Lowered Postal Rates = Time to Try Direct Mail

Most small businesses have something of a love/hate relationship with the United States Postal Service. USPS is one of those necessary things to get a wide range of direct mail and print marketing materials out into the world. With a decade of increasing prices chipping away at return on investment, it's no wonder many organizations started to skimp on direct-mail spending in favor of other "cheaper" solutions. Now, however, the tides may be truly changing as postal rates are on the decline. If you've been waiting to jump back into the direct mail world, now might be the time to give it a try.

Postal Rates: What is Going On?
On April 10, 2016, the cost to send a first-class letter in the United States fell by two cents - a rare phenomenon. Additionally, the price of sending a postcard dropped a penny, and international letters decreased by five cents. These are the most direct mail and small business-friendly prices to come along since the beginning of the 2008 recession. 

Direct Mail Doesn't Just Work - It Works Gangbusters

Despite all this, some people still refuse to give direct mail the chance it deserves because they naturally assume that digital marketing is more effective in our tech-driven world. After all, with people glued to their cell phones day in and day out, how much of an impact can direct mail really have?

The answer is "BIG."

According to a study conducted by Compu-Mail.com, direct mail is still used heavily in a smart phone-centric world: approximately 43% of all local retail advertising still falls into this category. Not only that, but young adults are actually the largest group to respond to direct mail. According to a recent International Communications Research survey, approximately 73% of consumers actually prefer direct mail over alternative advertising methods. This is largely due to the fact that an equal number of respondents said that direct mail marketing was a much more personable experience than Internet-based materials; from the millennials' perspective, junk mail happens in their inbox, not their mailbox.

So, if the reasons why you had overlooked direct mail in the past were because "it was too expensive" and "you didn't think it worked," congratulations: those two reasons just evaporated in an instant.

Each business is unique, and what works for one might not work for another. However, with the recent decline of USPS postal rates, now would be the perfect time to give direct mail a try. Now, is a terrific chance to really dip your proverbial toe in the water and to see just how direct mail can benefit your organization. These declining rates won't stick around forever, so go for it! Create your direct mail campaign today. Let me know if we can help.

Peter "The Printer" Lineal
Founder/CEO
Plum Grove
2160 Stonington Avenue
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
847.882.4020 Ext: 133
www.PlumGrovePrinters.com
PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com


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