When planning your direct mail marketing, you need more than just a printer on your side. You need a full-service company that can help you develop custom solutions for sending your mail to the US. uu. postal service system while saving you time and money.
Remember, the USPS is a powerful institution. receives no tax money for operating expenses. processes and delivers more than 154 billion pieces of mail a year to 156 million residential and business addresses nationwide. If it were a private company, its income would put it high up in the Inc. and fortune 500 rankings. And thanks to more than 200 federal laws, the postal inspection service ensures that the flow of mail is safe for both senders and customers.
At the same time, removing inefficiencies from the postal system (and reducing costs) has been a bigger factor than ever before in the way mailing campaigns are designed and implemented. To keep up with these changes, it’s smart to reach out to vendors who have extensive printing experience and excellent customer service who work with marketers of all sizes and budgets.
To get a great return on your direct mail investment, look for a direct mail provider that knows the ins and outs of the USPS.
6 ways the usps experience can improve your direct mail
Let’s face it: Postal regulations can be a bit tricky, and not without good reason. After all, they give marketers a fair amount of flexibility in offering products and services to both consumers and business customers.
but you’ll need someone who can help you and your mail get through the postal system and into your customers’ mailboxes. here’s how:
1. direct mail layout
Vendors must be experts in direct mail design and how it can be maximized to flow through the USPS processing team. here is a specific example, in auto-folded mailers (fsms) they must meet clear tabulation requirements to pass the test. Below are the basics of autoship to use as a checkpoint. for specific details, check out this helpful guide to tabulating.
the basics of an autoship:
- height: minimum 3.5 inches and maximum 6 inches.
- length: minimum 5 inches and maximum 10.5
- thickness: minimum 0.007 inches and maximum 1/4 inch
- note: a minimum of . 009 is ok if height exceeds 4-1/4 inches or length exceeds 6 inches.
Are postcards your thing? this post focuses on postcard design only.
pro tip 1:
don’t try to make your mail do too much by including lots of copying or images. you want your customer to quickly understand what you want them to do, how they will benefit from it, and how to proceed. limit your sales to one or a few products or services… and voila.
pro tip 2:
Always use high-quality graphics and photos (300 dpi or higher) that best support your message and offer. Otherwise, you’ll create a bad first impression with your audience and damage your brand.
2. manage your data
Postal savings can also be achieved by carefully and consistently managing your data. It can’t be said enough: without accurate data, your campaigns won’t be successful. again, a variety of tools can be used to ensure you are proceeding with the best possible lists. Here is an introduction to CASS certification, NCOA, pre-classification and deduplication, and their crucial role in data processing. these steps cannot be skipped. must be done to produce a list for pre-sorting mail and for lasers and printers.
cass (coding accuracy support system) is a certification offered by the us. uu. postal service that corrects and standardizes address elements such as postal codes and misspelled street or city names. Providers offering this service must apply annually to stay current with the latest USPS guidelines.
ncoa (national change of address) is a database of all new address information on file with the usps. With an average of nearly 40 million Americans moving each year, the importance of cross-referencing your data through this process cannot be underestimated. and to avoid a surcharge on your campaign, you must do so no more than 95 days before the date of your mailing.
preclassified mail is a work sharing program; asc and the postal service share the work of processing the mail. When your supplier can do some of the preparation and sorting, it saves the postal service time and money. in return, the savings are passed on in the form of postal discounts.
data deduplication this one is simple! it is a process that eliminates redundant data. For example, if you had two John Smiths living at 123 N Main Street NY, NY 10000. The deduplication process would remove one John Smith from receiving only one piece of mail.
don’t miss the pro tips!
pro tip 1:
Another data tool is dsf2. With this data processing, you can check the delivery addresses on your list from the USPS database. your campaign, especially if it meets saturation levels, may qualify for rate discounts if it is then pre-sorted in the exact order the mail carrier travels on your route.
pro tip 2:
Now, if your home lists are keeping you from reaching new audiences, you can rent or purchase lists from third-party compilers on a one-time or subscription basis. you’ll be able to target selections based on a wide range of demographics and other criteria. and here again, list hygiene is absolutely vital. without it, you’ll be wasting money.
3. usps prices
With the USPS rate changes that went into effect on January 21, 2018, some mail grades experienced price increases; But there are plenty of opportunities available for marketers to save money. This (very helpful) Quick Guide to Rate Changes includes some ideas on how to take advantage of current pricing with your direct mail. Since marketing mail (formerly standard mail) is one of the most popular ways to send mail, we’ve included a snapshot of those price changes:
Seven products make up USPS Marketing Mail: Letters, Flats, Parcels, High Density and Saturation Letters, High Density and Saturation Flats and Parcels, Freight Lane, and Direct Mail Every Door.
- First, the best news: card rates remain almost flat compared to 2017. For example, cards with the 5-digit rate will not see any increase, remaining at $.251 per piece. and aadc rates are up slightly to $.274. not bad.
- For flooring, 5-digit postage rates range from $.387 to $.393 per piece. Slight adjustments to the rates for AADC (top) and AADC Mixed (bottom).
- For nonprofits, it’s a bit more mixed. 5-digit letters will see an increase to $.136 from $.134, while aadc letter efforts range from $.154 to $.159. for flats, the 5-digit rate takes a big cut, from $0.244 to $0.227.
pro tip 1:
And here’s a real bargain to give some serious thought to: First-class presort cards weighing up to 3 ounces can now be shipped for the same rate as one-ounce cards. so that’s two free ounces for shipping! This is your golden opportunity to include additional marketing elements, such as a ticket, testimonial page, promotional letter, in your direct mail package that can inform, help and/or persuade your prospects and customers.
pro tip 2:
use the full-service smart mail barcode (fsimb) to receive a discount of 3 cents per piece for first class or marketing mail. this hasn’t changed since 2017, and is something you should be using anyway.
pro tip 3:
There are other steps you can take with your provider to address your direct mail budget concerns. for example, you can request multiple quotes for a project.
4. mixed and copalized
the usps also encourages two good work sharing methods that can help you meet your cost challenges: blending and co-palletizing. Mail campaigns prepared with either program are processed faster by the USPS, which means they get to your home sooner.
mix:
letters and plans (self-mailed and postcards) can be organized in trays and tubs by zip code. the more digits that match in the ordering, the greater the discount applied.
co-palletizing:
combines addressed and sorted mailboxes from different vendors or suppliers, separated by zip code, on the same pallet. in this way, each full pallet is fully prepared and then transported on trucks to facilitate passage to its destination scf.
5. your direct mail date
Another important consideration is the delivery date of the direct mail. If there are problems or delays, the value of your campaign can be lost, especially if you have an urgent offer. you’ll need to carefully plan each step of the process to meet the schedule.
pro tip 1:
Make sure you have art ready to print for your supplier an average of 5 days before your requested delivery date. Once print-ready art is provided, an art proof will be ready for final approval. this must occur the same business day, or within 24-48 hours to ensure your desired direct mail delivery date. Not only will this help the vendor immensely, but it will also get your job processed in the system soon after approval.
pro tip 2:
try to send data files at the same time as mail-ready art files.
pro tip 3:
Know your logistics options! If your mailing campaign is being sent to the same geographic region as your vendor, the main item they will need is the list before they drop it off at the originating or local Section Center Facility (SCF). But if not, dropshipping allows your mail to be trucked to the appropriate destination SCF before delivery. it’s like skipping exits along a freeway. Regardless of who handles the logistics (you or your supplier), you’ll be closer to the final post office faster.
6. the correct mail class
Your direct mail provider should know the advantages of each class of usps mail from both a design and cost standpoint. your experience with pricing and regulations will be helpful in determining which option is likely to produce the best results for your business.
for example, usps marketing mail (formerly standard mail) includes many types of direct mail pieces, such as flyers, circulars, brochures, newsletters, and catalogs. It is bulk mail and offers good discounts. but it doesn’t handle as fast as first class, so you’ll have to balance its lower cost per piece with later delivery dates.
first class is for those cards, letters, blueprints and small packages (less than 13 ounces) that are guaranteed to be delivered faster than bulk items, so they’re a good bet for anything you want to stand out in the mail, especially if it’s urgent.
pro tip 1:
To make sure your lists are up to date and you don’t waste your money, First Class includes free forwarding and return of undeliverable mail to the original address; USPS charges for this if you use marketing mail.
usps guide in action
- another usps tool, informed visibility, provides end-to-end mail tracking information for letter and flat pieces, packages, handling units, and containers. this gives you an essential overview of delivery performance.
- Look for a company that offers extensive bulk mail services, including on-site USPS verification. Its strong relationship with the USPS means smoother entry of your mail, discounted pricing, and better control, all of which improve the bottom line on your marketing budget, among other things.
- Two other USPS services, Change of Address Service (ACS) and Supplementary Service Endorsements (ASE), provide vital address correction data after a mailing campaign has gone down.
- A budget is also one of the most important things that controls your direct mail campaign. here are some practical ways to save on your next project.