To launch a 10,000-piece postcard mailing from conception to fulfillment, expect to pay about $0.30 to $1.00 for each piece. You can reduce your costs if you do the writing, addressing, or design in-house, but you’ll need to invest a considerable amount of staff time. In all, prepare to spend at least $3,000 to $5,000 or more for a full direct mailing campaign. See what other BuyerZone users have paid for direct mail services.

Other direct mail options – four-color flyers, self-mailers, newsletters, and brochures – can raise your expenses by an additional $1 to $2 per piece.

Postage, your biggest expense, will account for $0.18 to $0.39 of that cost, depending on size and weight.

Mailing lists are priced per thousand names (CPM). You will pay anywhere from $0.12 to $0.25 or more per name, depending on the number of filters you choose. It also costs twice as much for business lists than consumer lists.

If you need design and copywriting work, expect to pay $75 to $100 per hour for one to four hours of work. These fees include proofs that you review for accuracy before the mailers are printed.

Printing can cost anywhere from $0.05 to $0.10 or more per unit. Larger postcards, multiple colors, or glossy stock, will add another couple of hundred dollars to your costs. Many vendors will require a minimum purchase on printing, but will offer volume discounts. Even if you only plan on sending 5,000 pieces, you may want to order more than you need. You can then keep the additional copies in storage for additional or follow-up mailings.

Direct mailing services vendors charge $0.03 to $0.10 apiece for the mail processing – labeling or addressing, presorting, and delivery. If you send mailers that require tri-folds or inserting, expect to pay an additional $0.01 to $0.03 each. Tabbing – small circular stickers to seal self-mailers or newsletters – costs $0.01 to $0.02 per piece.

Including prepaid reply envelopes will cost an additional $200 to $1,000. Expect to pay even more – $180 to $400 – if you include return postage on those reply envelopes. Using four-color graphics can make your piece more attractive, but can cost $300 to $500 more.

Typically, a direct mailing services vendor can have your work completed in a guaranteed two-to-three-week turnaround. Doing some of the work on your own can not only save you money but also can get the mailing done faster. The timetable also depends on your approval of any proofs they send you – if you make changes, it can delay the entire process.