Every day, marketing managers are called upon to make on-the-spot decisions that affect bottom-line performance. A new class of event-driven data derived from the US Postal Service Intelligent Mail barcode, a new USPS initiative, is helping companies sell more effectively by simply tapping into the dialogue with their customers. Intelligent Mail generates millions of data points that can improve marketing, enhance customer service, and streamline billing and collections–not to mention the fact that automation alone represents hundreds of thousands of dollars or more in postage savings.
Here are four practical ways to use mail-based intelligence to increase your organization’s marketing effectiveness:
1. Reach more customers, more often. Nearly 50 million Americans move to a new residence annually, and many make no effort to let you know. That is one of the reasons why 1.6 billion communications were returned to sender last year, and an additional six billion pieces of mail were simply discarded by the USPS due to their undeliverable status. For marketers, this represents both a huge cost and a lost opportunity, as nearly eight billion people who may have been interested in your product or service never even received your offer. With Intelligent Mail, the USPS provides free address corrections so you can stay connected to your customer.
2. Optimize call center staffing. When it comes to call center staffing, timing and correct staffing is critical. Since a large portion of direct mail is sent standard class – with delivery times ranging from two days to two weeks – being able to pinpoint delivery dates with precision allows marketers to optimize call center staffing.
3. Target in-home windows. The ability to track and monitor mail delivery across the country provides marketers with a competitive edge–issuing communications to arrive at precisely the right time. Whether it’s the opening of a new bank branch, a special sale for a retailer, or an invitation to an exclusive customer event, the ability to design a marketing campaign so that it reaches its target audience on a certain date can increase response rates and avoid the embarrassment (and wasted expense) of mailings that arrive after the fact.
4. Leverage life-event triggers. Knowing when customers move offers significant advantages to marketers, as these life events correspond with new needs, increased spending and new relationships with service providers. Capturing mail-based intelligence—often the first sign of a change in address—makes it easier for you to develop automated, trigger-driven marketing programs to capitalize on the opportunities that new moves present.
Taking full advantage of the Intelligent Mail barcode today is one of the smartest decisions you can make for your business. Not only will you benefit from these four improvement practices, but you will realize increased customer satisfaction, gain enterprise intelligence and be able to leverage greater marketing opportunities that will boost your bottom line. For more information, please visit http://www.usps.com/business/intelligentmail/welcome.htm
