Direct Mail Advertising Costs: Are you getting yanked around?

A price comparison came across my desk the other day that really bothered me – and I think it will bother you too. Because here’s the thing: standard direct mail postcards have become a commodity. Right? More or less, you can get roughly the same product from a number of print shops (that copied my business model ☺). So your impulse is to seek the lowest price. That makes total sense.

But this is trickier than it sounds, because sometimes what seems like a great deal is loaded with hidden fees that drag down the return you’ll get on your investment. For example, here is the price comparison my client sent me:

Company A offered $399 for printing (a marketing package of 5,000 postcards).

Company B offered $875 for printing (a marketing package of 6,000 postcards).

On the surface Company A is the clear winner. But a peek under the hood of these price quotes tells a different story…

Company A Fees:

• Approximately $250(minimum) for Card Design (because they charge for design by the hour).
• $340 for Mailing List and Addressing
• $1,650 for 33¢ Postage

Company B Fees:

• $99 for Postcard Artwork (a flat charge)
• $300 for Addressing
• $240 for the Mailing List
• A $100 Incentive Discount
• $1,620 for 33¢ Postage

Grand Total:

• Company A: $2,639 (52.78¢ per postcard)
• Company B: $3,034 (50.56¢ per postcard)

Soooo, you actually get a better deal with Company B, even though the total is higher, because you get more postcards and the design is a flat fee.

Basically, what I’m saying is: make sure you get a full estimate from your vendors. Then, break down the cost per postcard. That’s the only way to be sure you aren’t getting yanked around on price!!

And I can’t end off there – I emphasized ‘regular’, ‘standard’ and ‘normal’ because we have a state of the art – far from normal or regular postcard – its called DirectMail2.0 and before choosing any company PLEASE understand this product first!

You can get a full estimate on a PostcardMania ‘regular’ campaign at any time by calling 1-800-628-1804. And we’ll happily quote it upgraded to DirectMail2.0 for you as well.

Was this eye opening for you? I’d love to hear any price comp stories you have. Share in the comments!

Best,
Joy