Best Direct Mail Marketing Software Shortlist
The following are my recommendations for the 10 best direct mail marketing software solutions:
- Postal - Best for creating custom-branded swag
- Alyce - Best for managing outbound B2B gifting
- PostGrid - Best to connect with your tech stack via REST API
- PebblePost - Best to inform direct mail marketing with digital insights
- Postie - Best for a friendly experience for digital marketers
- Postalytics - Best direct mail software for marketing agencies
- Sendoso - Best for a broad range of mail pieces and gifts
- Stadium - Best for building custom gift shops
- Lob - Best direct mail marketing software for sustainability
- ReachDesk - Best with dedicated project management services
- Bluebird.cx - Best to set up automated corporate gifting programs
- Handwrytten - Best for handwritten looking cards and gifts
Direct mail marketing is an affordable and effective way to drive brand awareness and generate new leads. But managing your direct mail marketing efforts isn’t always easy—you have to pinpoint geographical locations to target, produce marketing collateral for distribution, and get your assets out in a cost-effective way. Not only that, but you want to track and evaluate the efficacy of your work!
This is where direct mail marketing software can be super helpful. It helps to streamline, automate, and analyze your direct mail campaigns. To help you find the best option for your business needs, I’ve researched the tools on the market and rounded up my top picks in this list.
What is Direct Mail Marketing Software?
Direct mail marketing software, also frequently called direct mail automation software, is a digital tool that helps you plan, execute, and monitor your offline marketing efforts. It helps you streamline and automate your processes, and understand the ROI of your physical mail marketing campaigns. Features may cover things like asset creation tools, mailing list management and segmentation, and even postage and handling logistics.
Overviews of the 12 Best Direct Mail Marketing Software
Here are my overviews of the 10 best direct mail marketing software I selected. I’ve included my reason for choosing each tool, its standout features, pricing information, and pros and cons. I also added a screenshot of the user interface, to give you a feel for the platform.
1. Postal - Best for creating custom-branded swag
Postal is a global offline engagement software that gives you access to a global marketplace and lets you create custom swag to send out via direct mail.
Why I picked Postal: This platform made it onto my list because of its tools for creating branded swag to send out to customers, prospects, employees, or other target audiences. You can select from the bank of items available, and customize your swag using your logo or other graphics. Once your swag is made, you can store it in the company’s warehouses, and mail it out individually or in bulk.
As for managing your direct mail campaigns, the software also provides you with all the tools you’ll need. You can automate sending out gifts from their marketplace, custom swag, and paper marketing assets like handwritten notes. You can also manage your direct mail budgets and spend.
Postal Standout Features and Integrations
Some standout features include the account-based marketing (ABM) tools available in the software. In particular, the tracking capabilities are helpful for analyzing the effectiveness of your ABM efforts. For example, you can dig into an individual or account’s engagement and spend, and bring together data from various sources to track online and offline marketing efforts in a single place.
Integrations include HubSpot, Salesforce, Outreach, Calendly, Shopify, Microsoft Dynamics, Chili Piper, Marketo, BambooHR, and Workday, among others. A Google Chrome extension is also available, and you can access additional integrations with a paid Zapier account.
Pricing: Available upon request
Free Trial: Free demo
Pros
- Dedicated customer support manager with all plans
- Manage inventory in the company’s global warehouses
- Unlimited sends included in all plans
Cons
- Pricing information is not transparent
- Not all functionality will be relevant to all users
2. Alyce - Best for managing outbound B2B gifting
Alyce is an AI-enabled corporate gifting and direct mail marketing platform for B2B businesses.
Why I picked Alyce: I chose to include this software because of its focus on B2B gifting. With a marketplace of over 30,000 items, it’s easy to select a personalized gift for your prospect, partner, client, or investor. But before you get overwhelmed, the AI research assistant will help you pick out a few options that are specifically tailored to your recipient.
In addition to physical gifts, you can send digital gifts or let your recipient select their own gift. You can also give recipients the option to exchange their gift, or donate the gift value to a charity. In addition to all the gifting options, the software also lets you set up gifting campaigns and track performance, helping you manage your gifting strategy.
Alyce Standout Features and Integrations
Standout features I noticed in this platform were its reporting dashboards, which help you track the performance of your gifting campaigns. You can monitor your gift performance, track your gifting’s revenue impact, and see your team’s performance based on their gift marketing efforts. Some of the metrics you can monitor include gift landing page views, gift acceptance rates, and the influence gifting has on your pipeline.
Integrations include 6Sense, Demandbase, Salesloft, Outreach, Salesforce, HubSpot, Vidyard, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Marketo, and Eloqua.
Pricing: Available upon request
Free Trial: Free demo
Pros
- Intuitive, user-friendly interface
- Multiple delivery methods available
- Effective reporting and analytics suite
Cons
- Better suited to large corporations than small businesses
- Pricing information is not transparent
3. PostGrid - Best to connect with your tech stack via REST API
PostGrid is an offline communications software that provides both print and mail as well as address verification tools, facilitated through an API.
Why I picked PostGrid: This tool works by connecting with your other software platforms via API—but native integrations are also available. I chose it because it expands the capabilities of your CRM, helping to facilitate your offline communications. Physical mail pieces like letters, postcards, or cheques can be sent out using your existing SaaS tools.
Meanwhile, the software’s AI-powered address verification helps you ensure your mail pieces are delivered to the right recipients. You can standardize the addresses you have on file, clean up your records, and verify addresses in bulk. This function is also enabled via API, bringing all the software’s capabilities into your existing tools.
PostGrid Standout Features and Integrations
One standout feature is the 2-day SLA offered by the software provider. You can be sure that your mail pieces will be processed within two business days, ensuring a speedy delivery. The software also routes orders to a vendor close to the destination, helping to speed up time to delivery as well.
Integrations include HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo, Zoho, NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Eloqua, and Pipedrive, among others. A paid Zapier account will give users access to additional integrations.
Pricing: From $20/month
Free Trial: Free plan
Pros
- Integrates with the tools you already use
- Free plan for print and mail capabilities
- Templates to speed up asset creation
Cons
- Additional cost per mail piece
- Comes with a learning curve
4. PebblePost - Best to inform direct mail marketing with digital insights
PebblePost is a programmatic direct mail marketing platform that helps brands execute and manage both acquisition and retention campaigns.
Why I picked PebblePost: I decided to add this platform to my list because of how it leverages digital insights to inform your direct mail strategies. The software uses online intent signals to segment prospects and existing customers that you can then target with timely, relevant direct mail marketing campaigns. You can also craft unique, personalized paper assets in the platform, and run A/B tests on marketing collateral to improve performance.
PebblePost Standout Features and Integrations
Standout features that set this platform apart are its dedicated tools to support both acquisition and retention campaigns. You can both pinpoint high-intent prospects as well as at-risk existing customers to target with direct mail. The software connects intent data from your website with customer data in your CRM, helping you better target your existing customers to re-engage them.
Integrations are not listed by the provider.
Pricing: Available upon request
Free Trial: Free demo
Pros
- Leverage intent data towards direct mail strategies
- Useful for both acquisition and retention
- Ability to create highly targeted campaigns
Cons
- Can be complex to navigate
- Pricing information is not transparent
5. Postie - Best for a friendly experience for digital marketers
Postie is a direct mail marketing platform that supports your prospecting, retargeting, and customer reengagement activities.
Why I picked Postie: This software feels like a digital marketing platform, with tools to segment your audience, map out cross-channel journeys, personalize assets, and automate aspects of your direct mail marketing strategies. It also has ample tools to help you track and measure the success of your campaigns.
For those who are accustomed to digital marketing tactics, this can be a helpful tool to embark on direct mail campaigns with. Particularly, the ability to craft multi-channel campaigns that include both digital and direct mail tactics helps you create a more holistic marketing strategy.
Postie Standout Features and Integrations
Some standout features include the ability to leverage your CRM data to craft target audiences. You can build lookalike audiences based on your highest value customers, and then target those audiences with personalized, multi-channel campaigns. The platform’s analytics capabilities are also impressive, and allow you to track your ROAS and other core metrics in real-time.
Integrations are not listed by the provider.
Pricing: Available upon request
Free Trial: Free demo
Pros
- Personalization of assets
- Multi-channel campaign management
- Automated printing capabilities
Cons
- Pricing information is not transparent
- Analytics tools take time to learn
6. Postalytics - Best direct mail software for marketing agencies
Postalytics is a direct mail automation platform designed to streamline and enhance marketing for in-house marketing teams and marketing agencies.
Why I picked Postalytics: This platform offers tools and features to create, send, and track direct mail campaigns. I chose to include it on my list because of how it caters specifically to the needs of marketing agencies. It provides fully white–labeled assets that you can customize to the needs of your clients, and integrates with your CRM. Connecting the platform with your CRM helps you manage and automate hybrid digital and offline marketing campaigns in one place, and keep client communications organized and accessible.
Postalytics Standout Features and Integrations
Standout features that stood out to me about this software were its drag-and-drop asset builder and its advanced tracking capabilities. You can create and proof mail pieces easily and quickly with the user-friendly builder, without needing to be a graphic designer. And the intelligent mail barcodes included on mail pieces allow for delivery tracking and confirmation.
Integrations include Hubspot, Salesforce, ActiveCampaign, Zoho, Marketo, HighLevel, Klavyo, Pipedrive, Freshsales, and Nimble, among others. A paid Zapier account will unlock additional integrations, and an API is available to build custom integrations.
Pricing: From $199.99/month
Free Trial: Free plan
Pros
- White-labeled assets are easy to customize for clients
- User-friendly drag-and-drop builder for mail pieces
- Integrates direct mail with your CRM, email, and digital campaigns
Cons
- Available only for USA and Canada
- Some design knowledge is needed to create assets
7. Sendoso - Best for a broad range of mail pieces and gifts
Sendoso is a direct mail marketing software that helps businesses send direct mail, personalized gifts and experiences, branded swag, and handwritten notes to customers.
Why I picked Sendeso: I decided to add this software to my list because of its wide array of options for corporate gifting and direct mail. You can select from tons of items from their marketplace, create handwritten notes to send out, and even choose unique experiences to give, like wine tastings and yoga classes. This makes for memorable gifts that go beyond traditional direct mail marketing assets.
In addition to managing your direct mail campaigns, you can also set up a swag store through the platform. The company will handle order fulfillment on your behalf, alleviating the complexity of launching your own online shop. Worldwide inventory management and fulfillment mean you don’t need to be restricted by your location—or your customer’s.
Sendoso Standout Features and Integrations
One key standout feature of this software is that a free plan is available. You can sign up for the freemium version directly through the website, and start sending gifts in no time. Sends are unlimited, you just need to pay for the gifts you’re sending out. The free plan includes end-to-end tracking, custom brand shop, and unlimited integrations. It’s a cost-effective option for companies doing a limited amount of direct mail marketing, small businesses, or individuals.
Integrations include Marketo, Salesforce, HubSpot, Eloqua, Microsoft Dynamic 365, Outreach, SalesLoft, Chili Piper, Calendly, Magento, and monday.com, among others. A Zapier integration is also available to unlock additional integrations with a paid plan.
Pricing: Available upon request
Free Trial: Free demo
Pros
- Free, pay-per-gift account available
- Campaign services included in paid plans
- Team of global experts for customer support
Cons
- Navigation is a bit complex
- Marketplace items can be expensive
8. Stadium - Best for building custom gift shops
Stadium is a global direct mail marketing and gifting platform that allows you to send gifts in bulk or individually. You can select gifts from the company’s multiple brands.
Why I picked Stadium: Not only does this platform offer gifts from 6 different brands, it also has a clear and user-friendly workflow. I added it to my list because of how simple it is to set up a customized gift shop that can then be accessed by individuals or groups. You simply select a site template, choose a points value, and send points out to your recipients, who can then select a gift from the site. The shops cover plenty of gift types like snacks, swag, meal kits, drinks, and team building experiences.
Stadium Standout Features and Integrations
Standout features include the user-friendly web store builder and the freemium plan. There are tons of ready-made templates specifically designed for use cases like employee incentives and rewards, celebrations and milestones, client and prospect gifting, and even company perks. It’s quick and easy to get your gifting site up and running.
As for the free plan, you can create unlimited shops and even add custom branding without committing to a paid plan. You can even create branded merch! The only cost is the 15% platform fee, which covers fulfillment, operations, and shipping costs.
Integrations include Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, Zendesk, monday.com, Workday, Pipedrive, Justworks, ADP, Outreach, Groove, and Saleseloft, among others. A paid Zapier account will also unlock additional integrations.
Pricing: Available upon request
Free Trial: Free pay-as-you-go plan
Pros
- Large template library for easy gift shop creation
- Ability to add custom branding to your gifting shops
- Flexible pay-as-you-go model
Cons
- No option to send customized paper assets
- Takes time to learn the platform
9. Lob - Best direct mail marketing software for sustainability
Lob is a direct mail marketing software that focuses on taking a sustainable approach to direct mail marketing, and leveraging digital technologies to manage direct mail campaigns.
Why I picked Lob: This platform made it onto my list because of its impressive automation capabilities but also because of its efforts towards sustainability. You can automate virtually every step of your direct mail campaign management with the software. It facilitates audience segmentation, connects you with a national printing and delivery network, and helps you measure your campaign performance and optimize your tactics for improved results.
When it comes to sustainability, this software provider is a leader in the domain. The mail you send through the platform is carbon neutral, from material sourcing through to disposal. Meanwhile, the company ensures that unavoidable emissions are offset, and the product is certified through Climate Impact Partners.
Lob Standout Features and Integrations
Some standout features I noted in this platform were its personalization capabilities. You can send out custom offers and tap into a customer’s purchase history to send them targeted, relevant direct mail. Another thing worth mentioning is the company’s dedication to security. The platform is SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA compliant, and goes through third-party audits to verify that compliance.
Integrations include Shopify, Salesforce, Marketo, JotForm, EasyPost, Simon Data, ActionIQ, Optimove, Braze, and Customer.io, among others. A paid Zapier account can also unlock additional integrations.
Pricing: From $260/month
Free Trial: Free plan
Pros
- API-based platform allows for integration with existing tech sack
- Address verification helps reduce costs and improve delivery rates
- Useful and robust self-serve help center
Cons
- Set up may require technical expertise
- Analytics dashboard locked to enterprise plan
10. ReachDesk - Best with dedicated project management services
ReachDesk offers a comprehensive corporate gifting platform as well as project management and strategy services to support your direct mail marketing efforts.
Why I picked ReachDesk: In addition to the software’s global marketplace, audience targeting tools, and analytics capabilities, you’ll also be assigned a dedicated project manager when you sign up. The company’s experts can support your strategy and campaign development, gifting fulfillment, and sourcing and storing of assets. For companies with limited internal resources to manage their direct mail marketing efforts, this can be a great option to get both a software platform and an expert partner.
ReachDesk Standout Features and Integrations
Standout features include the software’s global marketplace, which offers local gifts from across the world. You can ship items to over 160 countries, and select localized options for a more personalized gifting experience. In addition to physical gifts, you can send out eGifts and virtual experiences. These include things like gift cards, thank you notes, workshops, and team building activities.
Integrations include Overview, Salesforce, Marketo, HubSpot, Salesloft, Outreach, Influitive, BambooHR, Workday, and HiBob, among others. A paid Zapier account will also unlock additional integrations.
Pricing: Available upon request
Free Trial: Free demo
Pros
- Ability to send localized gifts
- Plenty of self-serve help content
- Fulfillment and storage services provided
Cons
- Pricing information is not transparent
- Reporting is somewhat limited
11. Bluebird.cx - Best to set up automated corporate gifting programs
Bluebird.cx is a direct mail and corporate gifting automation software. You can connect it to your existing tech stack via Zapier to set up automated gifting programs and campaigns.
Why I picked Bluebird.cx: I decided to include this software on my list primarily for its automation capabilities. By connecting the platform with your CRM, scheduling software, or HR tools, you can easily incorporate gifting into your existing workflows and business processes. For example, you can set up an automation to send out a gift when a lead converts into a paying customer. Or, you can automatically send a new hire a welcome package when they start their onboarding.
Bluebird.cx Standout Features and Integrations
A notable standout feature of this platform is its ‘one link’ gifting tool. This is particularly helpful for when you don’t have a recipient list, or when you need to send out a gift quickly. It’s basically a way of creating a single link that multiple people can follow to redeem a gift. You can also add an expiration date to ensure gifts are redeemed in a timely manner.
Integrations include Shopify, Marketo, ShipStation, Salesforce, HubSpot, Gmail, and SendGrid. Additional integrations can be configured with a paid Zapier account.
Pricing: Available upon request
Free Trial: Free demo
Pros
- Ability to send mail without knowing the recipient’s address
- Dedicated onboarding and training with all plans
- Various distribution partners
Cons
- Integrations are mostly through third-party app Zapier
- Pricing information is not transparent
12. Handwrytten - Best for handwritten looking cards and gifts
Handwrytten is a direct mail gifting platform that specializes in sending notes and cards that appear to be written by hand.
Why I picked Handwrytten: This software offers a unique value by providing notes that are seemingly handwritten—but are in fact written by the company’s team of robots. You can select from various handwriting styles, and include gift cards for popular brands like Starbucks, Target, GrubHub, and more. Either choose a card from their bank of templates or design your own, and submit your message for their robots to write and send out on your behalf. The pricing is flexible, and you can either pay per card or get discounted rates when you send cards in higher quantities.
Handwrytten Standout Features and Integrations
The main standout feature of this platform is the ability to set up a personalized handwriting style based on your own handwriting. That’s right, for a one-time fee of $1000 the company will emulate your handwriting to create a more authentic product. And if that’s a bit too steep for you, you can have them recreate just your signature for $250.
Integrations include Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify, CDK Global, and Make. Additional integrations can be configured via Zapier, Integrately, SyncSpider, or the platform’s API.
Pricing: From $97/month
Free Trial: Free plan available
Pros
- Free plan with pay-per-card model
- Tutorials and webinars available
- Branding-free options available
Cons
- Limited to handwritten cards and gift cards
- Gift cards come with an additional fee
Other Direct Mail Marketing Software
I shortlisted other tools during my research to help you understand and choose direct mail marketing software. They're not in my top 10 for direct mail marketing, but they are still worth checking out:
- Contact Pigeon - Best for multi-channel marketing campaign management
- MailChimp - Best for managing direct mail and email marketing
- PFL - Best to set up event-triggered direct mail sends
- Switch - Best direct mail software with a high level of security
- RevSend - Best for a simple and straightforward user experience
Selection Criteria for the Best Direct Mail Marketing Software
Wondering how I settled on the top direct mail marketing software I've listed here? Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to narrow down my list:
Core Functionality
I evaluated and compared a wide range of popular marketing software that include direct marketing functionalities. What exactly does that mean? I looked for platforms that provide the ability to reach targeted recipients directly, whether via physical, digital, or phygital means.
Key Features
Beyond the core functionality outlined above, here are some more specific features I kept an eye out for in my research:
- Asset creation tools: Templates and other tools to help you craft assets like swag, mail postcards, flyers, and digital assets.
- Direct mail services: The ability to send out mail pieces, either via the platform provider or postal services partnerships.
- Mail tracking: Tools to help you track mail pieces like address verification and delivery confirmation.
- Digital marketing tools: Email marketing features, landing page builders, and marketing automation tools to help you manage your digital marketing strategy.
- Workflow automation tools: The ability to create customized workflows and automate certain tasks, speeding up processes.
- Reporting and analytics: Dashboards to help you monitor KPIs like delivery rates, response rates, and conversion rates in real-time.
Usability
The user-friendliness of a software solution is always an important consideration. I looked for direct mail marketing software with a clean interface and straightforward implementation.
Integrations
It’s important that any new marketing tool can connect with your other apps and SaaS platforms. Key integrations I looked for were CRM systems like HubSpot and Salesforce, popular ecommerce platforms, and postal services providers like USPS, FedEx, and UPS. I also looked for APIs that can be used to build custom integrations, and compatibility with third-party integration tools like Zapier.
Pricing
Like most marketing software, the cost of direct mail solutions can vary. These platforms generally offer custom pricing based on your needs or use case. Direct mail marketing software that lists pricing publicly can be anywhere from $10 to $250+ per month. Some platforms are more specialized, while others provide an all-in-one solution.
People Also Ask: Questions About Direct Mail Marketing
Are you still trying to understand how direct mail marketing software can amp up your in-house direct mail marketing processes? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions that should help:
What is Direct Mail Marketing?
What are Some Examples of Direct Mail Advertising?
Is Direct Mail Marketing Still Relevant?
Does Direct Mail Marketing work?
Other Marketing Software Reviews
If you're looking for another type of marketing software, here are some other reviews from experts at The CMO:
- Marketing Workflow Software
- Marketing Planning Tools
- Content Marketing Platforms
- SMS Marketing Software
The Takeaway
Direct mail marketing is making a comeback as an effective way to establish meaningful relationships with your brand’s leads, clients, and customers. And the right direct mail planning and automation platform can help your team succeed with this tactic. Hopefully one of the tools on this list will be the perfect fit for your business needs. And with any luck, you learned more about how to implement an effective direct mail marketing strategy.
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