Postal Rates Increase
USPS postal rates have increased once again. It’s important to know how this increase will impact your marketing efforts and what you can do to save money.
Details on the Increase
USPS announced that First-Class Mail Metered Letters and Postcards will go up by one cent. The rates for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express also go up by 4.1 percent and 3.5 percent respectively. The exact rate changes will be different based on whether it is retail or commercial and by weight and zone.
The changes took effect January 24, 2021. Metered first-class mail letters go up to $0.51 and from $0.15 to $0.20 for each additional ounce while retail postcards are now $0.36.
How to Save Money
No matter how small the individual increase, it means a lot of money for the company that is sending out multiple mailings. Over time, it can increase your costs for marketing significantly. However, you can make the most of the changes by taking a few specific actions.
First, scrubbing your lists on a regular basis will ensure that you’re sending out mailers to current addresses. You’ll have fewer returned mailings or non-forwardable letters and postcards. This is one of the most important actions to take right away to save money.
Another important step to maximize your results and minimize your costs is to track and analyze your results. Tracking mailings allows you to see which methods of direct mail marketing work best and get the most results. For some, it will be the multi-touch campaign rather than a single mailing that gets attention. However, some types of mailings will yield better results. For instance, research has shown that Google Street View postcards have a higher response rate than other postcards.
To be prepared for these changes that are happening now and to get the most out of your marketing budget, contact Open Letter Marketing. We can work with you to determine which products and services will be the most valuable to your goals.
