Dear Bulk Mailer

Running a bulk mailing campaign can give anyone a hard time. However, the sheer effectiveness of this marketing vehicle makes it worth taking the pain for. A bulk campaign will be successful when it pays attention to the minutest of details and adheres to some rules. Here, we discus rules that you will have to adhere to while running a bulk mailing campaign.

The article ‘Tips for Getting the Most out Of Your Bulk Mailing Campaign’ has already discussed the various rules that you as a marketer will have to follow in your bulk mailing plan. Unfortunately, these are not the only rules that you will have to abide by. There is a whole tonne of governmental nitty-gritty involved in mailing out in bulk, the most prominent ones being permits and government laws. The next two sections discus the rules that you will have to adhere to in each type of bulk mailing.

Snail mail bulk mailing- A marketer’s personal rule in snail bulk mailing is to find a delivery company- government or private that is reliable at a lower cost. However, each company will have its own rules. First, you need to obtain a mailing permit. There is no fee for obtaining a permit in most of the states. Next you have to pay a yearly bulk mailing fee. Services like USPS don’t allow you to bulk mail at reduced prices unless they have levied this fee from you. Once you have your permit and annual mailing fee in order, you will have to pay postage through postage meter, permit imprints or pre-canceled stamps. Many companies, in an attempt to keep their operation smooth have extra rules for the size, weight and shape of the mails that you send out. Many a times, company rules allow you to post only from the particular post office where you hold your mailing permit. Finally, one the last rule of snail bulk mailing is that the sender presorts their mail according to the zip codes of the recipients.

Electronic bulk mailing- This is a more liberated form of bulk mailing for the sender is free to set his/her own rules. You don’t need a permit and can send your mails from anywhere. The only governmental rule holding back the efficiency of this type of mailing is the US CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 which is aimed at controlling the assault of non-solicited pornography and marketing. Europe has a similar law named European Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulation, 2003. Both these laws are aimed at protecting users from scams. However, they can come in the way of an honest company trying to attract customers through bulk mail. Make sure to look into both before planning your bulk mailing strategy.

Bulk mailing is not only an effective but also a safe marketing vehicle if you play by the rules. Experiment with creativity while following the rules and your bulk mailing campaign may be able to generate sales of thousands of dollars.