your mailing list, regardless of whether or not they took an action.
Grow your mailing list by purchasing new leads from website matches
Accurately follow up with individual leads based on specific website actions
Easily track and measure the ROI of direct mail campaigns
