The first week of January is a great time to take stock, evaluate the past year, and make some goals for the year to come. Here are some suggestions to make 2011 really shine.
Start using the Intelligent Mail barcode
For any mailer still using POSTNET to get Automation discounts, this first goal should be top of the list. On May 8, just a few short months from now, USPS will retire the POSTNET and PLANET barcodes — mailers have nothing to gain by postponing the new barcode. Moving to Basic Intelligent Mail is a straightforward process and opens the door to additional services, including Full-Service. To learn more, see the Intelligent Mail section on our website.
Get educated
The mailing industry is always evolving and mailers across the country are using the mail in new and innovative ways. Learning from their successes (and failures) is an inexpensive way to get the most out of your mailing. Attend a class or mailing conference like NPF or your local PCC to learn about changes with the USPS and bone up on your mailing knowledge.
Evaluate your tools
Are you getting the most out of your mailing equipment and software investments? Check with your service providers and ask if you’re using your tools to the best of their ability.
For hardware:
Schedule regular maintenance and a good cleaning if it’s due. Retrain your staff on proper use and ensure you’re using the correct accessories. Re-evaluate your mailroom layout to see if you can make it more efficient or ergonomic.
For software:
Contact your provider and get a refresher on the features that you use most often, and get familiar with the features you don’t use. Many software vendors are constantly updating their products — see what has been added that can add value to your workflow. Ask about any additional features you’d like to see.
Get the most from your data
When did you last take a look at the data you use to create your mailings? Are you getting the best postal discounts? Is your message getting to the right person? If your response rate from your mailings isn’t where you want it to be, there are several services that can enhance the lists you already have. If you’re getting a lot of returned mail but ran your list through CASS and NCOALink, take a look at the result codes that are returned. Decide whether you want to mail to these addresses before including them in your mailing. Consider using non-USPS sources to obtain change-of-address and mail suppression services. Not all people report their move to USPS, but they do tend to update magazine subscriptions and notify other companies that mail to them. Also, suppressing addresses using the DMA Do-Not-Mail list and others removes the cost of mailing to addressees that may not be receptive to your message.
New design for a new year
Have you been using the same mail piece layout for more than a year? Maybe it’s time to make a change. Updating the colors, fonts and paper stock you use in your mail can make a big difference in the responses you get. If your mail looks like it belongs in the ’90s, take the time to update your look. Also, take a look at the dimensions of the mail you are sending. If you’re sending your mail at a flat-sized rate, you could get some hefty postage discounts by redesigning your mail to a letter size.
Diversify your message
If you haven’t looked at social media sites like Facebook or Twitter yet, 2011 is the year to get started. Combining your traditional mailing campaign with email reminders and a strong social media push can increase your response rate. And creating a web presence that’s bigger than your web site can increase interest in your products, and introduce you to a whole new market.