The USPS® announced on October 17th that it will increase stamp prices by 1 cent. Starting in early 2012, the cost of sending magazines, standard mail, first class letters and packages will also be rising.
Along with the foreseeable postal rate increases in 2012, paper prices are also increasing. Catalogers, publishers and other direct mailers are growing more concerned. For these types of companies, direct mail can be an advantage over competition. However, as this type of marketing gets more expensive, organizations need to be more targeted and ensure they have accurate address data for each recipient.
Marketers should clean all address data before each direct mail campaign. They can also take advantage of NCOALink®, a USPS® data file of all individuals who have moved in the U.S. This allows marketers to keep track of individuals who move and update their database accordingly.
Direct mailers should also make sure they are sending relevant messages to the right individual. As the cost continues to increase, more individuals will need to convert to justify the investment. Ensure you are sending messages that will resonate to each individual.
As the cost continues to increase, marketers will need to intelligently utilize the direct mail channel.