Direct Mail Marketing Terms

Terminology	Definition
A/B Testing	Comparing two versions of a mail piece to see which one performs better.
Bleed	Printing that goes beyond the edge of the sheet before trimming.
Bulk Mail	Sending large quantities of mail at a reduced postage rate.
Cancellation Window	The period during which a direct mail campaign can be canceled or modified before production.
Color Matching	Ensuring colors in the printed materials match the original design or standard colors.
CTA (Call to Action)	A statement designed to get an immediate response from the person reading or hearing it.
Direct Mail Campaign	A targeted marketing effort to send mail pieces to a specific audience.
First-Class Mail	The USPS's fastest postal service for letters, postcards, and parcels.
Forever Stamp	A stamp that is valid for first-class postage regardless of when it was purchased.
Inkjet Addressing	Using inkjet printers to print addresses and other information directly onto mail pieces.
Intelligent Mail Barcode	A barcode used by the USPS for sorting and tracking mail pieces.
Mail Merge	The process of integrating the names and addresses from a database with a document to personalize it.
Mailing List	A list of names and addresses used by a company to send material to multiple recipients.
Standard Class Mail (Marketing Mail)	A classification of mail intended for mass mailings at reduced postage rates.
Nixie Label	Indicates mail that is undeliverable as addressed and is marked for return to sender.
Permit Imprint	Prepaid postage indicated by a printed indicia on the mail piece, not using stamps.
Personalization	Tailoring a service or product to accommodate specific individuals, sometimes tied to direct mail or email marketing.
Postage Rate	The cost associated with sending a piece of mail.
Postal Presort	A process by which a mailer organizes mail by ZIP code before sending it to the post office to save on postage.
Processing Window	The time frame in which a direct mail campaign is prepared and sent out.
Return to Sender	A postal service marking indicating undeliverable mail being sent back to the sender.
ROI (Return on Investment)	A measure of the gain or loss generated on an investment relative to the amount of money invested.
Scheduled Mailings	Sending out mail pieces at predetermined times to maximize impact.
Segmentation	Dividing a market into distinct groups of buyers with different needs, characteristics, or behaviors who might require separate products or marketing mixes.
Variable Data Printing (VDP)	A form of digital printing that includes on-the-fly changes of the text, graphics, and images.