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Increase Mail Value With USPS® Promotions
Do Something! Action #2:Increase Mail value with USPS® Promotions
This is one of the five actions of the BCC Software Do Something! initiative.
Action 2/5
Learn about the initiative and each of the five actions here
Postage rates are forecast to increase by 10% to 15% in the next 12 to 18 months, with the largest increase in decades coming in July. Do you want to maximize your mail value and simultaneously offset postage increases?
Stop leaving postal discounts on the table- apply for and use USPS® promotional discounts. The USPS offers promotional discounts of 3% to 6% based on various ways to enhance the value of the mail piece, and combining the high touch of mail with high-tech you can achieve response rates of 10% or more!
Taking advantage of USPS promotions is a win-win. You not only lower your postage, but you also bridge the high-touch of mail with hi-tech digital complimentary messaging.
This multichannel effect is a game changer for both you and your customers and is more accessible than you may realize. In fact, you may already be mailing eligible pieces and simply need to apply for the discount.
To help you maximize your mailing with USPS promotions, we created a USPS promotions resource page. Our resource page offers technical promotion information, a helpful presentation about maximizing postal savings and an eBook, “Overcoming 6 Common Challenges to Achieving Valuable Postage Savings”.
Let’s look at three approaches to increase mail value with USPS promotions using good, better, and best actions.
Good Ways to Increase Mail Value
Emerging and Advanced Technology promotions are six months long and you can choose your start date! By adding a call to action on the mailpiece to trigger a voice assisted device, you can earn a 4% discount simply asking the mailpiece recipient to say: “Alexa, have ABC Travel plan my daily itinerary for my trip to the Bahamas next month”.
Or how about adding a QR Code that takes the mail recipient to a mobile enabled shopping experience? You may already be doing this now and could earn a 3% postage discount! If you are doing this now, you will want to sign up for it quickly as the USPS will be changing the rules on this promotion in 2025 making it more difficult to participate.
A Better Way to Increase Mail Value
Did you know that over 30 million households have at least one person subscribed to Informed Delivery? Each day, they receive a grayscale image of the mailpieces that are going to be delivered that day. Why not fully leverage Informed Delivery by uploading a color replacement image (known as a ride-along) that is reflective of the mailpiece with a compelling call to action, and earn a 4% discount for the mailer, and a 0.5% discount for the eDoc Submitter! With Informed Delivery, you can immediately get into multichannel marketing and significantly improve the response rate for your direct mail campaigns.
The Best Approach:
Our parent, BlueCrest offers solutions that can level up your direct mail. For example, excite and delight the mail recipient with an interactive mailpiece element such as a clean release card, or tactile sensory treatment such as glossy stock and earn a 5% discount! Or how about adding a full (2 or more) color personalized onsert message to your transactional document promoting a related product and earn a 3% discount. For example, a personalized marketing message such as “ABC Credit Cards is offering 10% off all international flights for certain card holder members” could earn you the discount.
Let's Do Something! Together
Talk with a BCC Software expert about how your organization can increase mail value with USPS promotions and adapt to the changing postal industry.
Let’s discuss your current state and develop an action plan that will put you ahead of the changes in the postal industry.
It’s time to Do Something! to proactively address strategic postal changes and make every mailpiece count!