Catalog postage rates might increase once again in 2021, even as mailers complain about frequent delays and inconsistent deliveries of catalogs and packages.
USPS Marketing Mail is the classification that is commonly used for mailing catalogs, flyers, postcards, trifolds, small parcels, and other advertising mail. The new 2021 postage rates were recently filed and the postage rate increase will be effective January 24, 2021. Check your January 2021 mail dates and see whether you need to move anything up to avoid paying the… read more →
If you’re mailing a print catalog for the first time, then calculating your break-even is an important part of your mail order catalog strategy. Planning a successful catalog campaign involves multiple calculations. The key metrics are direct mail response rate, average order, catalog costs, and gross margin. Let’s look at direct mail response rates first because this comes up a… read more →
Direct mail is an effective way to drive existing customers online and acquire new customers. As part of an overall strategic plan, direct mail campaigns delivers high ROI, especially when brands take the time to segment their customer file, run hold-out tests to develop catalog sales attribution rates, and analyze performance. Brands that are new to direct mail often inadvertently… read more →
These are unprecedented times with brands struggling to manage cash flow, pay their employees, and stay in business. Small, local businesses will be especially hit hard. Please support local businesses and help them and their employees survive until the economy rebounds. So…how do you manage your direct mail campaigns if you mail catalogs and other direct mail pieces to the… read more →
Here is an update to an earlier post regarding USPS marketing mail (catalog) postage rates for 2020. The following postage rate pdf has more detail regarding new 2020 rates increases. Direct mail postage rates will increase on 1/26/20.
Effective January 26th, 2020, the USPS rates for Marketing Mail will increase by an average of 1.89%. If you mail catalogs, postcards, and other direct mail at the letter rate, the increase will be around 1.96%. But if your catalogs are a larger format and qualify as a flat, then the increase will be even higher – about 3.9%. For… read more →
You don’t want to foot the bill for an unnecessary cost, so you put off your direct mail strategic audit again and again. This could be the wrong choice, however, as a direct mail marketing audit can, in fact, save you money and prevent you from getting stung by a very expensive set of disasters. Look out for these key… read more →
Direct mail marketing can be incredibly effective for B2B campaigns, but it’s also tricky to get right. B2B brands typically have much lower response rates than consumer brands, but average order tends to be much higher. In order to create effective campaigns and enjoy the benefits of acquiring new customers and increasing sales, it’s important to understand your audience. From… read more →
The 12th Annual National Catalog Forum takes place next month (April 8 – 10) in Washington DC. The event is run by the American Catalog Mailers Association (ACMA) and will host key executives from the ACMA, USPS, the Postal Regulatory Commission, and other government officials to inform members on critical issues such as postage increases, tariffs, remote sales tax legislation,… read more →