Postal Rate Hike, The Forever Stamp, and Why Email Marketing Deserves Consideration

On May 12, the new 42-cent rate for first class mail will go into effect (up a penny from our current 41 cent rate). Last year the USPS introduced the "Forever Stamp" - a clever little idea that lets you lock in the value of the stamp for a lifetime. Let's say you have an annual mailing scheduled in June - you could invest in your postage now, at the 41 cent rate, and save the 1 cent per stamp when you mail later in June. And ten years from now, when postage has gone up even more, your 41 cent investment will still get your letter mailed - a great idea for direct marketers who can enjoy cost savings by planning ahead.

But what about the rest of us who don't necessarily know when our next mail drop will be, what quantities we'll be mailing too, or if we have room in the budget to purchase mass amounts of postage in advance? Why not consider incorporating web-based marketing into the mix, if you haven't already.

There are a number of advantages to using email as your medium of choice for getting your message out - cost being one of them.  Your message can go out for as little as a penny per person, saving you postage and printing costs...both of which can be quite substantial. In addition to cost savings, you can leverage the immediacy of the web and get your messages out almost instantly. And with the right tools in place, you can view open rates, bounce rates, unsubscribe rates, etc. in virtual time.

But keep in mind; just as we face the problem of being deemed "junk" mail in the world of direct mail, we face the problem of being deemed SPAM in the world of email. The difference is that we're working in a medium that is interactive and allows us to obtain almost instant feedback from potential and current customers. We can find out exactly what it is that interests our prospects and customers, and then send them information and messages related only to their wants and needs. Opt-in and permission based marketing enable you to get the right message to the right audience...so you can take the term "targeted marketing" to the next level.

So the next time you go to print a 4 page newsletter, fold it, insert it into an envelope and apply postage, consider the alternative. It could save you time, money and a whole lotta heartache.