Informed Delivery Opportunities for Mailers

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Informed Delivery reaches a new milestone for sign-ups opening new opportunities for mailers

The United States Postal Service recently announced that Informed Delivery has reached the milestone of 15 million subscribers.  Informed Delivery is a free service allowing consumers to receive a daily email preview of their incoming mail and manage their packages.  Consumers can sign up for the free service at the USPS Informed Delivery website.

What does this mean for marketers using direct mail?

Mailers can now deploy an Interactive Campaign that will integrate their mailpiece with the Informed Delivery email being sent to consumers.  The interactive campaign includes custom images and a targeted URL, giving consumers the ability to click through to a landing page or website.  The Informed Delivery Interactive Campaign gives mailers an easy pathway to marry their direct mail campaign with a digital component creating an omni-channel option.

The USPS is also offering a 2% discount off postage for mailings incorporating the interactive campaigns.  The promotional period runs from September 1st through November 30th.  Eligible mail includes Marketing Mail letters and flats, Nonprofit Marketing Mail letters and flats, and First-Class presort & automation letters, cards and flats.

NFocus is here to help you succeed with your Informed Delivery Interactive Campaign.

NFocus can help mailers with every step of creating and deploying interactive campaigns.  The NFocus NFormed Delivery full service option includes formatting pre-campaign data and reports, and uploading required elements into USPS Business Customer Gateway for deployment.

We also offer a self-serve option to mailers who would like to manage their campaigns.  NFocus can provide the required data elements needed to marry the interactive campaign to the direct mail campaign.

Contact NFocus today to learn how you can take advantage of these opportunities.

2019 Postage Rate Calculators

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Plan your 2019 direct mail schedule with help from our postage calculators

The popular NFocus postage rate calculators have been updated and are ready to download.  The new calculators will help guide you through all of the 2019 rate changes for Marketing Mail, Non Profit Marketing Mail, and Periodicals.

The 2019 calculators have been updated with a new look and additional information.  Users will notice the new Part Code column which directly corresponds to the price category codes found on your postage statement (form 3602 for Marketing Mail).  A new Promotions Calendar has also been added (tab 2) which gives users a quick reference guide to the 2019 USPS promotions.

Download a copy of the NFocus Postage Rate Calculators below:

2019 Postage Rate Calculators 

2019 USPS Marketing Mail Rate Calculator

2019 USPS Periodical Mail Rate Calculator

2019 USPS Non Profit Marketing Mail Rate Calculator

Need hep figuring this out?  Contact your NFocus rep today.  We provide a complete suite of resources to help direct mailers including our NControl report for periodical publishers, 24-7 access to the top direct mail list data with Listcounts, and our powerful Smart Saturation solution for mailers looking for a more targeted list.

USPS 2019 Promotions and Incentives

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An overview of the proposed 2019 USPS promotions and Incentives for mailers.

Each year the United States Postal Service provides several promotions and incentives for mailers to utilize new technology with their direct mail printing and messaging.  Promotions focus on specific technologies and are only available for a limited amount of time, usually 3-6 months.  The incentive programs are available for both First-Class and Marketing Mail classes.

2019 proposed USPS Promotion and Incentive program

  • Tactile, Sensory & Interactive Promotion
    • February 1, 2019 – July 31, 2019
    • Encourages marketers to incorporate innovative techniques on their mailpieces including specialty paper, specialty ink, and interactive elements.
    • Available for Marketing Mail letters and flats, nonprofit Marketing mail letters and flats
    • Incentive: 2% discount of eligible postage
  • Emerging and Advanced Technology Promotion
    • March 1, 2019 – August 31, 2019
    • Encourages direct mailers to incorporate advanced technology in their mail campaigns, including augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality.
    • Available for First-Class presort & auto letters, cards and flats, Marketing Mail letters and flats, nonprofit Marketing Mail letters and flats
    • Incentive: 2% discount on eligible postage
  • Earned Value Promotion
    • April 1, 2019 – June 30, 2019
    • Encourages the use of Business Reply Mail and Courtesy Reply Mail to boost First-Class Mail volumes.
    • Available for Business Reply Mail, Courtesy Reply Mail and Share Mail cards and letters
    • Incentive: $.03 credit
  • Personalized Color Transpromo Promotion
    • July 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019
    • Encourages the mailer of bills and statements to use color messaging.
    • Available for First-Class Mail commercial letters with IMb Full-Service
    • Incentive: discount of 2% of eligible postage
  • Mobile Shopping Promotion
    • August 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019
    • Encourages the use of technologies to connect direct mail to online shopping, such as QR codes.
    • Available for Marketing Mail letters and flats and nonprofit Marketing Mail letters and flats
    • Incentive: 2% discount on postage for eligible pieces
  • Informed Delivery Promotion
    • September 1, 2019 – November 30, 2019
    • Encourages mailers to use create Informed Delivery campaigns in conjunction with their direct mail campaign.
    •  Available for First-Class Mail presort & auto letters, cards and flats, Marketing Mail letters and flats, and nonprofit Marketing Mail letters and flats
    • Incentive: Discount of 2% on eligible postage

Smart Saturation Starts Here

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The NFocus Smart Saturation solution helps marketers succeed by saving money on postage while enjoying the benefits of a highly targeted list.

Saving money on postage while using roof-top level targeting seems like an impossible request.  NFocus delivers on that request with our Smart Saturation solution.

The NFocus Smart Saturation solution provides a robustly targeted list, not just simply removing addresses to meet postage levels.  NFocus works with you to identify your targeting, develop your profile and execute a finely-tuned direct mail list.

IdentifyNFocus the Data Agency

The first step in building a targeted list is identifying the best prospect.  The NFocus Audience NSight report provides a customized prospect profile based on your client list.  Overlay demographic, behavioral or property data to create a targeting profile specific to your needs.

Develop

The NFocus account management team works with you to further develop your targeting by ranking and scoring the data, helping you strengthen the profile.  The data is then loaded into the Listcounts portal to create a comprehensive customized profile.  Your priorities.  Your business rules.  Your targeting.

Execute

The NFocus data analyst team reviews your data on roof-top level, analyzing your ideal customer profile while meeting your expected postage levels and business rules.

The result is a highly targeted list, built with robust data options, custom to your marketing needs and optimized to maximize your postage savings.

Contact your representative today for more information on the NFocus Smart Saturation solution.

 

Anniversary of the Forever Stamp

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April 12th marks the anniversary of the first United States Postal Service “Forever Stamp”.

The first Forever Stamp in the US went on sale on April 12, 2007 featuring the Liberty Bell and sold for 41 cents.  Forever Stamps can be used to mail a one-once letter regardless of when the stamps were purchased no matter how postage prices change in the future.  Forever Stamps are always sold at the same price as a regular first-class mail stamp.

USPS Forever StampThe USPS applied to begin developing the Forever Stamp program in 2006, it was a concept similar to the United Kingdom’s practice of issuing non-denominated stamps.

The Liberty Bell design was the only Forever Stamp in circulation until October 2010 when the second design was released featuring pine cones and evergreen trees.  All first-class stamps became Forever Stamps in 2011, with the exception of coils of 500, 3,000 and 10,000.  In 2015 the USPS expanded the concept to incorporate several other categories including postcard, additional once, and two and three once stamps.

 

 

 

Source: USPS

2018 Postage Rate Calculators Now Available

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New postage rates have gone into effect, let NFocus help you navigate the changes.

The Postal Service has raised postage rates for 2018.  The new rates are for both Market Dominant (First-Class, Marketing Mail, and Periodicals) and Competitive products (Priority Mail, international mail, and shipping).  Rates in the Competitive category have increased an average of 3.9% while the Market Dominant products saw an average increase of about 2%.

A few examples of the new rates are listed below.

Category – Marketing Mail Commercial Current Price New Price Change
Flats Saturation SCF $0.164 $0.165 0.61%
Flats Saturation NDC $0.178 $0.179 0.56%
Letters Saturation SCF $0.155 $0.158 1.94%
Letters Saturation NDC $0.162 $0.164 1.23%

NFocus provides postage calculators to help mailers get a better estimate on how the new rate structure will affect their mailings.  Download the updated calculators below.

2018 USPS Marketing Mail Calculator

2018 USPS Periodicals Rate Calculator

Still have questions?  Contact your Account Manager or request more information here.  The NFocus team is your postage resource.  We can provide assistance with helping you understand how the new rates will affect your mailing program, or review postage optimization options to help you better manage your postage costs.