How to Save Money on Direct Mail Fundraising

March 10, 2017 Blog, PMG News
Link Enlarge
  Direct mail plays a critical role in fundraising for many organizations, but decision-makers are not always knowledgeable about its intricacies. The process from conception to delivery is complicated, and without proper planning you can pay too much or miss crucial deadlines. Fortunately, by effectively utilizing production management and postal logistics strategies, you can save[...]

What is Production Management?

March 1, 2017 Blog, PMG News
Link Enlarge
  In the direct mail world, effective production management can be defined as “managing all elements of a mailing from design through production and entry into the mail stream in order to meet quality and mail date objectives while minimizing costs.” Production management concerns itself with these questions: Has each piece been designed in a[...]

2016 A Great Year for PMG’s Community Outreach Program!

February 20, 2017 Blog, Caring Spirit
Link Enlarge
2016 was exciting and successful for our Community Outreach Program! Throughout the year we had the honor of raising over $6,800 for a variety of charities, all while having a great time doing so. Some of our favorite events and activities from the past year, all which benefited our 2016 organizations, include: Hosting an ice cream[...]

Your Prepress Preflight Checklist

February 3, 2017 Blog, PMG News
Link Enlarge
  One of the secrets of effective production management is to conduct a thorough prepress preflight review to ensure you catch problems while they are still inexpensive to fix.  You will never regret taking the time to check each of the following elements before sending final art to the printer: Fonts: Are all fonts available[...]

Choosing the Best Printer for Your Job

January 23, 2017 Blog, PMG News
Link Enlarge
  When you’re planning a direct mail campaign, it is important to choose the right printer for the job. Print shops differ widely in their capabilities.  Some shops focus on small jobs and walk-in traffic; others have invested heavily in equipment that allows them to produce 600,000 personalized letters quickly and cost-effectively.  And while every[...]

Using Annual Planning to Reduce Direct Mail Costs

January 10, 2017 Blog, PMG News
Link Enlarge
Most companies with significant direct mail campaigns work hard to minimize their direct mail costs.   Not surprisingly, there are a lot of different secrets to producing high-quality direct mail cost-effectively. One of the most effective ways to cut your direct mail production costs is to do your planning on an annual basis rather than bidding[...]

Cost-Effective Direct Mail Design

January 6, 2017 Blog, PMG News
Link Enlarge
  The first step in improving the ROI of your mailings is to design a mail piece that can be inexpensively produced and mailed.  As you finalize the design, the most important elements to consider are size, shape and stock. To reduce your production costs as much as possible, avoid the following problems: Odd sizes[...]

Reducing Your Direct Mail Production Costs

January 2, 2017 Blog, PMG News
Link Enlarge
  After managing thousands of projects over two decades, one thing we’ve learned for sure is that saving money on direct mail production is a top priority for almost every organization.  But while this goal is universally shared, many marketers are unsure about exactly how to achieve it. There are five major areas that can[...]

Handy 2017 Postage Rate Chart

December 8, 2016 Blog, Postal Information
Link Enlarge
Download and print this handy Nonprofit Postage Rate Chart to keep at your desk, hang on your bulletin board or place one in every job folder. Please let us know if we can answer any questions or help you explore how to get the best postal rates possible.

SCF’s Most Impacted by Hurricane Matthew

October 11, 2016 Industry, Postal Information
Link Enlarge
Hurricane Matthew has pulled away from the US and those in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas are beginning the process of assessing the damage and cleaning up. Our thoughts go out to those impacted and we’re praying that they can stabilize and get back to normal as quickly as possible. In addition to post office[...]