The Importance of Envelopes

When it comes to business image and impression envelopes can be very significant.

Companies can typically spend £5 for a high quality brochure to send to their best clients and prospects only to post it in a thin manila envelope.

When the package arrives it can be damaged or put  to one side along with the bills!

Similarly you wouldn’t normally give someone an expensive present unwrapped or in a cheap carrier or paper bag.

It is through these little details and personal touches that a business or professional becomes a brand, and the presentation of your business stationery and promotional print is a very important part of this.

The importance of envelopes

Envelopes are so much more than just the ‘containers’ of your printing.

There are differing views about the wisdom of using plain or printed envelopes but the most important factor to consider is to use a good quality protective material.

Going through the automated postal system can damage the contents or simply give the wrong impression when the printing is received.

When a potential or existing customer receives your mail, the envelope is the first thing that creates an impression.

So it not only needs to have provided protection it also needs to stand out.

In case of direct mail campaigns, this often makes them the single determining factor of whether the recipient will even bother opening the letter.

So even if you have the most attractive and impressive catalogue or brochure, it may never get to see the light of day if it’s sitting insidiously inside a damaged or a boring or unattractive envelope with no personality!

The argument for personalised addressing on a high quality plain envelope is put forward by those who send mail to larger businesses where there are one or more administrative levels to penetrate.

Making the direct mail look important – with printed comments like “For addressee only” or “Private & Confidential” helps it go directly to the intended recipient.

Choosing the right type of envelope and where possible making it unique is just one of other the factors that can help make the correspondence more important than many people realise.

Colour is an important factor.  Some experts claim that a coloured envelope can increase response rates by as much as 40%.

 

Apparently, yellow gives the best response rate for direct mail and black is viewed as the most prestigious colour.

Subtle colours such as ivory, cream or grey reflect an elegance that seems to work well for some products and services.

Window envelopes work best when the envelopes are made out of deep coloured papers – simply for reasons of legibility and avoiding delays at the sorting office.

The volume of envelopes produced and printed has declined with the reduction in direct mail and post generally due to digital communications.

However, there has been a major growth in a declining market for full colour printed envelopes.

The envelope now carries more of a message as well as the company logos to create the right impression.

Seven things to consider before ordering envelopes

1.   Think about what the overall job from the outset, including what type of envelope or wrapping will be used at the end of the process.

2.   Investigate the wide range of standard envelope formats and styles to find the best off-the-shelf options.  If you select a bespoke size it often costs you more for the printed inserts as well as the envelope itself. Remember to postal cost implications of size – which is why A5 sized envelopes, have increased in popularity.

3.   If you’re going to go for a bespoke print format that will require a bespoke envelope, plan ahead accordingly and speak to suppliers about the timescales involved.

4.   Think about the weight and thickness of items such as brochures, and what sort of envelope will be required to ensure they arrive in good condition.

5.   Consider the sealing method – gummed envelopes have a far shorter life than the peel and stick variety because they dry out.  They also take a lot longer to seal!

6.   Don’t leave the envelope decision until last!  They often take longer to print than the materials that will go inside them.  Bespoke envelopes that need to be made up can add a week or two to the delivery date.

7.   Think about the most effective method of addressing the envelopes – direct laser print onto the envelope, labels and window envelopes all have their benefits according to particular applications.

Five reasons why envelopes are better than e-mail

1.    Personalisation:
There are so many types of envelopes in a variety of sizes and colours. You can print custom designs and even draw all over them to add a personal touch.

2.   Shows Effort:
Anyone can type out an email and press send, but show someone special in your life that you care by writing a letter and sending it in the mail. Think of Christmas or birthday cards – how many e-cards do you remember or save?  Then think of the comparative satisfaction of getting a printed card through the post.

3.   Include a personal object:
Envelopes hold gifts, mementos and personal objects, which are so much better to get in the mail than an animated image attached in an email, for example, insert a gift voucher rather than asking the recipient to print out one using their own printer.

4.   Strengthens connection:
It’s nice to let people know you’re thinking of them when using a well-made envelope. Not only does it look good it also shows your attention to detail – and is therefore a solid marketing move.

5.   Makes you stand out: 

     You’re going to have to be a little more creative than usual if you want to stand out from the crowd!  You can get as creative with the colours on the inside of your envelopes as the outside.Or you opt for the full colour printed envelope.

In summary, for buyers, producing a print job without considering what sort of covering it will need could prove to be an expensive mistake, and for printers this represents an opportunity to provide a valuable service.

An envelope that is harmonious with the finished job creates additional brand value, and can elevate the entire piece to another level.

For a few pence more they can have a stand-out product that will set them apart.

Remember, it’s not guaranteed the envelope will make a business a sale but it’s more likely the right envelope will get opened.

The cost of the envelope and the contents probably cost less than the postage alone – so it is important to consider all the implications.

For a quotation for envelopes get a custom quote at http://www.direct2print.co.uk/print-quote/ and we will advise you on the best options or call free on 0800 0346 007 to discuss your order requirements.

Stand out from the crowd with your digitally printed Greetings Cards

Greetings cards are a very effective marketing tool and one of the most popular forms of direct marketing used by businesses of all sizes.

Here are some tips from Direct2Print on how to stand out from your competitors and show you how to show that you offer a personal service.

The High Street card shops seem to have out-lasted the print and copy shops.  They always seem to be busy – so some people still must like buying and sending cards.

And we get many artists, writers and individuals who use our digital printing service for small quantities of cards based upon their own designs or images.

Sending a card remains the most common reason most people go to the post-box.

The market is said to be worth about £1.6bn per annum and employ something in the region of 100,000 people.

However, recent research by Ofcom shows that high postage costs, texting and social media have all contributed to a reduction in the volume of people sending cards.

But with fewer cards this should represent an opportunity for businesses to stand out from their competitors.
Greetings cards offer a way to build a relationship with your clients in order to develop a sense of customer loyalty.

There is something special about receiving a greetings card.
 
They are tangible and can be printed on many different forms and textures of cards – so they appeal to more senses than most other forms of business communication.

Even if you send them out with a Statement or other correspondence – they can add a nice personal touch.

And with online print the whole order process is relatively simple.

Here are just five possible areas which should be seen as opportunity for a small business:-

The 5 Top Business Applications for printed cards

1. Christmas Cards

Every year we print fewer Christmas Cards, mainly due to lower demand.

But Christmas cards are a very effective form of direct mail.

You can send Christmas Greetings as an e-card for a fraction of the cost of a card – but how memorable are they?

Many recipients fear they carry a computer virus and send them to the “Trash” folder without even opening them!

Yet you know a Christmas card made from a child’s painting would always take pride of place on the mantelpiece of a friend or relative.

In the same way a Christmas card is on a client’s desk for a few weeks of the year – and each year there are fewer others around that compete for the same attention!

Christmas is the one occasion in the year to say “Thank you for the business” and it can do wonders for your PR because no strong sales message is needed.

2. New Year’s Cards

The period after the Christmas break is a tough time for most businesses.

In order to build up some form of sales momentum it is the traditional time for a “Sale” or to move unwanted stocks.

A New Year’s card arriving when your client gets back to work when activity is quiet is sure to be noticed.

Then - when you make that first sales call in the New Year the greeting is sure to be warmer and more genuine!

3. Thank You Cards

We have a large number of customers who send a simple Thank You card after a transaction has been made.

They are even more important for high value transactions.

We have house builders who send a “Welcome to Your New Home” card and exclusive car dealers who send an “Enjoy Your New Vehicle” card as a way of saying thanks.

They are also popular after a funeral or a wedding when the family wish to extend thanks to all the people who have helped with making arrangements or have supported them.

One wedding photographer supplies them free of charge to the bride and groom. They are printed with their own logo, website and contact details on the back. And have been proven to be a good source of obtaining business by recommendation from the guests who attended.

4. Reminder Cards

When you provide a service that requires regular check-ups or visits then a Reminder Card is a perfect way of communication.

Dentists, chiropodists, opticians and medical establishments send cards because appointments have been made some time ago and not everyone has a good diary system.

Just like you, clients get busy and mentally put things off.

Dropping them a card might get them thinking about you again.

Rather than just a bland black and white postcard – why not add a colourful image with a special incentive to encourage your recipient to take action?

Motor dealers who provide vehicle servicing and annual testing could send cards to try and get a repeat sale with photos of some of their stock vehicles in case they fancied a “trade-in”.

One particularly effective application is for a Central Heating contractor who sends out Reminder cards for a boiler service during the summer months when they would normally be quiet – to offer a special incentive to service before the cold weather begins.

With digital printing you can be creative with the possible applications.

5. Special Date Cards

Unlike the other applications for cards there are some opportunities to send a card as a gesture that will be really appreciated.

They can be to commemorate any specific dates like birthdays or anniversaries.  Or they can be dates based upon your own marketing plans – for example, advanced notification of a Flash Sale or a Special Promotion.

With a good database you can even be very creative with variable data and merge text and images so each recipient gets an individually personalised message.

So there are many other possibilities and applications.  Some we do not even understand ourselves – including this regular order below for cards with a horse’s face on the front - sent out by a Racing Tipster with a lime green envelope.

But our online digital printing service can present any business with a real opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

When ordering greeting cards at www.direct2print.co you simply upload your own design and personalise it in the best way possible.

So the next time you consider sending greetings by email – think which you would prefer – a message to your inbox or a card through your post-box!

And if you happen to know the birthday of your main contact at a client’s company, be sure to put it in your diary – it could come in handy one day!