The USPS Informed platform is experimenting with methods to increase direct mail effectiveness, awareness, and results. Brands can connect direct mail with an omnichannel strategy and communicate via email, social media apps, and the website.
Customers can connect and interact with services, products, and offers through Informed Delivery campaigns before the physical mail piece is delivered to their homes.
The USPS mail informed delivery has reached a milestone, with 15% of US households receiving an email daily showing images of the mail they will receive that day, with over 16 million current subscribers and over 500,000 new subscribers every month.
On a daily basis, email open rates for USPS informed delivery platforms are around 70%. The platform also enables mailers to use full-service Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb) and create Informed Delivery campaigns that include an image of the direct mail and a CTA link that directs recipients to the web to interact with the brand and offer.
About Informed Visibility
Informed Visibility enables the mailer to track each mail piece through the portal system for real-time home delivery. It tracks the movement of mail pieces, handling units, and containers using the USPS processing network. This function is also termed Mail Tracking and Reporting. (IV – MTR).
With some investment in geofencing, the USPS can enable brands and mailers to accurately determine home delivery times for each direct mail campaign recipient. Using this knowledge brands and mailers can deliver meaningful, relevant omnichannel communications to engage audiences and drive results with precisely timed email and SMS messages.
A study conducted by Market Reach in the United Kingdom demonstrates the effectiveness of mail in increasing memory and increasing the effectiveness of social media campaigns. The researchers concluded that mail can play an important role in the media mix to boost memorability and potentially increase purchase intent after testing brain activity for each type of media. When we touch and read the paper instead of reading on a screen, our brains interact and recall information in a different way.
The evidence is surprising, focusing on how mail interacts with social media advertising. Printed direct mail plays an important role in amplifying the impact of social media advertising. According to the report, direct mail is 33% more engaging than electronic mail and 35% more engaging than social media advertising.
Using Informed Delivery and Informed Visibility as a Marketing Tool
IV-MTR provides information on the USPS network functions and enables adjusting production and fix schedules to promote optimal performance.
This type of information is crucial as few changes to the processing network are on the horizon. The US Postal Service informed delivery is integrating delivery units with Sorting and Distribution Centers (NDC) with a new network of 65-80 Regional Processing and Distribution Centers (RPDC) – which impact the delivery of mail.
IV-MTR will help you find how delivery patterns shift because of network changes – so you can adjust mail drops to ensure desired in-home deliveries are accomplished.
The same unique Intelligent Mail barcodes on mail pieces that make IV-MTR function also provide a wealth of data for following mail movement with internal production processes. This can provide visibility into your processes which helps teams understand processes better and improve efficiency.
IV-MTR is specifically useful when managing multiple small mail groupings, such as optimized mail that is created of direct pallets and commingled mail mix, ensuring all mail is completed accurately and on time.
Along with mail tracking, Informed Visibility can also provide information on mail quality. This function is termed as Mail Quality Data (IV-MQD).
IV-MQD can help you manage your Mailer Scorecard by offering the setup option for data feed with frequent options – daily, weekly, or monthly. Its report enables you to see and edit the details of any errors or warnings shown on the Scorecard to identify root causes before they charge penalties.
Leveraging IV-MQD to the fullest can improve internal processes but needs a commitment for ongoing oversight of mail data and correct issues. It is a collaborative process. Once root causes are identified, you can get the number of departments that touch any given mailing, highlight opportunities to improve hand-offs and communications during the manufacturing process.
This leads to continuous improved process and higher quality mail that can be delivered more efficiently by the Postal Service, making in-home dates easier to get.
The Verdict
Brands are challenged to clear the clutter to create awareness and mention a call to action for purchase. Direct mail is a proven marketing channel that brings high ROI if done right. Scientific study shows how direct mail creates improved memory recall to increase social media advertising and campaign efficiency.
The Informed Delivery and Informed Visibility platform is a great marketer’s tool to increase the effectiveness of omnichannel communications and all Informed Delivery interactive campaigns. Because the USPS can increase the value of mail when they are offering a promotion with a 2% discount on campaign postage. Service providers lead the strategy by enabling their clients to test mail campaigns and not investing that 2% in postage. The promotion period for campaigns mailed from 1st Sept to 30 Nov.
Brands and mailers can increase the customer touchpoints for direct mail and engage customers via trustworthy digital channels and reduce the postage cost. Leveraging Informed Delivery by USPS and Informed Visibility tracking is a great strategy to determine ROI on marketing and leads converted.
