Summary:
Direct mail continues to be a highly effective marketing tool in Canada. It delivers strong ROI and customer engagement. Canada Post offers several different methods for mailout campaigns, including Addressed Admail, Unaddressed Admail, and Personalized Mail. Each method has specific size, weight, and delivery standards, so it’s important to design your print materials accordingly and work with professional printers who can ensure accurate delivery.
The question isn’t whether your business should use direct mail; it’s figuring out how to do it properly. Direct mail marketing can be extremely rewarding, but it needs to be on-brand and in line with Canada Post’s requirements. Knowing the rules and working with the right print partner makes all the difference.
Little Rock Printing produces high-quality print products for Canadian businesses of all kinds, from postcards and flyers to booklets and beyond. Read on for insights from our experts on how to make sure these materials land in your target market’s mailboxes.
Visibility
In Canada, Direct mail remains one of the most powerful tools for getting an audience’s attention. Recent data from Canada Post shows that:
- Integrating direct mail with a digital campaign captures 39% more attention than running a digital campaign alone.
- Sending direct mail after an email boosts brand recall by 40%.
ROI
That’s not all. According to a 2023 Canada Post report:
- Integrating direct mail with digital efforts produces 37% more response rates.
- The ROI on direct mail campaigns in Canada is about $13 returned for every $1 spent.
Engagement
More data collected by Canada Post shows that Canadians engage with their mail deeply:
- 87% glance at or read every piece of mail they receive
- 54% take notice of direct mail from local businesses
- 88% are compelled to visit a store
- 51% are successfully prompted to make purchases
The bottom line is clear: if you’re ignoring direct mail marketing, you’re leaving money on the table, even if you have a great digital strategy. Sending the right print materials to your audience grabs attention, improves recall, and motivates potential customers to take action.
Different Direct Mail Campaigns Explained
There are several different types of direct mail campaigns you can choose to run, depending on your goals. Three of the most common are Addressed Admail, Unaddressed Admail, and Personalized Mail. Here’s an overview of each:
| Service Type | Description & Use Cases |
| Addressed Admail | Mail addressed to individual names or households. Great for personalized offers and loyalty campaigns. |
| Unaddressed Admail | Also known as Neighbourhood Mail™ and delivered to targeted areas without individual addresses. Higher reach for promotions like flyers or event invites. |
| Personalized Mail | Named and addressed mail pieces tailored to each recipient. Ideal for one-to-one offers, retention, loyalty messaging, or mini‑catalogues. |
Choosing the right method for your campaign is all about what you want to achieve. For example, you might use addressed mail or personalized mail when you want to speak directly to recipients for things like loyalty offers, VIP outreach, or offer-based follow-ups. But unaddressed mail is often best for broad‑reach local promotions like grand openings, new service announcements, or area-wide sales.
Key Steps to Launch a High-Impact Direct Mail Campaign
1. Define Your Campaign Goals
- Ask yourself what the main goal of your campaign is. Are you focused on generating immediate sales, driving traffic to your store, re‑engaging lapsed customers, or building brand awareness?
- Set clear, measurable objectives. This could be something like “Drive 100 store visits with unique QR code,” or “Achieve a 3% response rate”.
2. Choose the Right Print Materials
Many different print products can be effective for mailout campaigns. Here are some examples to choose from based on your budget and goals:
- Postcards: Great for quick, eye-catching promotions or limited-time offers.
- Flyers: Ideal for showcasing multiple products, menu items, or service options.
- Envelopes & Letters: Perfect when you need a more personal or professional touch.
- Brochures: Best for storytelling and guiding customers through more complex offerings.
3. Target Your Audience
- For Personalized Mail: Use customer data to tailor messages. Include PURLs, QR codes, or exclusive promo codes for tracking.
- For Neighbourhood Mail™: Select postal codes or neighborhoods for broad visibility without needing addresses.
4. Run a Test Campaign
It’s a common misconception that testing digital marketing campaigns is easier than testing for direct mail. Here’s a simple testing method Canada Post recommends.
- Split your list 80/20: Send 80% the version you know works and 20% a test version. Even a few hundred responses can give you reliable insights.
- Test one change at a time: For example, swap a postcard for a self-mailer, try a percentage discount instead of dollars off, or shorten your copy.
- Track responses: Add a unique promo code, QR code, or campaign URL to your test piece so you can see how it’s doing relative to the control group.
- Measure what matters: Look at which version drives more conversions or better quality leads, not just raw responses.
- Apply and repeat: Roll out the winning format or offer to your full list, then keep testing new variables to keep improving.
Quick Design & Printing Tips for Effective Mailers
Here are some tips you can use to make sure your print materials for direct mail campaigns really pop:
- Use Clear Branding: Prominent logo and brand colors help grab your audience’s attention as soon as they open your mail.
- Strong Call-to-Action (CTA): Let recipients know what you want them to do quickly. Examples: “Visit our store,” “Scan this QR code,” or “Use code HOLIDAY10 for 10% off.”
- Print‑Ready File Prep:
- Use CMYK color profiles.
- Apply proper bleed (typically 3 mm) and safe zone margins to avoid cutting off critical content.
- Ensure high-resolution images (300 dpi) and embed fonts or convert to outlines.
Learn More:
- What is a Print-Ready PDF (& How to Prepare it in Canva)
- Creating High-Quality Print Files
- Preparing Print Files with Bleed and Margins in Canva
Canada Post Size, Weight, Delivery & Scheduling Guidelines
The allowable size and weight of your mailouts will vary depending on which method you use. This can also change delivery timelines and other requirements.
Personalized Mail & Addressed Admail
According to Canada Post’s Smartmail Marketing™ guide (effective July 2, 2025):
| Category | Dimensions | Thickness | Weight | Notes & Requirements | Delivery Timeline |
| Standard Machinable Items | Min: 140 × 90 mmMax: 245 × 156 mm | Up to 5 mm | Up to 50 g | Must be rectangular, flexible, sealed properly (≤ 35 mm of flap unsealed) | 3–13 business days nationwide |
| Square Option | 140 × 140 mm to 156 × 156 mm | Up to 5 mm | Up to 50 g | Same material/sealing requirements as standard | 3–13 business days |
| Oversize Items | Min: 140 × 90 mmMax: 380 × 270 mm | Up to 20 mm | Up to 500 g | Must be rectangular or square, flexible, sealed | 3–13 business days |
Minimum paper weights for these items are as follows:
- Envelope 75 gsm
- Self‑mailer 90 gsm
- Card/postcard 160 gsm
Neighbourhood Mail
According to Canada Post’s delivery standards, neighbourhood mail is subject to different rules:
| Category | Weight | Thickness | Delivery Standard | Notes & Requirements |
| Standard Items | Up to 200 g | Up to 0.75 in (≈19 mm) | Within 3 business days | Flexible paper/card formats such as flyers or postcards |
| Heavier/Thicker Items | 200–500 g | Up to 20 mm | 4–9 business days | Larger or dimensional pieces, oversize cards, mini-catalogues |
| Scheduling | N/A | N/A | Must be deposited at least 5 business days before in-home date | 10 business days recommended for heavier or regional campaigns |
Prep Your Print Materials with Pros & Make Mailouts Easier
The success of a direct mail campaign starts long before Canada Post delivers it. From choosing the right format and size to making sure files are set up correctly with bleeds, margins, and color profiles, the smallest details matter.
When those details are handled by experienced print pros, your campaign soars. Your mailouts look better, and you won’t experience setbacks getting them into mailboxes so they can reach your audience.
At Little Rock Printing, you’ll find professional print partners who make your mailouts easier than ever. Send your print-ready PDF to us and we’ll make sure it gets printed according to spec. We also guarantee our timelines to make sure you’ve got your marketing materials when you need them. That means less time troubleshooting QA issues and more time connecting with customers.
Contact us here to talk with a Canadian expert about your next print project. We’ll answer your questions, provide a quote, and help you get everything underway.
