Many companies still use letters to communicate with their customers, partners, and suppliers, while others view mail as a promotional tool to reach new markets. In fact, according to Fundera, 54 percent of customers want mailings from brands that interest them. And while many people know how to send a letter in the mail, getting meaningful results from direct mail campaigns is quite another matter.

Whether you run a small business or a large organization, you have several ways to mail a letter. Everything depends on whether you need to send something quickly (but expensively) or want to save money.

This article explains how to mail a letter step-by-step, including the proper mail letter format.

Why Do Businesses Still Need Mailing Letters?

Up to this point, you might think that letters are obsolete since everything now takes place online - you couldn't be more wrong. Letters are still part of cross-channel direct mail marketing strategies. Hence, your sales and marketing teams need to know how to mail a letter the right way before you can even think about successful direct mail marketing strategies.

That said, here are three top reasons businesses still need mailing letters:

#1. It is an Affordable Form Of Communication

If you know how to send a letter, you also know that it's affordable and secure, especially for a business sending large volumes of letters to their customers. Letters help you reach a broad audience quickly at a fair price.

How much does it cost to mail a letter?

The postage cost ranges from $0.40 to $0.60, depending on the mailing service. Of course, there are more expensive mailings, but you will only use them on special occasions. What letters lack in speed is compensated by mail's 90% open rate. All you need to do is follow the USPS mail letter format.

Note, however, that even if your team knows how to mail a letter for business, it won't help if they keep getting the addresses wrong. Lost or undelivered mail increases expenses. It could lead to higher costs of communication with customers.

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#2. Targeted Outreach

Direct mail allows you to target specific customers with a personalized message relevant to their needs. While email and social media outreach also allow for targeting, they cannot give the personal touch that comes with a handwritten letter.

#3. Creative Marketing

Knowing how to mail a letter also means being able to create different letters to address varying needs. Letters allow the sender to get creative in ways that emails can't. You can also add a gift or coupon inside the envelope, making your potential customers more likely to open it and read what you have to say.

#4. Improved Brand Authority

When you mail a letter offline, it makes your business look more professional. Yet customers expect you to know how to mail a letter suited to the industry. Hence, you should personalize the content and choose the correct format.

It's also good to add brochures, business cards, or product samples in the envelope when you mail a letter. It promotes brand awareness when recipients process your mail. You encourage them to learn more about your company by giving them a physical incentive.

How to Mail a Letter: A Guide for Businesses

The USPS has specific guidelines for how to send a letter in the mail. If you aren't sure where to begin, here's a brief guide on how to mail a letter.

Step 1. Choose An Envelope and the Format of Mailing a Letter

How to mail a letter? To mail a letter, you have to put it in an envelope. Choose an envelope of the right size, material, and style. Use small envelopes for small letters and large envelopes for large letters. Keep in mind that the size of the parcel will also determine how much you pay for mailing.

If you are stuck on how to mail envelope letters, please note that USPS machinery cannot pass some bulky or irregular-sized parcels. If this is how you choose to send your letter, they may charge you more.

This is the USPS format of mailing a letter:

• 3 1/2 to 6 1/8 inches high
• 5 to 11 1/2 inches long
• No more than 1/4 inch thick
• Up to 3.5 ounces

Step 2. Enclose The Letter In The Envelope And Seal It

Place the letter in the envelope once you finish with the mail letter format.

You can skip this step if you're using a stick-on envelope to mail a letter. If you are sending a regular envelope, lick it or wet it to make it sticky, then fold the flap and press down hard at its center.

In either case, seal your envelope by pressing down hard on any open edges.

Step 3. Write Down the Delivery and Return Addresses

Before you mail a letter, indicate the correct address of the recipient and your address (in case the letter is undeliverable). The delivery address usually goes at the center of the envelope, while the return address is located in the envelope's top left corner.

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Step 4. Find the Right Postage

Use the United States Postal Service's online postage calculator to determine what postage you need. You may also want to weigh your letter or package at a post office or use a kitchen scale.

Letters are usually First Class or Standard Mail. Standard Mail is suitable for mass mailing and advertising and is not forwarded or returned if undeliverable.

If you are wondering how to send a letter in the mail to reach its recipient on time, use First Class Mail. How long does it take to mail a letter using First Class Mail? It takes 3-5 days and includes forwarding and return services.

Step 5. Mail the Letter

You can mail a letter by dropping it in a mailbox or taking it to the post office. If you're short on time, you can deposit your stamped, addressed letter in any blue USPS mailboxes all over the city. If you have time, you can drop your letter at your local post office window or counter.

Batch Mailing For Businesses

Batch mailing is a service that helps businesses organize and send large volumes of direct mail. The process involves printing, enveloping, and addressing print marketing materials to deliver them in bulk.

Batch mailing has become an essential part of the marketing strategy for many businesses. They use batch mailing to send hundreds of print marketing materials, catalogs, or newsletters. Such campaigns usually happen during major events such as Christmas or when the business has special offers on new products and services.

Overall, batch mailing is a fantastic tool for any company trying to grow and attract new consumers. Records show that batch mailing (direct mail campaigns) delivers at least 10% more customers than digital correspondence.

Now that you know how to send a letter, you're one step closer to realizing your direct mail marketing strategy.

Use Inkit Send API For Direct Mail Automation

Knowing how to mail a letter the right way is one thing, but getting results is different. Getting tangible results from your direct mail marketing strategies is incomplete without automated tools like Inkit Send.

Inkit Send enables businesses to automatically create, personalize, send, and track print communications. It helps you create and send a high volume of personalized print campaigns, such as postcards and letters, directly from your CRM through API integration.

The Inkit Send API automates your direct mail process, from printing to delivery, so you can spend less time learning how to send a letter and more on what you do best - running your business.

‍Start for free now to see how to send a letter with Inkit.