For a lot of marketers, especially digital-first marketers, offline marketing can feel daunting.  That’s why we came up with this non-exhaustive list of marketing terminology in offline marketing. For starters, what do we even mean when we say offline marketing?

For some, that might be TV or OOH (out of home).  In our minds, that’s anything that goes in the mail, so package inserts, shared mail and direct mail.  With that context, let’s break it down by channel:

Insert Media:

Package Inserts: The printed pieces of paper you receive in the box when you open up a package from brands like HelloFresh, Gilt, Zulily, Macy’s, SodaStream, StitchFix, and hundreds of other companies.

‍Catalog: A printed booklet that a brand sends to its customers to promote its various products. Note this can also include inserts inside of it.  

Blow In: An insert that is “blown in” into something, often a catalog, so when you open the catalog the insert is loose within the pages of the catalog.  

Ride Along: A ride along rides in tandem with out going mail packages; however, they are not necessarily with purchased goods. RALs are essentially various printed communications sent by a company with which the recipient has a pre-existing relationship.

Co-Op Mailing: A cooperative mailing where many promotional inserts travel in the same envelope and share the postal costs. It often allows for geographic targeting, along with data overlays to help select out an audience.

Billing Statements: The envelope you receive with your bills inside of it.  Yes, people do still receive those, and it’s very effective when putting inserts inside of them, especially if you are trying to acquire senior adults as customers.  

Two-Panel: A front and back ad creative similar to apostcard… just without a mailing panel. If you are unfamiliar with what a mailing panel is, go to the Direct Mail section below.

Four-Panel: Take a piece of computer paper from your printer and fold it in half so there is a front, two inside panels, and a back, and you have a four-panel piece. Essentially, it’s a mini pamphlet that goes into more detail than a two-panel piece on a brand and its unique benefits.  

Printer: A company brands use to print any type of offline marketing.  It’s important to price compare with a few printers to ensure you are getting a reasonable price.  

Freight: In inserts, freight refers to the cost to ship the insert pieces to the relevant warehouse locations where the inserts will ship from to customers who ordered.

Shared Mail:

Shared Mail: Anything that shares the cost of sending mail to a household, whether it’s in an envelope or a magazine format.  A co-op mailing (noted above) is also a type of shared mail.

FSI: FSI stands for free standing insert.  It typically travels in the Sunday newspaper and offers discounts for various retail products.  This can be purchased on a remnant basis.

Shared Mail Wrap: It’s the four page paper that “wraps”  around inserts and includes ads at very low CPMs. It covers most of the country and mails to set geographic regions.

Shared Mail Insert: Instead of including a wrap around the newspaper, the shared mail insert is inserted into the wrap,  at a higher CPM since you need to pay for the cost of printing.  

Direct Mail:

Direct Mail: Anything that travels by itself into your mailbox, from a postcard to an envelope to a Snap Pack.

Postcard: An ad creative that is typically 4.25” x6”, 6” x 9”, or 6” x 11”, with a front and back.  On the back side will include the mailing panel.  

Mailing Panel: A mailing panel is the space you leave empty on a direct mail piece so you can include the address and any other information the USPS needs to deliver the mail.

Snap Pack: A pressure-sealed mailer, perforated on two or three sides. Once opened, additional information folds out. These mailers can be highly effective for communicating sensitive information or ensuring that the content of your direct mail has an air of importance.  This is often used by categories like financial services and telecommunications.

Eric Smith is the President and COO at Incremental Media.  Want to share your thoughts or pick the brain of the author of this piece?  Email Eric Smith at esmith@incrementalmedia.com.

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