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Your First 100 Mailers

Who it's for​

Anyone sending their first thanks.io campaign who wants a structured approach that actually gets a response - not just a test send.

The play​

Send a single, clear postcard to 100 people you already have some relationship with - past customers, prospects who went cold, neighbors of a recent sale, or leads from a list. One strong headline, one sentence of context, one CTA, and a QR code to track who responds.

100 pieces is enough to get real signal without a large upfront cost.

Expected signals at 30 days​

  • QR scan rate: 2-6% (2-6 responses from 100 pieces) is typical for a warm-ish list with a relevant offer
  • Cost: roughly $100-$160 depending on postage class and plan; check current pricing at thanks.io/pricing
  • If scan rate is below 1%: the list, offer, or design needs work - not the channel

Step-by-step​

Send method: Send Mail Wizard - this is a one-time send. Open it via Send Mail in the sidebar.

1. Pick your 100 people​

  • Past customers → the most responsive; they already trust you
  • Cold leads who requested info → second best
  • Neighborhood farm → use Neighbor Blast if you have a trigger address
  • Purchased list → usable, but expect lower response than a warm list

Have your list ready as a CSV with these columns: First Name, Last Name, Address, City, State, Zip. You'll upload it inside the wizard in step 5.

2. Open the Send Mail Wizard​

Click Send Mail in the sidebar (or Send mail on the Dashboard). This opens the wizard and walks you through the rest of the steps.

3. Choose your mailer type​

Select 4×6 Postcard - it's the lowest cost and fastest way to proof a first campaign. Upgrade to 6×9 if you want more visual impact.

4. Choose your design and write your message​

  • Design: on the Completed Creatives tab, pick a creative you've already made. Or use Separate front & message to upload your own photo (property, product, team, office) or pick any saved front, or Make creative now to build one without leaving the send.
  • Message: write the message in the wizard, or keep the one that came with your creative. Add %FIRST_NAME% to personalize it, set the QR code destination to a simple landing page or your phone number, and use Check my message to tighten the copy.

5. Add recipients​

In the Recipients step, click Add Recipients, upload your CSV, and match your columns. Your list goes in here - not before you open the wizard.

6. Review the proof and place your order​

Check the front and back preview: confirm your name, address, and message all look correct. Click Submit Order & Send Now.

7. Watch the Global Scan List​

In the first 7-14 days after expected delivery, check your Global Scan List. Anyone who scanned is a warm lead. Follow up within 24 hours.

Copy starter​

Hi %FIRST_NAME%,

I wanted to reach out personally - [one sentence about your business and why it's relevant to them].

[Your offer or CTA - e.g., "Call me at %YOUR_PHONE% to get a free estimate" or "Scan the QR code to see current listings in your area."]

%YOUR_FULL_NAME%
%YOUR_COMPANY%
%YOUR_PHONE%

Replace all %VARIABLE% placeholders with your details or use Replacement Variables to pull them from your list automatically.

Pitfalls​

  • Sending to a cold, unrelated list. Low relevance = low response. Warm beats cold every time.
  • No QR code. You'll have no idea if it worked. Add one.
  • Sending once and giving up. Direct mail builds over repetition. If 100 pieces don't yield a response, a sequence of 3 touches over 6 weeks often does.

Run this play​

  1. Start a Send Mail Wizard send
  2. Enable QR tracking on your message
  3. Watch scan results in the Global Scan List