FAQ Category: Smartmail Marketing

Neighbourhood Mail (often abbreviated to NM) is a direct mail delivery channel of Canada Post. This is unaddressed mail that is delivered to all households* in a Neighbourhood Walk.

Formerly known as Unaddressed Ad Mail, Canada Post renamed Neighbourhood Mail when they introduced their updated suite of direct mail solutions for Canadian businesses under the Smartmail Marketing banner.

For more information on Neighbourhood Mail and how to use it effectively, you can check out our Neighbourhood Mail resources.

Neighbourhood mail is a type of smartmail marketing. Other forms of smartmail marketing can include: postal code targeting and personalized mail.

See: Smartmail Marketing Campaigns ⋆ PostNow.ca for more info on our smartmail marketing tools.

Discounts are available. To qualify, a customer must commit to a minimum spend of $10,000 annually per service. Canada Post will look at your marketing plan and budget to see if you’re likely to achieve the minimum spend before awarding you a postage discount. There are various tiers of discounts available. Please contact us if you would like an introduction to a Canada Post sales rep.

An example of $10,000 would spend would be:

• 100,000 NM (approximately)
• 20,000 PM (approximately)

Discounts start at about 20% and increase based on total volume. The commitments are in the millions of dollars spent/year for the largest available Canada Post discounts.

The success of a neighbourhood mail campaign can be measured through various ways such as:

• Call tracking
• Dynamic QR codes
• Discount codes
• pURLs

New to Neighbourhood Mail? Using NM is best when you want to:

• Build mass awareness for your brand/product/service
• Connect with specific neighbourhoods, regions, or consumers
• Retain your current customer base

You can use Neighbourhood mail to effectively highlight your current promotional offers, promote new products, services, or business openings, and to keep in touch with your current customers to encourage loyalty and referrals.

Frequency matters: It takes 5-8 touchpoints with your ideal target audience before your branding and messaging starts to make an impact?

To make a lasting impression on your ideal target audience consider connecting with them at the right time with the right message, with a relevant or high-value offer. 

Invest and commit to a long-term marketing plan for a higher ROI.

1. Create your free account at postnow.ca
2. Your account will be verified and postage rates applied.
3. Select Campaign Builder located under the SmartMail tab in the main menu.
4. Name your campaign and select type of campaign (neighbourhood mail). Select the date you’d like your campaign delivered to Canada Post. Final in-home delivery will be subject to Canada Post delivery standards.
5. Upload your own targeting data or select a previously used audience. Enter your campaign quantity (150-50,000). We included a chart to show you pricing options for the most common options as you adjust your total.
6. Select your campaign format – choose from postcards, letters, invitations, and more.
7. Choose a template from the template gallery, upload your ready-to-print files or request custom artwork from our in-house graphic designer. (All required template changes are included in fees, custom artwork starts at $295).
8.  If you chose to Upload your Data, you will be prompted to either upload now or later. Click yes to clean your data, then select your data retention
   policy for this campaign.
9. Select Generate Campaign & Checkout or Save Progress & Complete Later. If you choose to complete later you will receive a link good for 30
   days via the email you supply. You will receive email notifications confirming your campaign order, as well as any edits requested with custom or edited design work.
   **At any time during this process there is a Campaign Summary button located on the bottom right of
   the page. This will show any customizations to your campaign as well as a quick Help section if you have any questions. Click the button again to close.

We handle everything from: design, print, data cleaning, mail prep and delivery to Canada Post.

Neighbourhood mail is the perfect direct mail campaign if you’re looking to build brand awareness or acquire new customers.

Did you know? 88% of Canadians interact with a business after receiving direct mail.*

Requirements for Neighbourhood mail:

• Minimum size standards 11inches squared or 3″x4″
• Minimum quantity: 150 pieces

Neighbourhood Mail is the most affordable type of direct mail you can send in Canada. The price of a campaign varies due to the cost of print and campaign production but postage rates are always the same, regardless of volume*.

Current Neighbourhood Mail postage rates for 2023 are $0.188, including transportation fees ($0.015/piece).

Check out our Neighbourhood Mail Budget Calculator for accurate pricing options that include postage, mail prep, design, print and transportation. A small campaign may cost $0.50+/postcard while a high volume campaign (10,000 households or more) will see significant reduction in print cost per piece ($0.15 each).

*If you spend more than $10,000 in Canada Post postage fees per year, you may be eligible for a discounted contract rate! Contact our team for information and a direct introduction to a Canada Post rep in your area.

For more information on Neighbourhood Mail and how to use it effectively, you can check out our Neighbourhood Mail resources.

Considering PCT? Here are a few guidelines to consider before starting  your Postal Code Targeting campaign:

• PCT is a great way to connect with ideal prospects or gain new customers
• Allows small businesses to reach every address in a single postal code
• Must include a quiet zone around the address block and no text or graphics within a 5mm parameter
• Minimum quantity of pieces for campaign: 150

When considering direct mail marketing, here are few tips that can help you elevate your campaign:

• Avoid Clutter
• Include a strong CTA (call-to-action)
• Use simple yet bold visuals
• Integrate campaign tracking tools such as call call tracking, pURLs, dynamic QR codes, or unique discount codes to help track the success of your campaign

There are also 3 components your that every successful direct mail campaign includes:

1. Defining the right audience
2. A high-value or relevant offer for your audience
3. Compelling and well-branded design

Prices for a Direct Mail audience start at “free” and increase based on the dataset being accessed. Standard options for each mail type are listed below. More advanced data sets can be accessed from 3rd party providers like Environics.

Neighbourhood Mail Audience Options:

• Canada Post Precision Targeter – free to use. Includes neighbourhood targeting based on combinations of up-to 3 demographic filters.

Personalized Mail Audience Options:

• Use your own data – free. This includes PostNow doing basic cleaning of your data and running it through the National Change of Address (NCOA) to identify any bad records.
• Canada Post Postal Code Name/Addresses – from $0.15/record. Use 6-digit postal codes to target all households within. Includes names and address data that can be printed by an Expert Partner. Not available for any other use.

Postal Code Targeting Audience Options:

• Canada Post Postal Code Data. Included in postage. Use 6-digital postal codes to target all households within. A suppression list can be provided to remove existing customers from the final data.  Data includes address only, no names.