Mailing Label Buying Guide

You might, given the growing popularity of online advertising, think that direct mail marketing has fallen by the wayside. In reality, however, mailers have retained both their prevalence and their effectiveness even as we dive headfirst into the information age. In 2014, companies spent over 48 billion dollars on direct mail marketing - on average, that investment earned them a whopping 1,300% return, more than many forms of advertising (traditional or new) can boast. Effective direct mail marketing poses its own set of challenges, however, not the least of which is setting up an efficient and affordable mailing operation. The very first basic element you want to get right is the labels.

Bang for Your Buck

But they're just labels, you might be saying to yourself. Does it really matter which kind I pick? The answer is an unequivocal yes. Most successful direct mailing operations make prominent use of labels, which means that it's extremely important to find a variety that fits your budget and lends itself to rapid printing. There's also the matter of cost to consider. Though office superstores offer a wide variety of labels, they typically do so at prices that can dramatically raise the cost of your direct mailing operation. By pairing with a wholesaler like LLT, you can ensure that you'll always have the labels you need on hand and that they'll come at a fraction of retail cost. The only question that remains is which kind of label best suits your needs.

Parcel Possibilities

When you think of traditional direct mail marketing, you probably think of a coupon-filled flier or a basic envelope with a special offer contained within. The reason mailers of that variety are so prominent is because they work in spite (or perhaps because of) their simplicity. You can apply just about any label you want on mailers like this, which makes the kind you choose less about shape and size and more about sheer cost efficiency. This package, for example, contains a staggering 50,000 small labels (just large enough to print an address on) for a mere $95. That puts your label cost for each mailer at less than a fifth of a cent each, a miniscule investment that can bring tremendous returns.

There's so many varieties of labels out there, though, that there's no need to limit yourself to the traditional and the basic. Perhaps part of your marketing plan include sending small samples of your product to interested vendors and clients. Small labels like the one listed above can feel lacking on packages of most sizes - plus, the extra space afforded by a larger label allows you more creativity in terms of typeface, giving you the opportunity to put a final stylistic touch on what is basically a remote presentation of your product. For instances like these, we recommend a label like this 3" x 2" thermal transfer model. Though more expensive than smaller varieties, this label still costs less than three-quarters of a cent each - an incredibly small price to pay for the additional flexibility the greater size grants you in perfecting your presentation.

Speaking of presentation, there's no rule that says that your labels have to be white. In fairness, white labels should be your go-to choice for basic mailers - they're better at keeping the focus on your offer or product. Those who wish the incorporate the design of their labels into the design of their mailers, however, will be happy to learn that mailing labels come in a literal rainbow of colors. What's more, it's easy to find both big and small labels in any hue you could ever need. Those looking for a mere splash of color will enjoy the compact size and affordability of our colored 2 5/8" x 1" labels, while those seeking a bigger impact may instead be interested in our 4" x 2", 4" x 5" or 8 1/2" x 11" models. Be sure to also consider our thermal labels - they come in just as wide a variety of sizes and in an even wider variety of colors, making them perfect for all sorts of specialized mailers.

Remember too that labels come in shapes beyond rectangular. If your parcels are more cylindrical in nature, the usage of circular mailing labels can add a great deal to the presentation of your packages and allow for efficient use of all the surface area afforded to you. To that end, we carry circular labels in two distinct sizes (diameter of 1 2/3" and diameter of 2 1/2") to ensure that you can purchase a label perfectly suited to your packaging. This may be the difference that helps you decide between laser and thermal labels, as the latter, by their nature, can only come in rectangular varieties.

Conclusion

Direct mail marketing has been around for nearly as long as mail itself. What's more, its persistent growth and efficacy even in the face of new technologies has proven that it won't be going anywhere for a long time. That being the case, doesn't it behoove your business to have the best labels for direct mail marketing at your disposal? We at LLT can provide you with the perfect label your company's needs and do so at prices that our competitors just can't match. If you'd like more information on the power of labels in direct mail marketing - or just have questions on how proper labeling can benefit your business - please feel free to visit our blog or to contact one of our helpful customer service associates.