Sending Direct Mail Campaigns

Accessing the Direct Mail Feature

From the main navigation go to Marketing → Campaigns → New Campaign. On the campaign type screen select Direct Mail. You'll need to be on the Growth plan or above to access direct mail — you'll be prompted to upgrade if needed.

Give your campaign a name (this is internal only), then click Next to move to the audience step.

Selecting a Customer Segment

Choose the customers you want to mail. You can:

• Pick a saved segment — any segment you've built under Customers → Segments (e.g. “Annual boiler service due”, “No job in 12 months”).
• Build a new segment on the fly — filter by postcode, job type, last job date, or tag, then save it for future use.
• Upload a CSV — import a list of names and addresses if you want to mail prospects outside your existing customer base.

Trade2Base will show you a recipient count and estimated campaign cost before you proceed. Only customers with a full UK postal address will be included.

Creating Your Postcard or Letter Template

On the design step choose between a Postcard (A5 double-sided) or a Letter (A4 single or double-sided, enveloped). Then either:

• Select one of Trade2Base's pre-built trade templates — boiler service reminder, seasonal offer, referral reward, and more. Edit the copy, colours, and logo in the built-in editor.
• Upload your own print-ready artwork (see print spec below).

The editor supports personalisation tokens such as {{first_name}} and {{last_job_date}}. These are filled automatically for each recipient at print time.

Print-Ready Artwork Specification

If you're uploading your own artwork, follow these requirements to avoid print issues:

• Format: PDF (preferred) or high-resolution PNG/JPEG.
• Resolution: Minimum 300 dpi at final print size.
• Bleed: 3 mm bleed on all four sides beyond the trim edge.
• Address block: A clear white rectangle (90 mm × 45 mm) must be left on the back of postcards, positioned in the bottom-right quadrant for the address window. Do not place design elements or dark backgrounds in this area.
• Safe zone: Keep all critical text and logos at least 5 mm inside the trim edge.

Trade2Base will run an automated preflight check on upload and flag any issues before you proceed.

Print and Post Fulfilment

Once you confirm the campaign, Trade2Base submits your artwork and address list to our print partner. Fulfilment is handled via Royal Mail Advertising Mail, which gives a postage discount for bulk business mailings compared to standard second class.

Typical delivery timeline from campaign confirmation:

• Proof and print: 2–3 working days.
• Royal Mail dispatch: within 1 working day of print completion.
• Delivery to recipients: typically 3–5 working days after dispatch (Advertising Mail is not a guaranteed delivery service).

Total end-to-end time is usually 6–9 working days. Plan campaigns for seasonal offers (e.g. boiler service reminders before winter) at least two weeks in advance.

Campaign Cost Structure

Direct mail is charged on a per-unit basis with no setup fee. Pricing is shown on the campaign confirmation screen before you commit. The per-unit rate covers:

• Full-colour printing (both sides)
• Enveloping (letters only)
• Royal Mail Advertising Mail postage
• Address personalisation

Volume discounts apply automatically at 250, 500, and 1,000+ recipients. The cost is billed to your Trade2Base account at campaign dispatch and appears on your monthly invoice.

Tracking Campaign Responses

Because physical mail can't be tracked like email, Trade2Base gives you two response-tracking options to set up in the design step:

• Unique promo codes — add a campaign-specific discount code to your artwork (e.g. BOILER25). When a customer quotes this code in a job booking or call, you mark it used against the campaign. Trade2Base counts redemptions and shows a conversion rate on the campaign dashboard.
• Campaign phone number — Trade2Base can provision a virtual UK phone number for the campaign. Calls to this number are logged and forwarded to your main line, so you can count inbound responses even if customers don't mention a code.

Both methods can be used together for maximum tracking accuracy.

Viewing Campaign Performance

Go to Marketing → Campaigns and select your direct mail campaign to view the campaign dashboard. You'll see:

• Recipients mailed and estimated delivery window
• Promo code redemptions (if tracking enabled)
• Campaign phone call count (if tracking enabled)
• Jobs booked that reference this campaign
• Total revenue attributed to the campaign

Attribution is based on a 90-day window from campaign dispatch date.

Still need help?

Contact our UK support team via live chat or email support@trade2base.com.