On October 1^st the USPS Governors decided not to seek a price change for mail and shipping services in early 2015. This is great news for marketing professionals and direct mailers. Since January 2006, with the exception of 2010, the USPS has had an annual postage increase, raising letter and package rates.
What does this mean to direct mailers?
…quite possibly thousands of dollars. As an example, a 50,000 piece oversized postcard campaign could mean an estimated increase of $2,000. If you mail monthly or quarterly, that could mean an increase in postage of $6,000 – $14,000, just for the first half of 2015.
Consider frontloading the year
Postage may increase later in the year, and will certainly increase in the near future. Use this time, and consider frontloading your direct mail outreach. However, make sure this does not compromise the integrity of your campaign. You might be surprised; a shift in positioning and messaging can be a fresh change to a repeat campaign.
Measure and then measure some more
Do you have key performance indicators (KPI’s)? If you don’t, set them up now! Direct mail has proven to be an important platform in an integrated marketing plan, but managing cost is also critical for your budget constraints. KPI’s will help you identify areas of opportunity going forward, which take the mystery out of determining the balance of offline and online integration.
Build a preference center
Do you have a strategy on keeping track of recipient preferences? You’ll find many of your loyalty fans will have an affinity to one of your products or services. Understanding and speaking to those preference is critical to authentic engagement to help grow response rates. Consider building a preference center where recipients self-select their interests.
ZOOM Cross-Media was an early adopter in the integrated marketing space. While our roots are in direct mail, we believe the most effective outreach plans combines traditional and social media marketing in a personal way.
Contact me today for a no-obligation conversation about your opportunities.