How to choose the right mail service to engage citizens

Why mail matters in marketing

If you’re keen to explore the potential of mail to engage with citizens at home, a great place to start is by wrapping your head around the different types of mail services. 

Mail is a proven way to reach and engage with your audience. It’s trusted, particularly when addressed. It’s inclusive, with the ability to reach all Australians – including the 2.5 million who are not online¹ – or just a tightly targeted geographic area. It’s a lot easier to stick a letter on the fridge than an email. And, 81% of people open and read their mail immediately.² 

At Australia Post, mail is broken down into two categories:

• Unaddressed
• Addressed 

Question is, how do you know which one is right for your campaign objectives? Let’s take a look.

1. Unaddressed mail

Ideal for: flyers, brochures, catalogues 

Unaddressed mail is the cheapest option for sending via post. It’s a great option if you want to send generic information or updates to a local community – you can pick a specific geographical area and Australia Post can deliver into the letterbox of every home or apartment in the chosen location. 

If you’re running a national campaign, you can send community notices to up to 11.6 million letterboxes nationwide.³

Learn more about unaddressed mail. 

2. Addressed mail 

Ideal for: important letters to individuals, highly targeted promotions  

When you absolutely need to get information into the hands of a recipient, addressed mail is still the most effective way to achieve this. It can’t get lost in an inbox, and it won’t disappear in an Instagram feed. Addressed mail is particularly effective at reaching minority and unserved communities.

Retailers may choose to send out addressed mail with birthday offers or other promotions to help stand out in a crowded and highly competitive market.

Learn more about addressed mail (for sending less than 300 items).  

Which mail service offers the best value for money?

There’s no easy answer to this question. Unaddressed mail is certainly the most affordable option for sending letters or flyers, with prices from just $0.215 for a small letter (compared to $1.10 for an addressed small letter).

If you’re doing a bulk campaign and don’t think personalisation or targeting will add value, then unaddressed mail will be the best value for money. But if you want to target specific individuals with personalised messages that achieve a higher level of engagement, then it could be worth investing in extra postage costs.