Want to skip straight to my top picks? the best direct mail services are gunderson direct and postcardmania.
Believe it or not, a direct mail campaign is still an effective and affordable marketing strategy. Through direct mail campaigns, you can target a local audience, generate leads, drive sales, and engage with new and existing customers.
To be successful in the direct mail marketing space, you must use a dedicated direct mail service.
These are companies that allow you to create, design and send marketing content directly to the mailboxes of your potential customers.
Surprisingly, direct mail has up to 90% open rates, which is actually much higher than traditional email marketing.
let’s get started.
what are the best direct mail services?
These are my picks for the best direct mail service to use this year.
1. gunderson direct.
the best for turnkey direct mail marketing.
gunderson direct is one of the best direct mail companies you can work with, offering a turnkey solution for direct mail marketing. has been in business for over 15 years and has established itself as one of the largest direct mail marketing agencies in the united states.
the company drives business for national and international brands, such as paypal and ziprecruiter. gunderson employs some of the best minds in marketing and helps you get the most value from your marketing campaigns.
As a full service agency, the experts take care of everything you need to successfully blast your list. they also give you detailed reports and analytics that can help your small business create high-quality banner ads.
features:
Working with gunderson direct, you gain access to a talent pool that has successfully sent over 1.5 billion emails. Through its strategic partnership and experience, Gunderson follows a process of continually iterating to deliver improvements.
Some important features of the service include:
- Proven experience delivering sustainable results and higher return on investment (roi)
- High-quality creative based on a deeper understanding of the brand and audience
- fast turnaround times that let you scale direct mail campaigns with ease
- mail formats that deliver the highest postage savings
- detailed performance-focused data analytics
- close to 100% customer satisfaction
price:
Gunderson Direct offers custom quotes for small businesses as well as enterprises. In case you require a custom quote for your company’s direct mailing campaigns, you need to fill out the company contact form.
Here you will need to enter some necessary details about your business, along with some personal information. a quote will be provided to you, along with a subscription to a newsletter that provides you with interesting direct mail marketing facts.
2. mail shark.
best for DIY direct mail marketing campaigns.
If you’re looking for a bespoke digital marketing solution or want to go the DIY route, mailshark is your best bet.
service provides affordable eddm solutions for any DIY marketing campaign.
In case you’re looking for a full-service agency that handles everything from design to printing to shipping, mailshark can take care of that. And if you just need promotional materials printed and shipped to your own address, you’ve got that covered, too.
mailshark offers its design services for free and has flexible payment plans that make it a boon for small businesses working on a tight budget. In addition, it has a world-class support team to help you in case of problems.
features:
mailshark likes to operate as an extension of your internal marketing team. they have been in business for over a decade and serve a large number of industries.
Some of the important industries they serve are:
- food and hospitality industry
- automotive industry
- health and wellness industry
- construction and services industry for the home
- professional services such as law firms and insurance agencies
- retail stores
- entertainment and recreation industry
Here is a list of the services the company offers:
- targeted direct mail
- saturation mailing lists
- direct mail to all doors via usps
- new mailer program engines
- printing and direct mail design
In addition to the above, it also offers various products such as postcards and postcard magnets, plastic postcards, flyers, and even door hangers. In short, mailshark can take care of all your direct mail marketing efforts.
price:
MailShark pricing plans depend on the services and products that you choose to go with. For a custom pricing estimate, you can fill out the contact form to receive a no-obligation quote. You also get a media kit with detailed pricing and product samples.
3. viewprint.
best for all-in-one direct mail solutions.
vistaprint is known as a business card maker, but they also provide a great direct mail marketing solution.
provides businesses with over 4,000 templates and an in-house design team that makes it easy and cost-effective for small business direct mail campaigns.
one of the unique things about vistaprint is that you don’t need to sign a contract. In addition, no payments are required before the launch of the campaign. Such a policy provides profound relief to those companies operating on tight budgets.
Their postcard delivery service is eye-catching and the service creates these postcards for you from scratch. you can even make the designs yourself, send them to your mailing list, and the experts will take care of the rest.
In case you don’t have a suitable mailing list, vistaprint even offers you the option to purchase specific mailing lists. these lists are very specific, based on demographic data and are aimed at both businesses and regular consumers.
features:
the following are some of the features of vistaprint that I like:
- faster turnaround times
- dual print facilities
- dedicated in-house design team
- 4000+ free templates
- targeted demographic mailing lists
- simple drag and drop postcard design platform
- 24/7 customer service
with so many features, vistaprint is a top notch player in this segment. the only drawback is that it provides direct mail service for postcards only. in case you want to send other printed products, you have to arrange the delivery yourself.
price:
As with the previous services, Vistaprint’s pricing plans vary according to the services you opt for. Its direct mail page has a handy price calculator that lets small businesses get an idea of their direct mail marketing costs.
4. next day flyers.
the best for faster response times.
nextdayflyers lives up to its name by providing the fastest delivery times, often within one or two business days.
has a wide range of products on offer, and the high quality of service has made it one of the most widely used direct mail services.
Another unique feature of nextdayflyers is that they allow the largest number of banner ads for a campaign, up to 100,000. the huge number of mailings makes it the perfect service for high-volume needs.
The following are some of the items you can send using nextdayflyers:
- brochures
- postcards
- personalized products
- postcards
The service even takes care of stocking inventory, verifying all addresses, pre-sorting products, and then shipping them out. I also like how the platform is easy to navigate. you can design your products directly on the website or even upload your own designs.
features:
The most important feature of nextdayflyers is that it offers next business day delivery. You’ll have to shell out more for this benefit, but believe me, it’s worth the price, especially if you’re thinking of running time-sensitive campaigns.
In addition to the above, the following are notable features:
- production facilities on two coasts, new jersey and california
- highly flexible shipping options
- largest volume available per campaign
- en- host postal services with a multi-tier pricing model
- affordable graphic design services
- targeted mailing lists available for purchase
all of the above features make nextdayflyers one of my top picks for postcard marketing.
price:
NextDayFlyers offers a transparent pricing list based on the products and services you choose. You will be able to get immediate quotes based on the options that you choose as you build your order.
5. cacti shipping.
best for sending brochures.
cactus mailing is a direct mail company that offers the concept of “intelligent marketing”.
With this feature, the service combines direct mail marketing materials with digital marketing tools such as google display ads and landing pages.
The service is easy to use and has helped several small businesses increase their return on investment. has provided assistance to more than 17,000 businesses and continues to grow. With your marketing experts, your company can increase brand awareness and increase sales.
In addition to “smart marketing”, it offers services such as direct mail postcards and correspondence design. it also provides business-specific mailing lists, which help speed up your marketing strategy.
The highlight of the service is their direct mail brochures. The company offers expert printing services for promotional brochures. As a result, it’s often the first choice for many establishments, including restaurants, retail stores, and real estate businesses.
features:
one of the most remarkable features of cactus mailing is that it offers great discounts if you opt for a combined service. even provides a no-obligation direct mail marketing plan at no cost to you.
Some of the other features of this service are as follows:
- combined direct mail and digital marketing services
- inexpensive campaigns that deliver results
- services in a wide range of industries
- nation-wide presence
- multiple forms, resources and design aids
You can also upload custom layout files and mailing lists for a specific email you want to send. Please note that the combined size of these files must be less than 30MB. in case you send large files, you will need to upload them in multiple sessions.
price:
For pricing plans, Cactus Mailing offers custom quotes on request. It provides a handy calculator tool that lets you calculate the ROI. When requesting a quote, you also get a free marketing plan for your business.
6. printing free of charge.
the best for eddm services.
PrintingForLess is ideal for EDDM campaigns and is the world’s oldest online printing shop which started operations way back in 1996.
This expertise is reflected in their service offering multiple print products along with full direct mail marketing.
offers many tools, such as direct mail marketing tips and design templates for print materials. allows you to integrate the service with marketing platforms and even provide web-to-print services.
features:
printingforless offers full refunds in case of delays in the delivery of your banner ads. the refund clause helps eliminate much of the anxiety that often accompanies large orders.
In addition to the above, you can also take advantage of the following features:
- customized services within measurable timelines
- high volume advanced manufacturing services
- dedicated teams of trained experts
- extreme ease of use and convenience
- custom products
- risk-free printing services
Whether it’s banners, business cards, or even packaging, printforless can help you get the job done.
price:
As I’ve already mentioned, getting a custom quote from PrintingForLess is very easy. You can call the service using the dedicated phone number. It promises you direct customer support and not any phone-tree based jargon.
In case you want to attach project details, you can also send them by email. remember to attach project specifications and artwork along with the email. For faster processing, please fill out the contact form on the company website and upload project documents.
service experts typically get back to you within a few hours. They are also careful not to share your personal information with spammers.
Currently, more than 200,000 businesses rely on free printing for their eddm needs.
7. saasmql.
the best for saas companies.
SaasMQL is a bit different from the other direct mail companies that offer messaging services on my list.
is a specialized service that helps SaaS companies reach potential customers. the company focuses on account-based demand generation and is one of the best choices in this industry.
You may be surprised to use direct mail to generate saas leads. but saasmql provides a new approach to lead generation for saas companies. they use direct mail marketing and contact b2b prospects to generate leads.
their approach is unique in that they send packages to potential customers for marketing. The advantage of this is that while people may miss letters in the mail, a package makes a better impression.
features:
In addition to direct mail, the company also offers you other features, such as detailed analysis of multiple channels.
The following are features of saasmql:
- account matching based on customer profile
- integrated campaigns combining direct mail and digital marketing
- scalable analytics and attribution
- demand intent-based generation
- detailed customer support resources
price:
SaasMQL’s services are divided across the following two plans:
- saas target, which is suitable for startups looking for predictable leads each month
- saas scale, which helps companies attract customers through multiple channels
To get a detailed quote, you can fill out the appropriate form on the website and book an introductory call. You can even engage with the company through multiple social media channels, such as LinkedIn and Facebook.
what should you consider when selecting the best direct mail services?
Currently, the direct mail marketing industry is worth over $44 billion. From that figure, it can be understood that there are a lot of companies in the sector. selecting the best among them is difficult.
To make things more manageable for you, I’ve compiled a list of some of the factors you should consider when selecting a direct mail service. Follow this methodology to select the best service for your small business.
1. study the experience of the company
In the direct mail marketing industry, experience matters. When selecting a service, make sure they have enough experience working with the United States Postal Service. it should also be able to fulfill high-volume orders and offer attractive postage rates.
2. check response time
For any direct mail marketing campaign, the response rate is a direct function of the response time of the campaign. It’s just not viable if your banner ads reach your target audience after the promotion or offer has expired.
To make sure your campaigns arrive on time, get a good idea of the response times of the service you’re selecting. nextdayflyers is a good option if you are okay with paying more. otherwise, opt for a service like printforless that offers a money-back guarantee.
3. look for dedicated mailing lists
Running a direct mail campaign is not possible without targeted mailing lists. In case your company has enough contacts, you don’t need to worry about this. otherwise, select a direct mail marketing service that offers mailing lists as part of their package.
You may have to pay more for mailing lists, but trust me, it’s worth it. direct mail marketing service providers have specific lists on hand that can help streamline the marketing process.
When looking at mailing lists, quality is the only thing to focus on. many companies provide lists based on demographic data. Such lists allow for better audience segmentation and thus better personalization.
4. variety of products
Your business needs will determine the type of mail you are sending. In one case, you may be able to get by with a brochure, while in another, you may need to send out brochures and catalogues. it is better to select a service that provides all types of printed products.
Another thing to consider here is whether the service only prints the products or provides direct mail services. you will need to arrange for the items to be mailed through the post office in the first case.
5. customization options
Whether it’s letterhead or brochures, personalization is key to successful direct mail marketing. Most direct mail advertising services offer industry-based templates and design services, while others accept custom postcard designs.
In case you have an in-house design team, check to see if your service of choice accepts custom designs. And if you’re also looking for design services, ask for industry-specific samples to get an idea of the type of designs they offer.
frequently asked questions by direct mail.
summary
Direct mail marketing is one of the oldest marketing methods out there. Even in today’s digital age, direct mail can get customers through the doors like any new digital marketing method, even better in some cases.
If your company needs a direct mail service, these are the main candidates you can select from:
- gunderson direct: best for turnkey direct mail marketing
- mailshark: best for mail marketing DIY directmail
- vistaprint – Best for all-in-one direct mail solutions
- nextdayflyers – Best for busy times faster response
- cactusmailing: better for sending brochures
- printingforless: better for eddm services
- saasmql: better for saas companies
Whatever your needs, I’m sure you’ll be able to find a suitable direct mail service from the list above.