Small to mid-size businesses struggle to break even in tough economic times. This is true partly because of a lack of resources that could be used if they operated on a larger playing field. Large businesses can usually afford a bigger advertising budget, employee layoffs, re-allocation of funds and other measures to weather an economic storm.

Unless a company can increase their customer base, there is a very small chance of increasing revenues and profits. THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE reports that 17-24% of Americans move each year. That statistic alone implies that merchants could be faced with the task of replacing as much as 24% of their customer base annually.

The loss of customers could be anywhere from 0-24% depending on location and other factors. At any rate, replacing lost customers is very challenging. Statistics indicate that it is much easier to convert good prospects to customers than it is to convince satisfied customers to leave the competition.

Knowing how to effectively contact new residents and convert them into loyal customers could mean thousands of dollars in additional profits to the small business owner.

“Until now, new residents have randomly chosen local businesses for goods and services they require. Now because of our service, they will be directed to a specific business” NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME ON A LOCAL LEVEL, THERE’S A WAY FOR YOU TO REACH THESE POTENTIAL NEW CUSTOMERS FIRST!

Every new resident must establish new business and professional providers for all the products and services they need and want. With our service you have the best possible way to contact them first, and retain them as loyal customers.

Satisfied customer Margaret Montino, Manager of Jake’s Pizza, states, “I have been a client of your service for over a year. In that time I have found the new customer labels to be one of the more effective means of marketing we use. The advertising suggestions were very helpful in creating a productive means of presenting our product to new customers. WE are averaging at least 10% return per mailing, making this one of our better advertising tools. Therefore I would not hesitate in recommending your services.”"

For competitive reasons, we limit the total number of subscribers in each Zip Code area. We also restrict the number of similar type businesses in each area. These limitations allow our clients to establish and maintain a competitive advantage.

The New Resident Name and Address Service can be found at http://www.newresidentsssite.com.
Please contact Delbert L. Shanklin at 713-867-5958 or 832-798-6410 regarding any questions or for an interview.

How do you get your target clients to open your print envelopes? More particularly, how do you get them into your envelope printing and make them want to read your collaterals inside? If you’re still asking this question even after you’ve tinkered for quite some time now with direct mail, I suppose you really do need good advice then.

How do you influence your prospects to decide to open your particular piece of mail?

Marketing groups and advertisers have been fascinated with this particular question that so many researches have been made over the years to provide a solution to this one. One researcher even suggested that there really is no exact science to it. People in general just open their print envelopes if and when they feel like it.

Another funded study dared to investigate and tried to prove that there really are existing factors that gets recipients to open their mail.

According to the study, people often gets encouraged to open an envelope printing even when it’s a promotional collateral because of three factors: a proper address and correct name spelling; the type of postage; and a return address.

That’s right. These three factors should be a light bulb for those business owners and marketers who keep on providing their recipients with mails that have enticing teasers but are lacking in the correct address and customer-name department. It’s just not enough that you design your envelope printing to be so attractive to your target market, but you also have to ensure that you get their names and addresses right. AND include a return address while you’re at it. The last one is to make sure that you get your prospects to act on your offer.

Along with the three factors, the research also noted that a misspelled name is opened more often than those with a generic title address. It also said that the standard #10 business print envelopes are more likely to be opened.

For B2B, metered mail is likely to get opened as well as that of the First Class. There’s actually no marked difference between a metered First Class and those of the standard rate. Businesses do open their envelopes every time.

Other studies, on the other hand, provide that almost three quarters of mails in business offices come in #10 white envelopes. For those who believe in posting a different size and color to stand out, it is often considered as promotional mail; hence, most have second thoughts about opening such mails.

This last advice though, comes from most marketers who have been doing direct mail for such a long time – handwritten envelopes do get the pull. So if you’re looking at ways to really get your target clients into your envelopes, add a personal touch to it. Make an effort to write the names and addresses yourself.

How do you get the most out of a small advertising budget?

One of the most important things to know about advertising (regardless of how much money you have) is that you need to be advertising your product or service to the people who want or need your product or service.

That just sounds too obvious right? Well, not everyone thinks about this. A lot of people just listen to the sales rep from their local newspaper or radio, but unfortunately this isn’t always the best solution. The sales rep is only interested in selling one product – their own.

It’s highly unlikely you’ll get an unbiased opinion from a sales rep selling one product. The best solution is to find council from a marketing consultant or an advertising agency.

But this costs money! Sure. It also costs money to get your car repaired – but you wouldn’t do that yourself would you? Some might… And some can.

Most of us can’t AND most of us shouldn’t!

An incredible 80% of businesses fail in the first 5 years of starting. This shows that even though most people think they know everything they need to know, they actually don’t know much at all about getting new clients.

And in their desperation to try anything new, many might have copied their competitor ads thinking their competitors have the answers – all the while their competitors were probably doing the same thing, or maybe listening to their local sales rep.

Where and how you spend your advertising or marketing dollars could make the difference between staying in business or closing down and losing everything you own.

Sound dramatic? Sure! With an 80% fatality rate, you need to have both eyes open! So where do you start? If you can’t afford professional help all is not lost. Thanks to the internet, there are a lot of things you CAN do quickly and easily on your own.

Here are 10 different, inexpensive ways to promote your online business.

1. Write an eBook on something that is relevant to your business and distribute it for free. By distributing a free product with your brand in it you will garner the trust of those interested in your product thus bringing you free targeted traffic to your business.

2. Create an affiliate program – By creating an affiliate program you get the masses to help you promote your product for free. The promotion is free and you only pay them when they make sales. As the saying goes, it’s better getting 50% of something than 100% of nothing.

3. Join related directories – Find the most relevant directories and submit your business to them

4. Create a joint venture with complementary businesses. For example; if you run a house cleaning business you should JV with gardeners or other sites that are directly related or complementary to your business.

5. Create a newsletter – By creating a newsletter and capturing some leads you will develop a loyal following that would be willing to buy from you in the future.

6. Write some articles – Write some articles or get some articles written on your topic and get them submitted to popular article directories. Articles include links back to your site. This helps you build a reputation and improves your chances of being considered an expert in your field.

7. Issue a press release – Create a press release about your business. You can easily reach people and even news organizations by issuing a press release.

8. Add your business to classified ads – Find related classified ads sections and add your business to them. (Do not spam!)

9. Find a related forum and offer your expertise. Find a popular forum related to your product and promote it there. Be sure to add some value to the forum before you start just adding your link everywhere. If you don’t add value you will be considered a spammer and all of your hard work will go down the tubes.

10. Go viral – Give away something or create something that people will want to share with others. By giving away something you will easily and quickly earn recognition and build a loyal base.

Most of the ideas above will cost you absolutely nothing except a little time. So here’s a challenge for you. Read through the list again and choose just ONE idea that you can action today.

Go ahead. Do it now. You’ll be glad you did!

And as soon as you can afford it, have a chat with a local marketing or advertising professional. Most of them won’t charge you for the first visit.

Good luck with your next campaign!

About The Author– Rudy Labordus is CEO of award winning Perth advertising agency Breakthrough Corporation. Rudy also has his own Blog , is a sought after public speaker and creative author of globally acclaimed ‘marketing ideas’ toolkit Adpack: 125,000 marketing ideas for business.

It’s curious to hear business people so quickly say ‘been there, done that, didn’t work’.

Whether you’ve had a good run at Direct Marketing or not, you really need to consider some hard truths. The media spend on Direct Marketing in Australia is in excess of $6 billion!

This means the average Australian businesses spends more than 50% of their advertising budget on Direct Marketing.

Either a lot of people are deceived, or there’s some reason why it works for some and not for others. What’s the secret? Why do so many business people say direct marketing doesn’t work? How can this be? We thought it might be interesting to find out why a huge number of business people say direct marketing doesn’t work. What is it that makes them say ‘been there, done that, didn’t work’.

Over a 6 month period we conducted an anonymous survey of 138 companies who, by running an ad with a coupon response, indicated they wanted our business and wanted us to respond by giving them our name and address.

We responded to all sorts of businesses. From clothing to funeral homes, cars, computers, lonely heart clubs, finance companies, religious organizations and more.

Before I tell you what we received back from these companies, here’s what I would expect from a company who wants my business.

[1] A friendly, thankful letter, personally addressed and personally signed.
[2] If available, a brochure, or some other form of information.
[3] An time limited offer to motivate me to ‘act now’
[4] A response mechanism such as a coupon or form.
[5] A reply paid envelope and/or a web site that I could visit.

I would also expect:
[1] A response within a reasonable time, say, a week.
[2] A ‘follow up’ of any description, preferably within a week but certainly within a month.

Here’s what we got:

Response Time:
*58% took longer than 7 days to respond
*31% took longer than 21 days to respond
*1 took 45 days, 1 took 52 days, 1 took 56 days, 1 took 63 days and 1 took 84 days! (amazing! why bother?)
*After 6 months, still 18% hadn’t responded

Follow Up:
*76% of those who did respond, didn’t follow up at all.
*5% put us on a mailing list and followed up more than twice (although these were predominantly religious organizations).

Personalized:
*50% just sent a brochure. That’s it. No letter, no ‘how do you do’, no thank you for responding.
*Of those who sent a letter, half of them had a standard letter with a printed signature instead of a real one.

Unusual:
*Only 4 companies sent something unusual like lollies, a coaster, a tea bag or sample with their response (that’s less than 3%!).

So what does all this tell you?

With incredibly bad follow up disciplines like these, it’s no wonder a large number of business owners say ‘been there, done that, didn’t work’. They just don’t care. (Which makes me wonder why they’re even in business in the first place).

The truth is, they’ve been there and missed it.

A large number of businesses using direct marketing principles seem to have little idea or don’t care enough about fulfillment or following through. The end result is a loss, not only for the company who failed, but also for the industry itself.

It’s not all bad news though. This widespread problem opens up a huge amount of opportunity for those that do it right.

So here’s the key; If you follow through well, you’ll stand out so much, people will find you not only memorable, but almost irresistible.

Direct Marketing works. It’s something worth considering. Good luck with your next ad campaign.

About The Author– Rudy Labordus is CEO of award winning Perth advertising agency Breakthrough Corporation. Rudy also has his own Blog , is a sought after public speaker and creative author of globally acclaimed ‘marketing ideas’ toolkit Adpack: 125,000 marketing ideas for business.

Over the past 50 years, American businesses have sent billions of pieces of mail with an eye towards growing sales. Everything from simple letters and postcards, to CD’s, three dimensional brochures and boxes of cereal have found their way into mailboxes across the country. Needless to say, billions of dollars are riding on the success or failure of these mailings.

What’s the key to success? Talk to them! The best way to guarantee the success of your direct mail campaign is to personalize it with a call, make it easy for customers to respond and measure the results. Campaign success is measured as return-on-investment (ROI) – or how many total sales were generated compared to the cost of the marketing campaign.

If you are running a long-term campaign, try testing your mailing on a small-scale first. When conducting a test mailing, decide how many pieces you want to send. Make sure you send out enough responses to accurately determine your response rate and the effectiveness of your message. A good rule of thumb is to test between 1,000 and 5,000 pieces to start. Your response rate will vary depending on your product, industry, target market and other factors. To increase the response of your mailing, you will want to pay attention to these factors:

■Campaign Goal – What is the goal of your campaign? Do you want to build brand awareness, generate leads, or make an immediate sale? Once you have decided on your goal, determine how many responses you need to make the campaign successful and then track the results.

■The Mailing List – Make sure your list is targeted at your actual buyers. Identify who your customers are, and build a list based on those criteria. What unique characteristics do your customers share? Are they business customers or consumers? Where are they located? How affluent are they? These questions are unique to your business and need to be answered in advance of the list building process.

■The Offer – Having a good offer is one of the most important parts of the mailing. Whether it’s a discount, a free gift or rebate, the offer needs to be so tempting it is too good to refuse. Also, make sure the offer has an expiration date. Time and time again, it’s been proven that more people respond to an offer when there’s a limit on the amount of time they have to respond.

■The Benefits – Highlight the benefits of what your product or service will do for your prospective customer. Don’t dwell only on the features of your offering. Focus on what your service or product can do for the customer: Double your sales performance; receive a 50 percent time savings; lose 10 pounds in 10 days. Try to quantify the benefits available to make them more concrete and credible. If you have an important, valuable benefit, you may also want to use it in the headline with the offer.

■Lifetime Customer Value – Know what each new customer is worth. This usually boils down to understanding Lifetime Customer Value (LCV), or the actual profit (sales price less direct cost of goods sold) associated with each new sale. How often will a new customer purchase from you over the next two to three years. Multiplying these two numbers produces LCV. This is the maximum amount you can afford to spend to acquire a new customer.

■Campaign Costs – Understand at the outset how much you need to invest in your campaign. Take the total cost of your mailing, including creative, printing, postage and labor, and divide that figure into the LCV. This will tell you how many sales you’ll need to make in order to break-even on the campaign.

■Response Medium – Make it easy for your customer’s to respond. Provide a telephone number, fax number, email address or a Web site. Let customer’s contact you in the way they prefer. Adding a toll-free number to your direct mail piece makes it easier for a prospective customer to call and can double your response rates. It will also allow you to better track your campaign for messages and the effectiveness of your offer so the campaign can be fine-tuned along the way.

■Personal Follow Through – For an even greater return on your marketing dollars, follow up your mailing with a personal follow up call. Many business lists include phone numbers for your target customers. Whether you do it yourself, or hire an outside company, recent studies show that a personal follow up call can increase response rates by nearly 50 percent. When calling consumers, though, be aware of the Do Not Call list.

Of course, the results produced by any campaign are dependant on the general economic environment, the market, the product, the list, the offer, and other factors. However, the following chart identifies the types of returns that are possible when implementing a solid direct mail campaign:

Direct Mail ROI

Standard

With Toll-Free #

With Follow Up Call & Toll-Free #

Number of pieces you will mail

1,000

e
1,000

e
1,000

% of response you expect
a
2%

4%

8%

% of respondents you expect will purchase

40%

40%

40%

Average sale size

$50

$50

$50

Profit per sale
b
$25

$25

$25

Repeat purchases
c
36

36

36

Lifetime Customer Value

$900

$900

$900

Targeted mailing list
f
$65

$65

$65

Design, creative, & coordination
d
$60

d
$60

d
$60

Production & mailing cost (per piece)

$0.49

$0.49

$0.49

Teleservices (inbound or outbound)

$0

$89

g
$277

Total mailing campaign cost

$615

$704

$892

Number of responses

20

40

80

Number of sales

8

16

32

Total immediate sales

$400

$800

$1,600

Total (LCV) campaign revenue

$4,920

$11,264

$28,544

Return on Investment (RoI)

700%

1500%

3100%

Notes:

(a) traditional rule of thumb is 2% — actual response will depend on factors such as product, market, list, & offer
(b) calculated as sales price less direct cost of product sold
(c) usually 24-36 months depending on product cycle
(d) one hour assumed at $60/hour
(e) assumes 100 minutes/1,000 pieces
(f) assumes business lists, consumer lists will be less expensive
(g) assumes business lists, consumer calls will require DNC compliance at additional cost

Source: Lauchpoint Inc.

So, if you have a product or service you’d like to sell, direct mail, combined with personalized services such as a toll-free number or follow up call, may be just the marketing tool you need to take your business to the next level.

About the Author:
Wilson Zehr is CEO of Cendix (www.cendix.com), the leading provider of Web-to-print solutions that increase sales both online and offline. Cendix also provides strategic and tactical marketing consulting services for emerging growth companies in the Pacific Northest. In addition, Wilson serves on the faculty for the School of Management at Concordia University, Portland, Oregon. A complete bio and contact information are available at contact Wilson Zehr and more details on the Zairmail affiliate program can be found at Zairmail Affiliate Program.
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All Press Releases for May 9, 2003 Subscribe to this News Feed

Local Small Businesses Find Goldmine In Their Own Back Yard
A hair stylist mails a coupon for a “free hair shampoo”. An automotive repair shop mails a coupon for a free oil change. A gynecologist mails a coupon for a discount on a co-payment. A children’s day-care facility mails an introduction letter to community residents. A Landscaping company mails a coupon offer to local prospects.

What do all of these local merchants have in common? All of them have recognized the purchasing power of the new resident that recently moved into their community.

Why don’t more local businesses direct their advertising efforts at these new residents? The answer is quite simple. Until now, new residents have randomly chosen local businesses for the goods and services they require – now because of our service – they will be directed to a specific business – that business could be yours!

New Residents won’t magically stumble through your door – you must take a hard – hitting approach to finding them if you want your business to grow! Our monthly mailing lists of New Residents , targeted by zip code, are the HOTTEST prospects you can find. Getting these new residents to come to you for the products or services that you provide is as easy as sending them a simple one-page letter. That’t right. A simple one-page letter, (and we’ll show you what to say in that letter), will start adding new customers to your business each and every month.

Just imagine if…every new family that moved into town was directed to your business for the products or service you provide, just think of what a tremendous advantage that would give you over your competitors. That’s exactly what the New Resident Service is designed to do. And since we offer exclusive use of our service, you could be the only business of your type to use our service in the zip code areas you select.

We have been in business since 1990 and have helped thousands of businesses bring in new clients, stay ahead of their competition, build their client base, increase their sales and improve their profits. Reply now and we can do the same for you. If you have any questions, visit our web site at http://www.newresidentssite.com and get a copy of our FREE REPORT! “MAKING DIRECT MAIL MARKETING WORK FOR YOU!”, call us or email us your phone number and we will give you a call.

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Universal Resource Group
713-867-5958
Email us Here

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All Press Releases for May 9, 2003 Subscribe to this News Feed

Local Small Businesses Find Goldmine In Their Own Back Yard
A hair stylist mails a coupon for a “free hair shampoo”. An automotive repair shop mails a coupon for a free oil change. A gynecologist mails a coupon for a discount on a co-payment. A children’s day-care facility mails an introduction letter to community residents. A Landscaping company mails a coupon offer to local prospects.

What do all of these local merchants have in common? All of them have recognized the purchasing power of the new resident that recently moved into their community.

Why don’t more local businesses direct their advertising efforts at these new residents? The answer is quite simple. Until now, new residents have randomly chosen local businesses for the goods and services they require – now because of our service – they will be directed to a specific business – that business could be yours!

New Residents won’t magically stumble through your door – you must take a hard – hitting approach to finding them if you want your business to grow! Our monthly mailing lists of New Residents , targeted by zip code, are the HOTTEST prospects you can find. Getting these new residents to come to you for the products or services that you provide is as easy as sending them a simple one-page letter. That’t right. A simple one-page letter, (and we’ll show you what to say in that letter), will start adding new customers to your business each and every month.

Just imagine if…every new family that moved into town was directed to your business for the products or service you provide, just think of what a tremendous advantage that would give you over your competitors. That’s exactly what the New Resident Service is designed to do. And since we offer exclusive use of our service, you could be the only business of your type to use our service in the zip code areas you select.

We have been in business since 1990 and have helped thousands of businesses bring in new clients, stay ahead of their competition, build their client base, increase their sales and improve their profits. Reply now and we can do the same for you. If you have any questions, visit our web site at http://www.newresidentssite.com and get a copy of our FREE REPORT! “MAKING DIRECT MAIL MARKETING WORK FOR YOU!”, call us or email us your phone number and we will give you a call.

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Delbert Shanklin
Universal Resource Group
713-867-5958
Email us Here

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By Wilson Zehr, CEO, Cendix

Direct mail is the most powerful advertising medium available returning on average thirteen dollars for every dollar invested (Direct Marketing Association). It is an essential tool for every business, association, and non-profit. However, it can also be a waste of time and money if the campaign is not properly targeted and the proper direct mail package is not used.

Billions of dollars are spent each year on elaborate and expensive marketing campaigns. You probably know this from examining your own mailbox. However, much of this mail goes unopened. It is instantly tagged “junk mail” and filed accordingly – in the trash bin.

How do you cut through this clutter and compete without breaking the bank? Postcards are a powerful tool that can help you break-through to your best prospects. They are fast, they are inexpensive, and when used properly, they are extremely effective!

Here are some simple tips to make postcards work for you.

Target the right audience. The world’s best offer will produce zero results when directed to the wrong recipient. Understand who your best customers are. Understand what they have in common. Then use this profile to identify your best prospects. Zairmail provides an online tool for creating mailing lists based on demographic profiles.

Get right to the point. Have a simple and powerful offer. With just a glance, the recipient should be able tell if your offer is worth considering. Proposals that cut straight to the chase are always appreciated.

Make contact simple. Be clear about the action you are requesting. Do you want your customer to visit your store, send a donation, navigate to your Web site, or pass the message along to a friend? Ask for the response you want.

· Make sure your contact information really stands out. Use colors, fonts, and placement to make sure that this information is impossible to overlook.

· Open many channels of communication. Include your telephone number, Fax number, email address, Web site URL (as appropriate). Different recipients often prefer different methods of making contact. Allow your customers to reach you in the way that feels most comfortable for them.

· Reach out to your customer. Follow-up calls to recipients can often double response rates.

Make it memorable. Creative postcards get past gatekeepers and reach their mark. Great postcards also have staying power – sometimes they will end up on a refrigerator door or a bulletin board for years.
· Use a compelling headline that spells out the benefits you’re offering.

· Make the design look like something other than an ad. Make your postcard interesting, scenic, funny, or touching. Give your customers a reason to spend more time considering it.

- Put some useful information on your postcard. For example, if you are a computer repair person you can include a list of 10 basic computer maintenance tips; if you’re a landscaper you may want to tell recipients what they should have in their garden this time of year; if you’re a banker you may want to consider some saving or investment advice. These types of postcards are saved.

- Funny can work well – but make sure the joke isn’t on you. There is no point in making recipients chuckle if they don’t notice your message.

· Use every inch of space effectively. Distill your ideas to a core message and select a powerful image that supports it. Zairmail has pre-formatted templates online that can be used as a convenient starting point.

· Offer something of value for free (e.g. a helpful video, audiotape, or industry report). These types of offers get immediate attention. However, make sure that your giveaway is most valuable to those who are likely to be your customers.

Postcards offer businesses, associations, and non-profits the ability to scoot around competitive giants and put points on the board. When used correctly postcards can be the most powerful tool in your marketing toolbox.

Happy Selling!

About the Author
Wilson Zehr is CEO of Cendix (www.cendix.com), the leading provider of Web-to-print solutions that increase sales both online and offline. Cendix also provides strategic and tactical marketing consulting services for emerging growth companies in the Pacific Northest. In addition, Wilson serves on the faculty for the School of Management at Concordia University, Portland, Oregon. A complete bio and contact information are available at contact Wilson Zehr and more details on the Zairmail affiliate program can be found at Zairmail Affiliate Program.

You don’t need a steel-trap memory to remember your customers, their families, sizes, tastes and preferences. This information can be gleaned from an index card file of sales slips organized by customer name. Or link a computerized database to your cash register. Either way, this information helps you keep in touch with and serve your customers.

2. Inform your customers

Say you own a wine store and you just received a shipment of Cabernet Sauvignon. Go through your files to see who buys Cabernet Sauvignon and send them a postcard or letter about it. Reference the fact that they’ve bought this from you in the past, then offer to hold some for them for a few days. Since you’re loyal to them, they’ll be loyal to you.

3. Help your customers

Write a monthly, quarterly or even semi-annual letter to keep customers or clients informed about issues that might relate to them. Changes in the tax code. Computer-software compatibility problems. Whatever. Give people information they can use and they will think of you as a resource.

4. Surprise your customers

Send your best customers a gift certificate in the off-season or a useful premium with your name on it. Since they haven’t asked for this and haven’t “earned it” through some points program, they are surprised and delighted.

Which brings us to…

5. Delight your customers

Go beyond birthday and anniversary cards and gifts. Write a spouse to remind him or her that the special occasion is coming up. Also let the spouse know that you have some great gift ideas in stock.

6. Thank your customers

“Please” and “Thank you” may be the most powerful words in the English language. Use them in the mail. A sincere thank-you letter following up a purchase is always appreciated. Say, “Please let me know if there’s anything else we can do for you,” and customers may take you up on your offer.

7. Reward your customers

Maybe you give out punch cards with offers of a free ice-cream cone with every ten purchased. Call it a “Membership Card,” take some personal information before you give it out, and use the mail to take the reward program to a higher level. Maybe send members of the program a card on their birthday, with an offer of a free sundae. The card becomes a symbol of a more personal relationship.

If you’re loyal to your customers, they’ll be loyal to you. There was a time when a woman could walk into a store and be greeted with “Good morning, Mrs. Jones. Those jelly beans that Junior likes came in this morning. Should I pack some up for you?”

Even today, people appreciate that kind of treatment. The mail is a great way to deliver it. Here’s how the mail can help you:

1.Know your customers
2.Inform your customers
3.Help your customers
4.Surprise your customers
5.Delight your customers
6.Thank your customers
7.Reward your customers

Simple Formulas is a series of publications offered by the United States Postal Service and sponsored by Zairmail. Zairmail is an authorized online affiliate of the United States Postal Service.