Following my note yesterday about a shared mailing to the 1000 secondary schools that our records show don’t normally pass on or respond to email ads, I received a few calls and emails asking me to explain a bit more about shared mailings. So, here’s a quick run down.
First, the benefit
Shared mailings allow you to get printed material in front of teachers, for about 25% or 30% of the normal price of direct mail. What’s more we can also run your advert at no extra cost on UK Education News, which normally brings in around 1000 extra readers.
Here’s how it works
Shared mailings are packs of leaflets that go to the school administrator, who is asked to pass the leaflets on to various members of staff.
A typical pack might include five to ten leaflets, and most participating companies put on the top right of the leaflet as phrase such as “Attn: Head of Music”. The administrator drops the leaflet in the teacher’s pigeon hole.
The response rate
Typically a shared mailing delivers a response rate of about a third to a half of that of a solo mailing – so it can be a very good way of increasing return on investment, and of testing a leaflet. Shared leaflets that we have produced, advertising CDs and books charged at £25 each, and sent to 5000 schools have regularly brought in orders of between 20 and 100 books.
The options
You can opt to mail any of these selections:
The 1000 secondary schools that rarely respond to emails
The 3500 secondary schools with sixth forms
All 5000 secondary schools
The 5000 largest primary schools
The 10,000 largest primary schools
All 24000 primary schools
The price
The price does vary from around 7p to 10p for a single leaflet weighing under 15g. Heavier leaflets cost more. However there is always a special discount for including a second item – and where you include two items (for example an advert to two separate teachers) the price can be less than 5p per teacher.
More details are on www.shared.org.uk – or to talk through anything please do call 01536 399 000.
Tony Attwood