First-class mail delivery time in the United States has increased from a maximum of three days to five days. This comes after the United States Postal Service announced new changes in its operations. In the new mail delivery guidelines, Americans are set to receive their mail deliveries in the following order:
- Mail delivered not more than 140 miles away – 2 days
- Mail delivered more than 140 miles but less than 930 miles – 3 days
- Mail delivered more than 930 miles but less than 1907 miles – 4 days
- Mail traveling more than 1907 miles – 5 days
These changes have occurred, in part, as a result of moving more first-class mail from plane to road. Apart from slow delivery time, the cost of sending mail might rise temporarily. The flat rate envelopes and boxes could rise by $0.75, while heavier packages might increase by as much as $5 in specific postal service areas. What does this mean to businesses leveraging direct mail marketing to increase sales, and how can they succeed amidst slow services and high postal prices?
Generally, businesses tend to suffer greatly when sudden unexpected emergencies or challenges happen. Things such as sudden storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, and more recently a pandemic could destabilize or cripple services. The post mailing service industry is often adversely affected by such emergency cases, throwing companies into statuses of disarray. Knowing how to keep operations going after a disaster is crucial for a company’s continued success.
Large corporations have had to develop new strategies to stay relevant, maintain existing clients, and continue attracting new clients. Some of these strategies include making adjustments to the traditional mail posting schedule during disruptions and decreased efficiency. So how else do companies maintain a good footing in direct mail marketing even when there are massive disruptions in budgets and timelines? Read on to learn practical tips on how to navigate slower and expensive postal services.
Stay on Top of Preparation Measures
Calamities can wreak havoc, no questions about it. However, it is how companies and marketers respond that makes a difference and determines how well they can recover. Therefore, it is essential to stay ahead of the game by preparing as much as you can. But what does this mean? Well, companies that have outstanding marketing excellence have a way of being ahead of things. Even before a disaster strikes, they anticipate it through planning for the worst, which places them several steps ahead in case of an actual disaster.
As you make plans for the year or season, you need to have near implementation strategies. Whether investing in certain advertisements, ensure that most of the work is done towards the due dates, and only a few specific details await completion. This way, even if disaster strikes, your marketing team is prepared to adjust and carry out a few alterations to suit the current needs instead of working everything from scratch. The same applies to other communication channels.
Your direct mails, emails, press releases, and other forms of communications intended for the audience should be worked on earlier, with only small gaps for specific details left for when the communication is almost due. If you are investing in media buys, make the relevant purchases a few months before the due date. This saves you the stress associated with a last-minute rush and any price inclination triggered by the pressure brought about by the calamities.
The idea is to prepare well in advance to avoid being caught unawares and affected by schedule changes and costs. If you have to make any adjustments, make sure it is minimal and less likely to knock you off-balance.
Simplify Things
When faced with challenges beyond your control, one of the easiest ways to recover is to make it easy for your clients and supporters to get into contact with you. If there are certain bottlenecks around communication channels to your company, this is the time you need to remove them. For example, people are naturally disoriented and sometimes displaced when faced with storms and hurricanes. Since the mailing option will undoubtedly be tight and sometimes even impossible to use at such hours, make sure to provide alternatives that work. For example, have a direct telephone line that people can reach you easily.
You can even invest in email services to allow partners and investors to reach you easily. If you received your cash and donations via mail, it might be time to consider wire transfers as a more effortless and secure alternative at such times. You may be surprised at how you will attract a group of new clients that probably avoided the harsh channels used before.
Keep Encouraging Clients
There is a high likelihood that the high cost of postal charges will affect sales drastically. You may have clients opting out because they can no longer keep up with the new terms. In this case, ensure to encourage them to continue supporting and buying from you because you are their best bet. This can be achieved through continued advertisement and remaining relevant. Make sure your customers identify relevance in your services that they cannot find anywhere else.
Aim for Success with Direct Mail Marketing
Natural disasters are beyond anyone’s control. But, unfortunately, they may affect your business adversely. It can even be more disastrous for business growth when they interfere with marketing, especially when they touch on mail posting. Recently, with the covid19 pandemic, postal services have become expensive, with mail taking a long time to arrive. This is negatively affecting businesses, and it is essential for those seeking continuity in the industry to explore newer and better methods to stay relevant. The more you aim your sights on success, the more likely you are to think up innovative solutions to your roadblocks.