In this episode of Direct Edge, Wilson speaks with Dave Lewis, CEO and entrepreneur behind Snailworks and Track My Mail.
Dave walks us through his 25-year journey in the mailing industry, from founding one of the first mail-tracking services and selling it to Pitney Bowes just before the 2008 financial crisis, to building and exiting Snailworks in 2023. Along the way, he’s become a recognized thought leader, writing a weekly “Mail Traffic Report” that tracks billions of pieces and advising clients how to marry the physical power of postal mail with digital channels.
Together, Wilson and Dave unpack why “snail mail” still delivers: its proactive reach into every U.S. household, precise demographic targeting, tactile appeal, and strong ROI (on average, $13 back for every dollar spent). They explore innovations like the USPS’s Informed Delivery program, QR-enabled AI assistants on direct mail pieces, and clever “lumpy mail” teasers.
Dave also shares his intrapreneurial approach to low-risk business building, previews an upcoming book on innovation without big capital, and offers strategies for keeping your sales funnel full with webinars, conferences, and highly targeted campaigns.
Whether you’re a veteran mail house or a marketer curious about integrating paper and pixels, this episode offers actionable insights to optimize your campaigns, understand postal networks, and unlock breakthrough growth with a channel too often overlooked.
Timestamps
1. Dave Lewis’s entrepreneurial journey and business milestones – 00:56
2. Postal mail’s unique marketing advantages and targeting capabilities – 03:26
3. Leveraging mail tracking for call-center efficiency and multi-channel campaigns – 06:39
4. USPS Informed Delivery program and digital-mail integration – 13:10
5. Incorporating AI into mail analytics and the future of direct-mail innovation – 36:03
Get in Touch with Dave!
Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-lewis-145b9a5/
SnailWorks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/snailworks/
Website: https://www.snailworks.com/
Get in Touch with Wilson!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilsonzehr/
Website: https://www.zairmail.com/
Book a call: https://calendly.com/cendix
Email: [email protected]
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