There are many choices for marketing a candidate, from lawn signs, to TV and radio commercials, printed flyers or pamphlets, and much more. Direct mail marketing can be a powerful tool too! With the right materials and messaging, you can really make an impact. Please enjoy these powerful tips for political mail!

Tip #1: Targeted Address Lists for the Strongest ROI

Unlike the “shotgun” approach of TV, radio, and billboard advertising, you can target your audience to the demographic that will make a difference in your campaign. You can use targets like age, average household income, children/no children, physical location, and many more. By narrowing down your audience into specific target categories, you can fine tune your messaging to speak to that specific audience. If you would like to work with our address list experts at our parent company, Broadstroke, Inc., click HERE and answer a few questions to get us started.

Tip #2: Use Unique, Customizable Formats of Mailers

Keep your campaign fresh by using a variety of mailing types. Uniquely sized postcards, letters, trifold self-mailers, flats, for example, will help you stand out from the other pieces of mail in your audience’s mailbox. Keep your messaging fresh and alternate the type of communication. Surveys are a great way to obtain direct insight to your audience, but also to test the effectiveness of your mailing. If your audience is eco-conscious, try using recycled paper and envelopes and make that a part of your message.

Tip #3: Touch and Feel – People LOVE Getting Mail!

In a world of email marketing and digital advertising, physical mail pieces are making a comeback. Studies find that not only is mail marketing more effective than digital marketing, but most people report they enjoy receiving mail in their mailbox.

With physical mail pieces, you have the option of slapping it on the refrigerator, or you can pass it along to a friend that might find it meaningful.

Tip #4: Track Response Rates

Design your pieces with call-to-actions or QR codes that lead to trackable data for you and your team. Creating thoughtful content can help recruit volunteers, increase attendance at campaigning events, and increase the number of people that show up to the polls.

Measuring your response rates will help you make the best decisions as you go along, fine-tuning were necessary.

Political Mail Takeaways:

• Physical mail gives you the power to target your investment to the most impactful audiences.
• You can send your messaging to literally any voter in the United States.
• Create thoughtful messaging.
• Take advantage of the vast options in sizes and media types for postcards, self-mailers, letters, and flats.
• Give your audience something they can hold, reference when needed, and pass along.
• Mail campaigns are easy to track and fine-tune as your progress through your campaign.

Postalocity can be an excellent resource for postcard mailers, letters, and flats. If you have something more complex in mind, our amazing print team at Broadstroke, Inc. can handle it! Dream it up, and we’ll make it happen. Contact us today if you have questions!

By Nikki Stockham, Postalocity’s Client Onboarding Expert / Published JULY 7TH, 2022

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Like what we’re writing or want to see what else we can offer you? Check the links below!

Postalocity Blog – https://old.postalocity.com/news-blog/

Our Mailing Services – https://old.postalocity.com/types-of-mail/

CONTACT US – https://old.postalocity.com/contact-us/

The post Powerful Tips for Political Mail first appeared on old.postalocity.com.

Postage Increase

I’m a bad-news-first-then-the-good-news kind of gal, so I’m getting the bummer topic out of the way now. You may remember a blog from a couple of months ago on this. If you didn’t read it, you can check it out here. If you’re looking for a much deeper dive, you can read about it on the USPS’s website too.

As a refresher:

First Class letters will be increasing between $0.02 and $0.03 per piece, depending on the quality of the address.

Flats will be increasing anywhere from $0.04 to $0.48 per piece depending on their weight.

Certified Mail without a digital signature required will increase $0.25 per piece and Certified Mail with a digital signature required will increase $0.40 per piece.

This will all go into effect on July 10th, 2022. Any Postalocity mailings with a mail date after July 10, 2022 will reflect these prices.

4×6 Postcards and 6×9 Postcards

Postalocity has always had a postcard offering available to our users. To be completely honest, it wasn’t very user friendly. So we revamped the whole process and gave it a nice little makeover. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you absolutely should! You can test drive it by clicking “Use Wizards” and start building your postcard job. It will walk you through all of the visual settings first, starting with asking if you want a 4×6 postcard or a 6×9 postcard. You can choose from several different paper qualities. We even offer a beautiful high gloss option which makes your message really pop.

If you have a mailing list, you’ll upload the CSV to the Postalocity job. Need a list? We can help with that! Our list experts will help guide you through your options so you get the most targeted list of recipients possible.

Revenue Neutral Rate Notice

This one is a little special to Kansas, but important nonetheless. Buckle up. This gets obnoxiously complicated in a hurry.

The post Quarterly Newsletter: What’s New in Postalocity Q3 first appeared on old.postalocity.com.

Is it just me, or do communications about price increases translate to a bunch of white noise lately? What I’m trying to say is: I’m sick of everything getting more expensive too, but it’s my obligation as your trusty mailing expert to inform and educate. I promise I’ll make this blog about the upcoming postage increase as painless as possible!

First Class Letters

First Class letters will increase between $0.02 and $0.03 per piece, depending on the quality of the address. We process all the addresses you give us through Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) as well as the National Change of Address (NCOA) database. In a nutshell, this process immensely helps ensure the addresses you provided are as up to date and correct as possible. There will often be addresses that the USPS doesn’t deem as “good”, but that certainly doesn’t mean it won’t get delivered. Postalocity lets you correct addresses or remove the address from the mailing entirely before you pay for the job.

Flats

Flats will increase anywhere from $0.04 to $0.48 per piece depending on weight. In Postalocity, a letter becomes a flat when there are too many sheets to fit in #10 envelope. The system automatically upgrades your mail piece to a 9×12 envelope around 7 pages, depending on job settings.

Certified Mail

Certified Mail without a digital signature required will increase $0.25 per piece and Certified Mail with a digital signature required will increase $0.40 per piece.

Effective Date

Any Postalocity jobs approved with a mail date after July 10, 2022 will reflect the updated United States Postal Service prices.

I can hear all of you collectively screaming “UNCLE!” so I’ll bring this to a close. If you have questions or need more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Thank you for your loyal business!

By Nikki Stockham, Postalocity’s Client Onboarding Expert / Published MAY 6TH, 2022

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Like what we’re writing or want to see what else we can offer you? Check the links below!

Postalocity Blog – https://old.postalocity.com/news-blog/

Our Mailing Services – https://old.postalocity.com/types-of-mail/

CONTACT US – https://old.postalocity.com/contact-us/

The post Upcoming Postage Increase first appeared on old.postalocity.com.

Read the original article here.

The U.S. Postal Service today congratulated the leadership and members of the U.S. Senate for its bipartisan approval of the Postal Service Reform Act. The bill, which was approved by the House on Feb. 8, now goes to the White House to be signed into law by President Biden.

Louis DeJoy

“With the legislative financial reforms achieved today, combined with our own self-led operational reforms, we will be able to self-fund our operations and continue to deliver to 161 million addresses six days per-week for many decades to come,” said Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy. “I thank the Senate and our Committee leadership that broke the 10-year logjam which has long constrained the finances of the Postal Service. The Postal Service serves every American, every day, and so it’s only right that our future is now collectively assured by members of all political parties.”

What It Means

As passed by the House and Senate, the key elements of the Postal Service Reform Act are that it eliminates the unfair, outdated, and burdensome retiree health benefit prefunding requirement, and it integrates our retiree health benefit program with Medicare in a manner that is fully consistent with private sector best practices. The bill also formalizes our obligation to deliver mail and packages six days per-week through an integrated delivery network, and includes accountability, transparency and reporting requirements.

This legislation was an important component of the  Delivering for America 10-Year Strategic Plan, which was announced in March 2021. The Postal Service will be able to achieve its two primary goals of financial sustainability and service excellence.

Information about the necessity and merits of this postal reform is contained in this factsheet:
https://about.usps.com/who/government-relations/assets/psra-postal-101-02282022.pdf

If you would like to chat about this more with a member of our Postalocity team, contact us!

By Nikki Stockham, Postalocity’s Client Onboarding Expert / Published MARCH 10TH, 2022

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Like what we’re writing or want to see what else we can offer you? Check the links below!

Postalocity Blog – https://old.postalocity.com/news-blog/

Our Mailing Services – https://old.postalocity.com/types-of-mail/

CONTACT US – https://old.postalocity.com/contact-us/

The post Postal Service Reform Act first appeared on old.postalocity.com.

This feature is one of the many ways Postalocity is a HUGE cost saver. With Postalocity, your addresses are ran through the USPS database and our system lets you know which addresses are “good”, and which ones might need a little attention. If your addresses aren’t good, you’re throwing money away. Get more bang for your buck with Postalocity!

By The Postalocity Team / Published JANUARY 27TH, 2022

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Like what we’re writing or want to see what else we can offer you? Check the links below!

Postalocity Blog – https://old.postalocity.com/news-blog/

Our Mailing Services – https://old.postalocity.com/types-of-mail/

CONTACT US – https://old.postalocity.com/contact-us/

Still have some questions? Give us a call at 316.260.2220

The post How to Correct Addresses in Postalocity first appeared on old.postalocity.com.

Postalocity offers this as one of the many customizable options available to our users. We frequently have questions about what it includes, so we thought we’d write a quick and simple blog about it to clear things up.

Priority Mail service through Postalocity is a convenient, cost-effective way for sending important documents in a timely fashion. It is the fastest mail class the USPS offers.

Does it include tracking information?

This service includes free tracking information. You can access this information by logging into your Postalocity account. The USPS will also email you tracking updates and delivery attempt confirmations.

What is the weight limit?

The maximum weight is 70 pounds.

Does the price include insurance?

It includes up to $50.00 worth of insurance if your package is lost or damaged.

How fast will my piece be delivered?

Priority Mail service boasts speedy delivery times between 1 and 3 business days. The USPS has a fantastic interactive map you can use to estimate your delivery. Delivery times are based on origin, destination, and drop-off time. They are usually pretty spot-on, but the USPS does not guarantee these time frames.

The USPS delivers Priority Mail six days a week! There is no additional charge for Saturday deliveries.

Do I have to mail a certain amount of pieces to use it?

There are no minimums to use Priority Mail through Postalocity.

To read about other postage options, click on First Class, Marketing Mail/Standard, or Certified to read our other informative blogs.

And of course, if you’d like to chat with one of our awesome help desk folks, we’re here to help you decide which postage option is best for you and your needs. Simply click here to send us a quick message, or call us at 316-260-2220 during our regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00am Central to 5:00pm Central.

By Nikki Stockham, Postalocity’s Client Onboarding Expert / Published DECEMBER 3RD, 2021

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Like what we’re writing or want to see what else we can offer you? Check the links below!

Postalocity Blog – https://old.postalocity.com/news-blog/

Our Mailing Services – https://old.postalocity.com/types-of-mail/

CONTACT US – https://old.postalocity.com/contact-us/

The post Priority Mail Explained first appeared on old.postalocity.com.

The post Send Certified Mail Online first appeared on old.postalocity.com.

Long story short:

The cost of paper has increased in 2021 and its forced us to make the difficult decision to raise our prices. Are we still kicking our competitor’s butts? Yep. So, don’t panic. We’re still the only online mailing portal that has introductory prices below $1.00 per piece without minimums or commitments.

Long story long:

We’ve experienced a perfect storm this year. There has been an increase in every type of raw material: energy, chemical components, transportation costs. The pandemic has caused huge shifts in operating patterns within the paper industry, affecting supply and demand all over the world. We know our industry is not special in this regard. Pretty much every industry has felt these changes in one way or another. For us specifically, printing and mailing supplies have increased upwards of 20% this year with more increases rumored to be on their way in the fourth quarter. We’ve held our price point to a difficult standard for as long as we could, but it’s time to face reality.

Sometimes the bottom dollar is all we can focus on, especially when times are tough, but I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that with the Postalocity team, you’re getting so much more than a good price. Our support staff truly care about our clients, and we try to show that in any way we can, whether it’s our fast response times to help desk issues or creating customized solutions to meet your unique needs. Bottom line: we love what we do and because of customers like you, we get to keep doing it every day, so going the extra mile is a no-brainer.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact us. We appreciate your understanding in this matter and as always, our hearts are full of gratitude for your continued support.

By Nikki Stockham, Postalocity’s Client Onboarding Expert / Published AUGUST 31ST, 2021

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Like what we’re writing or want to see what else we can offer you? Check the links below!

Postalocity Blog – https://old.postalocity.com/news-blog/

Our Mailing Services – https://old.postalocity.com/types-of-mail/

CONTACT US – https://old.postalocity.com/contact-us/

The post Important News: Increase in Costs and Services – Effective September 6th, 2021 first appeared on old.postalocity.com.

We dodged a bullet earlier this year when the United States Postal Service raised their prices on numerous postage categories. Not only did we avoid an increase on your price for First Class letters through Postalocity, but we were thrilled to be able to offer all of our customers, old and new, a 10,000 piece volume discount through all of 2020 and almost all of 2021.

Here’s the not-so-good news:

Typically, we only experience a postage increase once a year, but this year, (and to our great disappointment, with short notice from the USPS) there is an additional postage increase as of August 29th, 2021.

First Class letters will increase $0.03 per piece, flats will increase $0.16 per piece, Certified Mail without a digital signature required will increase $0.15 per piece and Certified Mail with a digital signature required will increase $0.35 per piece. Any Postalocity jobs approved with a mail date after August 28th, 2021 will reflect the updated United States Postal Service prices.

For more information on the postage increase, please visit https://pe.usps.com and review the supporting documents listed in the “Prices” category.

Please note: the Post Office is in talks of another postage increase in October of 2021, but no firm details have been decided upon or released. Stay tuned for more information on that in the coming months.

As always, we appreciate your business. Feel free to reach out to us with any additional questions.

By Nikki Stockham, Postalocity’s Client Onboarding Expert / Published AUGUST 25TH, 2021

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Like what we’re writing or want to see what else we can offer you? Check the links below!

Postalocity Blog – https://old.postalocity.com/news-blog/

Our Mailing Services – https://old.postalocity.com/types-of-mail/

CONTACT US – https://old.postalocity.com/contact-us/

The post USPS implements 2nd Postage Increase of 2021 first appeared on old.postalocity.com.

You can read the original article here.

On July 26, 1775, the U.S. postal system is established by the Second Continental Congress, with Benjamin Franklin as its first postmaster general. Franklin (1706-1790) put in place the foundation for many aspects of today’s mail system.

During early colonial times in the 1600s, few American colonists needed to send mail to each other; it was more likely that their correspondence was with letter writers in Britain. Mail deliveries from across the Atlantic were sporadic and could take many months to arrive. There were no post offices in the colonies, so mail was typically left at inns and taverns.

In 1753, Benjamin Franklin, who had been postmaster of Philadelphia, became one of two joint postmasters general for the colonies. He made numerous improvements to the mail system, including setting up new, more efficient colonial routes and cutting delivery time in half between Philadelphia and New York by having the weekly mail wagon travel both day and night via relay teams. Franklin also debuted the first rate chart, which standardized delivery costs based on distance and weight.

In 1774, the British fired Franklin from his postmaster job because of his revolutionary activities. However, the following year, he was appointed postmaster general of the United Colonies by the Continental Congress. Franklin held the job until late in 1776, when he was sent to France as a diplomat. He left a vastly improved mail system, with routes from Florida to Maine and regular service between the colonies and Britain. President George Washington appointed Samuel Osgood, a former Massachusetts congressman, as the first postmaster general of the American nation under the new U.S. constitution in 1789. At the time, there were approximately 75 post offices in the country.

Today, the United States has over 40,000 post offices and the postal service delivers more than 200 billion pieces of mail each year to over 144 million homes and businesses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, the American Virgin Islands and American Samoa. The postal service is the nation’s largest civilian employer, with roughly 500,000 career workers. The postal service is a not-for-profit, self-supporting agency that covers the majority of its expenses through postage (stamp use in the United States started in 1847) and related products. The postal service gets the mail delivered, rain or shine, using everything from planes to mules.

Click here if you’d like to check out some of Ben’s most famous quotes from our pals at Libertas Bellas. My favorite one is, “The U.S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.”

And as always, if you would like more information on Postalocity, reach out to us!

By Nikki Stockham, Postalocity’s Client Onboarding Expert / Published JULY 30TH, 2021

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Like what we’re writing or want to see what else we can offer you? Check the links below!

Postalocity Blog – https://old.postalocity.com/news-blog/

Our Mailing Services – https://old.postalocity.com/types-of-mail/

CONTACT US – https://old.postalocity.com/contact-us/

The post Happy Anniversary USPS! first appeared on old.postalocity.com.