Direct mail remains a cornerstone of marketing, as one of the most effective, high-ROI methods of making a big brand impression. Sending printed mail pieces can lead to costs adding up pretty quickly, but there’s a great solution available: postal promotions from the U.S. Postal Service.
For Tips on Designing for Direct Mail for Automated Processing Visit the Athens Resource Center.
These deals are offered by the USPS to promote the use of certain types of mail or certain unique features. Each discount runs for a particular amount of time, and they’re easy to use: just register your direct mail campaign, ensure it meets the requirements, and reap the savings!
Here’s a brief overview of the six 2023 postal promotions, complete with their requirements and timelines:
- Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive: Marketing Mail letters and flats and First-Class Mail letters, cards, and flats that use enhanced techniques (paper types, inks, substrates, finishing, and interactive options) can qualify for a 5% discount between Feb. 1 and Jul. 31. New eligibility this year: scent on the outside of the envelope. Registration begins Jan. 9.
- Personalized Color Transpromo: First-Class Mail presort and automation letters that incorporate color marketing messaging are eligible for a 3%-4% discount (the 4% tier is for those that include a reply mechanism) between Feb. 1 and Jul. 31. Registration begins Jan. 9.
- Emerging and Advanced Technology: Marketing Mail letters and flats; First-Class Mail letters, cards, and flats; and Non-Profit Marketing Mail letters and flats that incorporate technology like enhanced AR, VR/MR, video in print, or multichannel mail integration can qualify for a 3%-4% discount between May. 1 and Nov. 31. The 3% tier includes more “basic” technologies such as AR, basic integration with voice assistant, and mobile shopping technologies. The 4% tier includes “enhanced” technologies such as VR/MR, video in print technology, advanced integration with voice assistant, and near field communication (chip enabled mail). Registration begins March 15.
- Reply Mail IMbA: First-Class Mail presort and automation letters that use static IMbA can qualify for a 3% discount, and pieces that use serialized IMbA can qualify for a 6% discount, between Jul. 1 and Dec. 31. Registration begins May 15.
- Informed Delivery: Qualifying automation Marketing Mail letters and flats and qualifying automation First-Class Mail letters, cards, and flats can qualify for a 4% discount by using the USPS Informed Delivery omni-channel feature. Qualifying participants must create Informed Delivery campaigns through the existing portal or submit elements through eDoc submission to create a campaign that meets best practices; using eDoc comes with an additional 0.5% discount. The promotion runs from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31, and registration begins June 15.
- Retargeting: First-Class Mail automation postcards that are targeted to recent website or mobile app visitors who didn’t already convert are eligible for a 5% discount between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30. Registration begins July 15.
To qualify for these promotions, participants must register ahead of time and meet all of the promotion’s requirements. Our team of postal experts is here to help! Talk to your team today to find the best solutions for savings in 2023.