Technology

Tuesday Buzz: A Direct Mail Disruptor

The direct mail startup Mailjoy borrows some of its postcard-mailing strategies from the world of email marketing. Also: The importance of foresight.

Direct mail remains a common tool of many associations, but it’s nowhere near as easy to use as, say, your email client might be.

But that could be about to change, based on an app that’s taken clear inspiration from some of the most popular email-marketing tools around.

Mailjoy, a postcard-distribution platform, is meant to turn the process of creating and distributing postcards into something dead simple. (The simplicity limits choice, however: It only does postcards, and only in two sizes.)

The service works for large-scale distribution but can also be done in small batches as needed. But its killer feature might be that individual postcards can be coded just like web pages—Mailjoy has a built-in HTML editor for extreme personalization.

“By using software and automating the process from creation to mailing, we’re able to cut all unnecessary fees and make the costs associated with sending a campaign directly related to your total volume,” the company states on its blog. “We don’t even require campaign minimums—send one mailer or send 100,000.”

You may have a direct-mail provider already, but Mailjoy could be a good secondary option if you’re in the mood to experiment.

Talkin’ Foresight

If you’re in need of a good podcast, you might want to give a listen to the recent edition of Tagoras’ Leading Learning, which features association consultant Jeff De Cagna talking about the value of foresight when it comes to leadership and the future.

“Rather than trying to establish our unique prediction of what the future is going to be, we need to prepare ourselves for understanding how it could unfold in a variety of ways, and that requires us to learn, which Jeff says has to be a consistent practice, not a one-off activity,” the Leading Learning website states of the value of foresight.

Listen and read some highlights over this way.

Flat-file content management systems are all the rage among forward-thinking bloggers and content pros. What the heck are those, and what should you look for? CMSWire has the full scoop.

Chrome plug-in of the day: Lifehacker highlights Gmail Sender Icons, which helpfully tells you where each message came from—a good strategy for skimming.

Did Twitter miss the boat on live-streaming events? The Event Manager Blog makes the case, in tough words.

(iStock/Thinkstock)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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