Despite the ubiquity of digital marketing, direct marketing “mail moments” are still valuable for engaging prospects and customers. The U.S. Postal Service recognizes this, so they have several direct mail promotions running in 2021 to help companies maximize their marketing channels.
Engaging people through direct mail advertising is crucial, especially for industries like real estate that rely on people’s physical impressions of a property. Each of these promotions (save for one) provides a two-percent discount on First Class or Marketing Mail postage that meets specific requirements. Let’s look closely at the contents of each promotion.
1. Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Engagement (Direct Marketing Must Haves)
This promotion applies to Marketing Mail and runs from February 1 to July 31, 2021. Registration dates for it are from December 15, 2020, to July 31, 2021, and it rewards mail that uses a combination of interactive elements. Mail with special visual effects, tactile elements qualify for this promotion. Examples of interactive elements are special inks, papers, and substrates, sounds, scents, and tastes. Mail with complex folds and elements that recipients can manipulate also qualify.
Neuroscience shows that people engage with print differently. Print could lead to better brand recognition and recall because it can engage more senses than online advertisements.
2. Emerging and Advanced Technology
This promotion runs from March 1 to August 31, 2021, and you can register at any date from January 15 to August 31, 2021, to participate. First Class Mail and Marketing Mail are part of this promo. Materials that incorporate new technology are eligible—mail with NFC, Video in Print, BLE or Beacon, mixed reality, virtual reality, augmented reality, digital to direct mail, addressable TV, and integrations with digital or voice assistants are examples.
This promotion shows that direct mail advertising and new technology are not two ends of a spectrum. You can integrate physical mail with new tech and engage people in novel ways.
3. Personalized Color Transpromo
Personalized Color Transpromo applies to presort First Class mail. You can register for this promotion starting May 15, 2021, and it runs from July 1 to December 31, 2021. December 31 is also the last day of the promo. To participate, your mail needs to use variable or dynamic color print and create personalized, engaging marketing messages in bills and statements.
4. Mobile Shopping
The promo for Mobile Shopping mail runs from August 1 to December 31, 2021, and you can register starting June 15. This promo applies to Marketing Mail and builds on previous promotions that combine mobile tech with direct mail. Your mail is eligible if it uses app-enabled QR code interactions and other barcode integrations. Ask a direct response marketing professional how you can leverage this in real estate.
5. Earned Value
This promotion runs from April 1, 2021, to June 30, 2021, and its registration period is from February 15 to March 31, 2021. Credits for this promo expires on December 31, 2021, and it applies to First Class BRM, CRM, and Share Mail. This is the only promo on the list for which the two-percent discount does not apply.
Mailers who use BREs or business reply envelopes, CREs or courtesy reply envelopes, cards, and Share Mail in campaigns earn credits of two cents for each IMb-scanned reply. Many people still use mail to pay utilities and respond to financial services, insurance offers, fundraising solicitations, so this promotion is a way for USPS to encourage marketers to keep these channels active.
6. Informed Delivery
USPS first introduced this promotion in 2017, and more than 36.8 million customers have since enrolled in it. An account gives you a verified, free, and password-protected digital mailbox for direct mail you receive at your residence. Before a delivery, account owners can log into the portal to see a grayscale image of the address side, providing them a way to respond before they physically touch the mail.
Marketers can participate in this promotion for free, and it applies to First Class Mail and Marketing Mail. Your mail needs a ride-along image and URL accessible to a customer online. This promotion runs from September 1 to November 31, 2021, and you can register for it from July 15, 2021, to November 30, 2021.
Conclusion
Digital marketing is not the only way to go if you want engagement among customers. Direct mail combines the best of physical mail and digital technologies to create interest in your brand. The U.S. Postal Service’s 2021 promotions and incentives programs allow marketers to connect with their target audience in new and surprising ways.
Stop worrying where you’ll get your next leads when you sign up with Supercharged Offers. We are a full-service direct marketing agency dedicated to enabling your real estate business to skyrocket without more effort or budget. Book a free 60-minute strategy session today!
