and sizes. There are direct mail automation providers, APIs and more traditional postcard design interfaces.
With a growing variety of direct mail solutions, it can feel daunting to find the best fit. Here are some basic criteria for evaluating a direct mail software provider:

• Upfront and total costs: It is difficult to compare costs of martech providers, and direct mail software is no different. Pricing strata are not always clear or consistent from company to company. When comparing costs, make sure to account for upfront set-up or training fees; monthly or annual subscription costs (and what those fees get you); and batch or individual postcard and postage fees. (check out ways to save on direct mail here.)
• Recommended company size and type: Not all direct mail software providers aim to serve all industries. Traditional direct mail printers, for example, may design fine campaigns for some brick-and-mortar businesses (with long lead times and broad audiences). But digital-first marketers need direct mail software that can sync mailers with automated, highly targeted digital campaigns and offer real-time send capabilities. Choose a direct mail provider that is used by businesses like yours. At Inkit, we serve variety of industries, but many of our features are designed specifically for e-commerce, fintech, subscription and other digital marketers.
• Scalability: As a modern direct mail software company, Inkit operates on a scalable Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. This means marketers pay monthly or annual subscription fees for access to our browser-based software. Some direct mail platforms do not fall into the SAAS category, so be sure to evaluate whether you’ll be able to scale up or down with each provider on your list.

7 Modern Direct Mail Software Features

If you’re looking for direct mail software that can help you unify online and offline marketing efforts, there are a few key elements to consider.

1. Direct mail CRM integrations. Multi-channel marketers need to be able to target, trigger and automate direct mail as easily as email. Direct mail automation is possible when you can integrate your direct mail software with your CRM. Check out Inkit’s growing list of CRM integrations here.
2. Drag-and-drop postcard builder. The experience of creating a mailer should be simple so you can focus on executing the campaign. Choose a direct mail software company that offers a user-friendly interface, eliminating back-and-forth with third parties like outside designers and engineers. Inkit offers a plug-and-play builder, making it quick and easy to upload your designs or create new custom mailers. In fact, many Inkit users simply use our builder to re-purpose email promotions as postcards. (This is a great way to overcome low engagement).
3. High level of personalization. Personalization is key in digital marketing and the same is true in direct mail. For the best opportunities in personalization, select a direct mail software service with no minimum batch sizes per campaign, dynamic content insertion and the ability to integrate with your CRM. With Inkit, you can send direct mail that is more relevant and customer-focused than ever before.
4. A/B testing. You should be split-testing your direct mail campaigns just like your digital ads and emails. With the right provider, direct mail can be just as testable and trackable as any digital campaign. Learn how to put serious data behind your direct mail campaigns here.
5. Speed-to-market. Traditionally, it takes significant lead time to get a direct mail campaign out the door and in your customer’s mailbox. It doesn’t have to be this way anymore. As a modern direct mail software provider, Inkit allows you to send postcards at the click of a button, and in real time based on events and actions tracked by your CRM.
6. Unlimited volume. Are you looking to send a personalized thank you to a single customer or blast 100k promotion fliers to an entire town? Find a direct mail software service that leaves you in control of the size and scope of your campaigns. With no minimum batch sizes and unlimited volume, Inkit won’t place arbitrary (and expensive) parameters on your campaigns.
7. Customer support. This is key when signing on with any martech service. Whether you need assistance using the builder, have questions about postcard best practices, or need help with your campaigns, you should be able to reach out and get answers. At Inkit, we pride ourselves on providing transparent, individualized support to our clients.

Does Inkit seem like a good fit for your martech stack?