Did you know that the United States Postal Service offers a free service that gives you an additional digital touch in your postal marketing? This extra touch boosts response rates and increases marketing effectiveness. Did we mention that it’s free?
This service is called Informed Delivery. It uses the scanned images of the mail taken during regular postal processing and inserts them into a daily email digest delivered to the postal customer every morning. Package tracking information on Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and other trackable parcels is also provided. Images can be viewed on the user’s USPS online dashboard or in the mobile app, as well.
While Informed Delivery has been around for over five years, many businesses still don’t know about it.
Currently, 56+ million people are signed up for Informed Delivery, and the digest emails have open rates of 65.2%. Most Informed Delivery users check their digests first thing in the morning, so recipients can see your offers on their way even before the physical mailpieces arrive.
With a little extra time and effort (but still free), businesses can mail what the USPS calls “interactive campaigns.” In interactive campaigns, you can add full-color advertising images and clickable links, allowing recipients not just to see but to respond to your offers even before the physical mailpiece hits. You can also check clickthrough rates and other statistics to see how your campaign is working.
How do you maximize your mailpiece for Informed Delivery?
- Keep your design uncluttered and with enough contrast so that your pieces are readable even as grayscale images.
- Make sure that the key elements of your offer are visible on the addressed side of the piece.
- Consider using the full-color image and landing page options in the interactive campaigns.
USPS Informed Delivery is a free service, and you don’t have to optimize your designs in order for it to benefit you. But it sure works better if you do.
Want to learn more? Contact sales@imagemarkonline.com
Tags: direct mail, marketing, usps
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