Direct Mail Marketing & Earth Day

Since today is Earth Day, I can't help but think about direct mail marketing campaigns. A large number of our customers are business owners, and order custom envelopes as part of a traditional mail campaign. Direct mail marketing continues to be a very effective form of marketing, but it can leave an environmental footprint. Certainly digital marketing such as email and Search engine optimization has that advantage over mail, but Direct Mail still remains one of the best marketing tactics in terms of ROI. So as a business owner, you can't afford not to run direct mail campaigns. And you need envelopes for your business. So how do you rectify the environmental impact of direct mail?

Truth be told, there's a number of great ways you can reduce (or virtually eliminate) your carbon footprint when running a direct mail campaign. Most printer and paper mill offers a huge variety of  recycled envelopes and paper, including different styles and varying amount of recycled materials. Recycled paper is high quality and it's prices are roughly the same as paper not made from recycled material. Plus your customers will appreciate that you're "green" mail campaign (some may even choose your business over a competitor for that very reason!).

An eco-friendly direct mail campaign doesn't begin and end with recycled material. Before starting your campaign, make sure to double check your mailing list so you don't end up wasting paper, and money. Make sure that addresses are up to date, and that the mail campaign is appropriate for each recipient on your list. This can also help you improve your campaign ROI by mailing to those people who you think are most likely to convert. And don't forget to proofread your artwork, and ask your printer to proofread it as well! An extra set of eyes is always a good thing when it comes to direct mail.

Remember, being environmentally conscious and a successful direct mail marketer are not mutually exclusive.     Be sure to take the opportunity to do something today for Earth Day- Whether it's something small like walk to the store instead of driving or a being project like using all recycled paper in your office, every little bit helps!