What Are Direct Mail Leads

What are DIRECT MAIL LEADS?
Lead is a prospective costumer interest in the business’ products. Lead generation is a used for generation of this interest. Direct mail leads is one of the methods of lead generation. A lead is an indication for an advertiser offer that includes contact information and demographic information. There are two types of leads in the lead generation market: sales leads and marketing leads.

Direct mail is also known as advertising mail, junk mail or admail. Direct mail is delivery of advertising material to recipients of postal mail. Delivery of advertising mail is a service which many postal services bank upon. Attempts are made by some organizations to help people opt out of direct mail incase of people getting affected by its negative environmental impact. Direct mail leads includes advertising circulars, catalogs, CD’s and other revenue generation material delivered to the customers. It may be delivered to people selected beforehand or to people on a random basis (neighbourhood by neighbourhood). Postal services receive a major portion of their revenue from the direct mail leads. Postal services use the terminologies direct mail, admail and advertising mail but refrain from using the term junk mail owning to its pejorative nature. In Canada, addressed and unaddressed advertising mail accounted for 20% of Canada Post's revenue in 2005, and the share is increasing.

Design and format of the direct mail leads: Some common formats include bookalogs, catalogs, blind mailing, self mailers, clear bag packages, post cards, envelope mailers, snail mailers etc.
Bookalogs: A promotion designed to look like a paperback book. Mailed in an envelope with an order form and cover letter.
Catalogs: Multi-page, bound promotions, usually featuring a selection of products for sale.

Blind mailing: A mailer designed to look like personal mail.
Self-mailers: Pieces usually created from a single sheet that has been printed and folded. For instance, a common practice is to print a page-length advertisement or promotion on one side of a sheet of paper. This is then folded in half or in thirds, with the promotional message to the inside. The two outside surfaces are then used for the address of the recipient and some "teaser" message designed to persuade the customer to open the piece. Clear bag packages: Large (often 9×12 or bigger) full-color packages sealed in a clear, plastic outer wrap. The contents show through the clear bag, giving the potential for maximum initial impact. Clear bag packages can be extremely effective and are very affordable based upon the campaign open-rate.

Postcards: Simple, two-sided pieces, with a promotional message on one side and the customer's address on the other.
Envelope mailers: Mailings in which the marketing material is placed inside an envelope. This permits the marketer to include more than one insert. When more than one advertiser is included, this is often called "marriage mail". Valpak is one of the largest examples of a marriage mail service.
Snap Mailers: Mailers that fold and seal with pressure. The sides detach and the mailer is opened to reveal the message. Dimensional Mailers: Mailers that have some dimension to them like a small box. Intelligent Documents: Programmable mail pieces built dynamically from database information, and printed digitally for faster production.