As postage costs continue to rise in 2025, businesses are feeling the squeeze. But that doesn’t mean direct mail is off the table, it just means we need to be smarter about how we send.
At Send DM, we specialise in helping businesses get the most out of every mail campaign. Whether you’re sending 500 or 5,000 items, small changes in how you package and prepare your mail can unlock significant savings.
Here’s how to make your mail work harder, without breaking your budget.
1. Stay Within the Letter Format: Size and Weight Matter
The simplest way to reduce postage costs is by ensuring your mail stays within Royal Mail’s standard letter format. Even a few extra grams or millimetres can bump your item into a more expensive category.
At Send DM, we help clients optimise every element of their campaign to remain efficient and effective.
Smart ways to stay within standard letter specifications include:
- Slimline layout and design consultation
- Lightweight, eco-friendly materials
- Efficient packaging and envelope choices
Top Tip: Switch to compact DL or C5 envelopes and remove unnecessary inserts, this can shave pence off every piece.
2. Think Personalised for Precision and Savings
Don’t be put off by the term’ bulk discounts’, many smaller campaigns still qualify for meaningful savings with the right approach.
We work closely with our clients to help them personalise their campaigns for more refined targeting. Personalisation doesn’t just improve engagement; it enables smarter spending by ensuring your mail reaches the people most likely to respond.
Ways to make personalisation work harder for your budget:
- Variable data printing for tailored messages
- Advanced data personalisation based on demographics, behaviours, and past interactions
- Smart batching and format choices to stay cost-efficient
Top Tip: A personalised, well-targeted campaign of 500 can often outperform a generic mailing of 5,000, especially when backed by strong data.
3. Target Smarter: Clean, Segment, and Save
One of the most significant hidden costs in direct mail is wasted send-outs, mail that never reaches the right person or doesn’t resonate with the recipient.
The solution? Stronger data. A clean, segmented, and well-managed mailing list is key to saving money and improving results.
We guide our clients through data management best practices, referencing our Direct Mail ROI Maximisation Report for practical, results-driven insights
How to fine-tune your mailing list for better ROI:
- Validating and cleansing your database to remove errors
- Segmenting audiences based on geography, behaviours, or buying stage
- Refining targeting through postcode and household profiling
Top Tip: Use our Direct Mail ROI report to identify underperforming segments and reinvest in high-response audiences for faster ways to boost returns.
4. Design Once, Send Smart: Add Digital Touchpoints
Making your direct mail digitally interactive helps increase conversions and reduces the need for costly follow-up mailings.
At Send DM, we advise our clients to incorporate the following within their artwork:
- QR codes linking to online offers, booking pages, or video content
- Personalised URLs (PURLs) for tracking individual recipient engagement
- Clear calls-to-action (CTAs) that direct the reader’s next step
Top Tip: Use UTM-tagged QR codes to track exactly which mail designs drive action, then replicate your best performers.
Let’s Make Every Send Count
Whether you’re a small startup or a growing SME, direct mail remains a powerful way to connect with your audience, especially when it’s personalised, cost-conscious, and strategically designed.
Let us help you deliver campaigns that are not only cost-effective but impactful, sustainable, and built for growth.
👉 Contact us today to plan your next smart, strategic mail campaign.
