Direct Mail Postcard Pricing – What Impacts Cost Per Piece
Last Updated: December 05, 2023
Fact Checked By: Ashley Smith
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You might be surprised to learn that direct mail postcards have a high success rate.
Unlike other mail, there are no letters to open, so the customers you're targeting will at least take a glance at your advertisement while walking back from the mailbox or looking through their mail in the kitchen. That's all you need to get your message out.
When properly designed and targeted, direct mail postcards have a high return on investment as an advertisement medium.
There are several sizes of direct mail postcards. The most common are 4" X 6", 5.5" X 8.5", and 6" X 11".
Larger postcards draw the most attention, but they're also more expensive. You can opt for black-and-white or full color; and one-sided or two-sided postcards.
Direct Mail Postcard Average Costs #
Direct mail postcard advertising typically costs between $0.50 - $1 per piece including printing and mailing costs. Here is a breakdown of typical postcard direct mail costs:
- Design & Copywriting - $200 - $800 depending on complexity
- Printing - $0.20 - $0.50 per postcard
- Mailing List Purchase - $100 - $500 per 1,000 recipients
- Postage - $0.30 - $0.55 per piece
- Total Cost - Approximately $0.50 - $1 per mailed piece
So a direct mail postcard campaign sending 5,000 pieces would cost around $2,500 - $5,000 total between creative development, printing, mailing list acquisition, and postal fees.
Larger campaigns sending 50,000+ pieces often cost $0.25 - $0.75 each after bulk printing and mailing discounts. Testing and optimizing response rates is key.
Example Real Life Direct Mail Postcard Campaign Costs #
"I ran a small direct mail postcard campaign targeting local homeowners for my contracting business. For 5,000 postcards, design, printing and mailing, I paid a marketing company $3,750 total." - Amanda T.
"We tested out a postcard marketing campaign to advertise our new ice cream shop. We sent 15,000 coupons cards to nearby residents with a map to our location. Our total cost including addressed mailings was $9,100." - Michael S.
"I hired a direct mail agency to send 50,000 promotional postcards for my annual warehouse clearance sale. With their design, printing in color on quality card stock, addressed mailing list and postage, the full campaign cost $35,000." - Melissa D.
"My financial planning practice sent out 100,000 tip postcards to target retirement neighborhoods in 3 area codes. Between creative, 4-color printing, mail list rental, and mailing costs I spent $85,000 to blanket those markets." - Steve W.
As shown in these examples, costs for direct mail postcard campaigns ranged from $4,000s for small tests up to $80,000+ for large high quality glossy mailings saturating specific geographic areas.
Creating the Ideal Direct Mail Postcard #
The goal with a direct mail postcard is to catch the attention of potential customers and hold it for as long as possible.
If you don't have an eye-catching design or an enticing offer, expect your advertisement to quickly find its way to the trash can. The most successful direct mail postcards:
- Use a sharp yet simple design and color scheme. Post cards that are too "busy" will overwhelm potential customers;
- Use large headlines to get the most important points across quickly;
- Include some sort of call to action - an incentive for customers to think twice about shopping at your store or taking advantage of your services.
It's crucial to make sure your postcards are reaching your desired audience.
Identify who your ideal customer is - families with young children, for example, or senior citizens. Design the postcard around what's important to those people.
You should also select a direct mail marketing company that targets their mailing lists to reach only the audience you'd like to attract.