USPS Postage Increase to Come in January 2024
Are you ready for the postage rate increase coming in January? Well, ready or not on January 21, 2024 postage rates are going up. Did you know that 74% of marketers agree that direct mail delivers the best ROI, response rate, and conversion rates than all other channels used. They also agree direct mail is a more effective channel for their company than digital. Are your clients harnessing the power of print marketing?
Here are some of the rates:
First Class Regular
1 ounce stamped letter size pieces will increase to $0.68 each 1 ounce metered letter size will increase to $0.64 each 1 ounce postcard will increase to $0.53 each 1 ounce Flats size pieces will increase to $1.39 each
First Class Presorted
Mixed AADC letters will increase to $0.571 each Mixed AADC cards will increase to $0.398 each Mixed ADC Presorted flats will increase to $1.244 each
Standard Mail
Mixed AADC Letters will increase to $0.385 each Mixed ADC Flats will increase to $1.006 each
Nonprofit Mail
Mixed AADC Letters will increase to $0.228 each Mixed ADC Flats will increase to $0.767 each
Yes, postage is increasing, but direct mail is still the most effective marketing channel! Show your customers how to make the most of it. Check out these special programs with the USPS to save on postage for the rest of this year. There are a variety of programs to choose from, so your customers should be able to find at least one that is a good fit. You can help them save some money and look like a hero!
The Postal Service is offering six promotional discounts from February through the end of this year. Do you have a planned strategy to help your customers with them? You can not only help them save money on postage, but really stand out and increase their response rate.
Tactile, Sensory & Interactive Promotion – This program runs Feb. 1 – July 31. This year, the discount has increases to 5%. Use this program to highlight special finishing technologies that engage the senses. Some ideas are special visual effects, sound, scent, texture/tactile coatings, and even taste. In addition, you can create interactive mail pieces such as pop-ups, infinite folds, or other dimensional aspects. This is a really fun one that can only be done with print marketing. Personalized Color Transpromo Promotion – This program runs Feb. 1 – July 31. This year the discount increases to 4%. Use this program is to add color marketing messaging on your bills and statements. Turn transactional mail into promotional pieces also. Emerging Technology – This promotion is for creative ways to incorporate technology into direct mail. You can get a 3% discount if you use augmented reality, basic voice assistant or QR codes for mobile shopping. You can get a 4% discount if you use advanced voice assistant, video, NFC, mixed reality or virtual reality. This runs March 1 – Sept. 30. Reply Mail IMbA – This promotion is for a faster easier way to do reply mail. You can get a 3% discount by using a static barcode and enrolling in IMbA. You can get a 6% discount by using a serialized barcode and enrolling in IMbA. This runs July 1 – Dec. 31. Informed Delivery – This promotion is for Integrating direct mail with digital marketing channels. With Informed Delivery, business mailers can engage users through an integrated mail and digital marketing campaign that generates additional consumer impressions, interactions, and insights. This gives you a 4% discount. This runs Aug. 1 – Dec. 31. Retargeting – This promotion is for matching either the visitor’s IP address to a website or an app to a customer’s physical address. Triggered automatically by a digital interaction, retargeted direct mail is a dynamically printed, targeted message sent in a timely manner to a customer’s home via a First-Class Mail Postcard. You can get a 5% discount. This runs Sept. 1 – Nov. 30.
Don’t let the postage rate increases scare your customers away from this important marketing channel. Direct mail has the highest ROI of all marketing channels when done correctly. On average the postage rates increased by less than a penny per piece, so they are not going to drastically increase overall direct mail budgets, but it is important to account for the additional postage funds.
It’s time to get creative with your customers and send direct mail that is interesting as well as cost effective. Don’t let the 2024 postage rate increase get you down. You can help your customers get better results! Are you ready to get started?
