As is tradition this time of year, the USPS® recently announced its lineup for the 2024 USPS Promotions and Incentive Programs to help brands save on postage costs, while creating more dynamic, engaging direct mail campaigns that incorporate digital technology.
The outlook for the growth of B2B direct mail in the coming year is quite bright — in fact, about 60% of brands say they plan to use direct mail as an integral part of their overall marketing strategies. The USPS incentive programs can be an extremely valuable tool in helping marketers optimize their print marketing spend, and also in helping brands think outside the box in designing direct mail campaigns that stand out and deliver results.
With this in mind, let’s take a quick look at the 2024 USPS programs. Then, we’ll offer a couple of real-world suggestions on how you can take advantage of this year’s programs when brainstorming your next direct mail campaign.
What's different about the 2023 USPS incentive program?
While much of the information about the 2024 USPS promotions will look similar to last year, there are a couple of key differences that offer greater degrees of flexibility in how and when marketers can opt into certain programs. Here’s a brief rundown of this year’s USPS incentive programs, with special attention given to some of the changes from last year.
- Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Engagement: Marketers can receive a 5% discount on postage for direct mailers that incorporate specialty inks, scented papers, and envelope sound chips. Registration deadline is January 31.
- Personalized Color Transpromo: This program offers a 3% discount for critical customer communications like invoices or account statements that incorporate personalization and vibrant colors to increase engagement. Registration deadline is January 31.
- Emerging and Advanced Technology Program: Marketers who infuse their direct mailers with interactive, dynamic technology components can save up to 4% on postage costs. Integrating augmented reality can help brands save 3% on postage, and incorporating more sophisticated technology like virtual reality or video in print can save 4%. This program features the biggest shift from the previous year in that you can take advantage of this promotion at any point during the 2024 calendar year. This means there is no registration deadline, and you have more flexibility to work this program around your marketing strategy and objectives.
- REPLY MAIL IMbA™: IMbA is an automated account system for Business Reply Mail that helps accelerate the processing of payments and streamline the payment process. Brands that adopt the accounting system can receive a 3% discount for using a static barcode and 6% for a serialized barcode. Registration deadline is June 30.
- Informed Delivery®: A perennial favorite, Informed Delivery can save marketers 4% on postage. This digital preview also facilitates marketers’ efforts to take a multichannel approach in their print marketing and communications. Registration deadline is July 31.
- Retargeting: Marketers who want to use direct mail as a method of retargeting website, landing page, or mobile app visitors can experience a 5% discount on postage. Registration deadline is August 31.
How to create direct mailers that can take advantage of the USPS incentive programs
This is where the fun begins — brainstorming how you can create direct mailers that are not only eligible for a discount on postage, but that also better engage and delight your target audience. We found these postcard mailing programs particularly inspiring, but here are a couple of additional ideas to help jumpstart your creativity.
- A transactional mailer that uses color to cross-sell. Imagine if a simple account summary could pull double duty using customer information and variable data printing (VDP) to create a personalized offer. And what if you could supplement this with expressive, vibrant colors, logos, or design elements that leverage the power of your brand recognition and trust? Not only can we help you create such a mailer, but this kind of piece could be eligible for the Personalized Color Transpromo promotion, saving you 3% on postage.
- An account-based marketing (ABM) direct mail campaign with a voice-activated call-to-action (VACTA). ABM campaigns involve creating highly-targeted, high-value mailers for a very specific audience that has expressed interest in your product or service. Using a VACTA — an emerging technology that utilizes a unique voice activation code–paired with a smart speaker or smartphone, you can launch a digital experience that can infuse your mailer with novelty and value. Plus it can make your mailer eligible for the Emerging and Advanced Technology Program.
- A postcard mailer that attempts to recover an abandoned online shopping cart. We’ve all dropped something in an online shopping cart, only to leave an ecommerce website for one reason or another. But what if you could print a personalized direct mail postcard that reminds your customer about the abandoned cart and offers a special discount if they complete their purchase? Not only would this be an effective method of nurturing customers and demonstrating you understand their needs, it could also qualify your postcard for the Retargeting program.
These are just a few possibilities for creating more targeted, strategic direct mail campaigns that connect on a deeper level with your audience, and save on postage in the process. Varispark can help you execute a wide range of direct mail marketing campaigns based on your specific goals and objectives. Tell us more about your project to get started!