Printing.com

Author: Andrea Golindano

  • Navigating Postal Rate Increases

    Navigating Postal Rate Increases

    As of July 14, 2024, the USPS increased postal rates, which significantly impact the First Class Presorted Automation Letter and Flat Rates as well as Non-Profit Marketing Drop-Shipped letters and drop-shipped flats weighing 4 ounces or more.

    While these changes may seem daunting for marketers and businesses that operate on lean mailing budgets, there’s still time to take advantage of existing USPS 2024 Promotions and  begin strategizing ways to qualify for USPS 2025 promotions. These promotions can provide benefits and discounts offered to businesses and provide savings on marketing mailing campaigns.

    2024 USPS Promotions to Capitalize On

    The Emerging and Advanced Technology Incentive is available year-round and runs for six consecutive months. This promotion rewards marketers and businesses that are using emerging and advanced print technologies integrated with digital platforms using QR codes and URLs, augmented reality, integration with voice assistance, and mobile shopping opportunities. This incentive offers either a 3 percent or 4 percent discount depending upon the level of technology used and  the effectiveness in enhancing the mailing. Marketers have the flexibility to customize and align the incentive with a marketing campaign start date at any point throughout the year, ensuring it  runs for six consecutive months.

    Qualified Business Reply Mail (QBRM) savings are available through a specialized service where marketers are only charged for First-Class mail replies that are actually returned, rather than paying postage upfront. This program is beneficial for high-volume marketers who mail surveys, order forms, or request customer feedback and expect to have up to 1,000 pieces returned annually.

    The Reply Mail IMbA (Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting ) Incentive encourages marketers to embrace automated mailing process by adding IMbA static or serialized barcodes on business reply mail. Marketers that use static IMbA barcodes can expect a discount of 3 percent. Those that employ a serialized barcode that is unique and identifies both mail house and individual sender can expect savings of 6 percent. The mail pieces must have USPS approval. Registration for Reply Mail IMbA occurs from May 15 to July 1, 2024, and the promotion runs from July 1 to Dec 31, 2024.

    The Informed Delivery Promotion encourages marketers to enhance the mail experience for households by providing an email digital preview of the mailing piece upon delivery. When businesses integrate the physical mailbox with the digital mailbox, recipients get a sneak peak of what’s waiting for them. Eligible mailing pieces include First-Class automated letters, postcards, and flats, USPS approved Marketing Mail and DDU-entered carrier saturation flats, Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail automation letters and flats, and Nonprofit Marketing Mail DDU-entered Carrier Route Saturation Flats. Marketers can receive a 4 percent discount using a ride-along image with a compelling call to action, and an additional 0.6 percent discount when postal statements are submitted in an approved eDoc format.

    The 2024 Catalog Incentive does not require enrollment and gives marketers a discount of $0.001 per piece when the mailer is identified as a catalog upon submission to the USPS. The USPS has published a definition of a “catalog” that many pieces of classified mail, flats, or even parcels would qualify as a Marketing Mail catalog (except EDDM-Retail mailings.)

    The Retargeted Mail Incentive encourages marketers to follow up on website visits with personalized postcards that are triggered when a desired action is not completed, i.e. failing to finish a purchase and abandoning a shopping cart. The promotion integrates physical mail with digital marketing efforts for a more complete customer experience. First-Class Mail® postcards are eligible for the promotion. The registration period is from July 15 to Sept 1, 2024 and the promotion runs from Sept 1 to Nov 30, 2024.

    https://vimeo.com/992951382

    USPS 2025 Promotions for Incentives and Cost Savings

    The Continuous Contact promotion encourages marketers and businesses to mail more frequently to the same household. It will provide a three percent discount for mailers who send qualifying USPS marketing mailers (letters and flats) to the same address two or more times over the course of the Continuous Contact promotion. Pieces must not be the same and should build upon what came before as well as complement the previous messaging and offers. The registration period is from Feb 15 to Dec 31 and the promotion runs from April 1 to Dec 31, although the timeframe may change per USPS reconsiderations.

    Mail Growth Incentives will continue in 2025, with two special promotions to induce marketers and businesses to increase business marketing mailings for mailers that had a minimum volume of 1 million pieces mailed over the previous year.

    • The 2025 First-Class Mail Growth Incentive includes First-Class Mail Presort Letters, First-Class Presort postcards, and First-Class Mail Presort flats.
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    • The Marketing Mail Growth Incentive includes marketing mail letters and HD/Saturation letters, marketing mail flats and HD/Saturation flats, marketing mail carrier route, and marketing mail parcels and saturation parcels.

    The very popular Informed Delivery promotion will undergo a transition from the 4 percent incentive in 2024, to a 1 percent add-on incentive in 2025 when used in conjunction with another promotion. Informed Delivery is still available through 2024 with the 4 percent postal discount.

    The USPS 2025 Sustainability Promotion is another add-on incentive to encourage the use of certified recycled materials in mailers. Like the Informed Delivery promotion, the Sustainability discount of 1 percent can only be claimed when used with another USPS mailer promotions. Mailers must comply with recycled certification requirements and include the appropriate sustainability logo. This promotion not only results in lower mailing costs, but also enhances brand image with households.

    As add-on promotions, both the Informed Delivery and the Sustainability Promotion can be double stacked to result in even greater discounts. For instance, stacking these promotions with the Integrated Technology promotion will give marketers the total savings of 5 percent when the discounts are bundled over the 6-month Integrated Technology promotion receiving a 3 percent discount. Even better for marketers, at the conclusion of one stacked promotion run, the two promotions can be added onto another core promotion that’s running throughout the year.

    Another nice perk available to marketers in 2025 is the Full Service Discount (which is only available when using a Full Service Provider like Marketing.com). In 2025, the incentive will increase 66.7% from $0.003 to $0.005.  This discount does not require enrollment, and will automatically be deducted from qualifying full-service postage at the time of mailing.

    The USPS 2025 First-Class Mail Advertising Promotion offers marketers and businesses a 3 percent discount for eligible, outgoing First-Class Mail, replacing the 2024 Personalized Color Transpromo promotion. Registration is from  July 15 to Dec 31. The promotion runs from Sept 1 to Dec 31, 2025. As a USPS core 2025 promotion, it can be combined with add-on promotions such as Informed Delivery and Sustainability incentives.

    Change is not always easy to navigate. With the many USPS promotions and incentives available to mitigate increases in postal rates and costs, trusting an experienced, full-service mail provider like Marketing.com. We make sure you leave no USPS incentive unexplored and no promotion ignored to maximize your postage discounts and savings.

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  • Marketing Strategies for Growing Museum Event Attendance & Membership

    Marketing Strategies for Growing Museum Event Attendance & Membership

    Never before have you had more tools, platforms, and marketing channels to weave into your marketing strategies for attracting new members and promoting museum events and keeping connected with them so they continue to visit.

    With so many new ways to reach them deciding which ones, both traditional and more technology-driven, to adopt and integrate into your marketing mix can be challenging  Every museum is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all answer. However, regardless of your budget, the age of your audience, or the size of your space, here are eight great recommendations for your marketing strategy to promote your museum, spread event awareness, and grow attendance and membership.

    1. Embrace Technology – Use technology to make your museum more accessible and enjoyable for visitors. Add QR codes on printed signage and exhibit descriptions that connect with video and augmented reality (AR) content to bring displays to life and provide richer experiences. Museum Trends Report 2024 notes a 25% percent increase in repeat visits at institutions using QR code technology, as patrons return to enjoy enriched educational experiences through informative videos. QR codes lead to new opportunities for visitors to follow the museum on social media and stayed engaged.
    2. Welcome the Smartphone – Once upon a time, museums frowned on visitors taking pictures of exhibits, but no longer. Now museums should let visitors act as brand ambassadors when they share photos and experiences on social media channels. Museums by promoting hashtags or creating photo opportunities within exhibits encourage visitors to share their experience with friends and followers. The content acts as validation that a trip to the museum is worth their time for those on the fence. Museums are also using smartphones apps for geofencing to increase awareness and engagement, as well as using beacons for notifications to attract passersby or gauge what exhibits visitors are most engaged with.
    3. Be Authentic With Your Storytelling – The signage you deploy throughout your museum gives you wonderful opportunities to enrich the visitor experience with unique perspectives. Bring your exhibits to life and allow visitors to create their own individual experiences and gain a greater appreciation for the subject surrounding them. Wall and ceiling wraps can envelope visitors in detail-rich environments and digital, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) technologies are giving museum staff creative ways to immerse guests in unforgettable, sensory-rich experiences. It’s likely that there’s an abundance of images, photos, video, and other information and research on hand to share with visitors.
    4. Build Communities – Use the knowledge you have on hand about your loyal supporters to gain insights into their behaviors and develop programming that appeals to them as well as audiences that share their interests. You should always be gathering content and developing activities to strengthen relationships by knowing what your visitors want. A great way to grow your attendance is to invite wider participation with social media walls and UGC that connects with users and viewers in real time, generating low-cost, high-reward buzz and excitement.  Cultivate audiences with strategies that connect and showcase your brand’s uniqueness and invite greater participation along the way.
    5. Incorporate Video Content – Find ways to create and incorporate video content into your exhibits and marketing strategies for deeper engagement from viewers and more memorable experiences. People stop and take notice when they encounter a video presentation on a digital screen as part of an exhibit. A well-crafted video story can include components such as artist and curator interviews, archival footage, and animated videos (great for children). Video is ideal for condensing information into easy-to-understand pieces. Video is also a great way to repurpose existing content. Younger audiences have grown up relying on video as a primary source of information, and will more actively engage with content presented in video format.
    6. Optimize Your Web Site – Since your website may be the first place a potential visitor gets a look at what makes you special, treat your website as an extension of your museum. Use it to generate excitement about your mission and purpose, your plans for the future, and most importantly, what you have in store for them when they walk through your doors. Make sure the impression you make exudes quality with sharp graphics, clean design, and appealing colors. A strong SEO strategy is necessary to achieve high search page ranks and gain prominence with effective pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.  Your website should act as your online box office, with the added benefit of collecting valuable customer data through the process.
    7. Integrate Direct Mail – Because the majority of museum marketing is local marketing, direct mail delivers terrific results when either targeting specific demographics or spreading brand awareness throughout communities. Variable print technology allows for greater personalization in every communication, giving you the flexibility to change graphics, messaging, and promotions based on household data. Interactive print technologies also give you the ability to use QR codes or personal URLs (PURLs) to transport recipients to landing pages or present digital content and augmented reality experiences through their smartphones. People consider direct mail trustworthy and if the piece looks and feels great when they pull it from their mailbox, it makes a great impression. 
    8. Connect With Email – Deliver the museum experience directly into the email boxes of people who want to stay connected with you and asked to receive updates, invites, and other news. In many cases, these individuals have shared information with you so that you can shape and customize your communications with them and add value to every email. Use email to create strong bonds with members and reward their loyalty with special perks and access to both virtual and in-person behind-the-scenes events. Integrate email into annual membership campaigns as part of multi-channel fundraising strategies. Email newsletters are great ways to keep followers informed and up to date.

    You know your audience better than anyone. When you apply these recommendations and a little creativity, you can develop marketing strategies that bring people to your museum and inspires them to return again to enjoy your exhibits. Marketing.com’s museum signage experts can work with you to develop strategies to attract visitors and convert them into loyal members. Contact us today.

  • How to Use Signage in Museums to Create Immersive Experiences

    How to Use Signage in Museums to Create Immersive Experiences

    Innovations in wall, floor, and ceiling graphic print signage along with digital technology is redefining the way people enjoy cultural, historical, or natural wonders in a museum. Creative integration of signage into exhibits and throughout galleries can offer visitors immersion and interactivity with new, informative, and fun connections between the exhibit and the participant. Museums can build multi-sensory exhibits that incorporate space in different ways to stimulate deeper engagement in dynamic environments. Interactive experiences create more meaningful experiences with visitors in immersive environments using touch screens, QR codes, and interactive guides. Immersive experiences can transport participants to new worlds with virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and 360-degree mapping applications.

    Museum Signage For Storytelling

    Signage can bring your exhibits to life with storytelling elements that add dynamic education and entertainment features for memorable experiences. Every visitor consumes information in their own way and presenting background and providing deeper content with printed and digital signage helps reach everyone. Surround your guests with strategically placed digital screens and wall and ceiling wraps. Deploy print and digital art installations that convey exhibit information in new and exciting ways. Engage their senses and place your visitors in environments within the story, making them a part of the fun and journey.

    Innovations in digital and print technology are making it easier to incorporate architectural features to share information in ways that encourage engagement. Both interior and exterior spaces can be converted into works of art with flexible graphic film that wraps around walls and attaches to other surfaces. Digital video screens can be used to add context to exhibits and attractions with video, text, and images that connect with audiences and add depth to exhibits. They can also be used for advertising future events and to generate revenue. Touchscreen technology and interactive art exhibitions give the guests greater control over their experience, making for a unique and unforgettable visit and a fun way to learn and be entertained. To encourage fuller engagement, social media walls let you curate user-generated content that adds personalization and encourages greater participation.

    Museum Signage For Wayfinding 

    The time to begin engaging with and educating your guests is the moment they arrive on your property, and nothing does the job as well as strategically placed and eye-grabbing wayfinding signage. Large, attractive banners can be used to announce events with bright, bold designs and sharp print quality. Directional signage can incorporate themes and keep your guests moving confidently through your space. Lobby displays can set the tone for the entire visit, providing information on exhibits, amenities, and restrooms. Wayfinding signage is also important for creating an environment of safety and inclusiveness and makes it easier for guests with a disability to navigate between exhibits.

    Museum Signage to Enhance the Visitor Experience

    As a museum director, your world is constantly changing with new exhibits being staged and the need to keep existing ones fresh and engaging. The same is true for the signage that makes your guest’s visit enjoyable, memorable, and that encourages repeat visits. Signage can be updated quickly and information kept relevant through content management systems (CSMs). Modular print signage and wall wraps provide temporary exhibit components that can be recycled or repurposed.  Digital signage and kiosks are playing an increasingly important role when it comes to creating a seamless, worry-free, and enjoyable visit. They help keep guests informed of event times and schedules in real time and post and update safety messages to reduce accidents. Interactive digital signage is ideal for reducing line wait times when used in kiosks for ticketing to exhibits or accepting food and beverage orders.

    Museum Signage to Increase Revenue

    It’s not uncommon for museums to rely on sponsorships and partnerships to bring exhibits to their patrons. Signage throughout the space can highlight this support and encourage future backing for programming. Signage can promote upcoming exhibits and generate interest in future events. Signage can help increase concession, gift store, and ticket sales and highlight exclusive deals and benefits for members. Museums can also sell ad time on digital screens to generate passive revenue.

    Here Are The Top Ten Ways To Use Signage to Create Immersive Experiences

    1. Increase Interactivity and Guest Participation. Strategically placed signage gives visitors greater control over the planning or pace of their time in the museum. Schedules can be displayed and updated in real time on digital screens and ticketing kiosks let guests select options based on preferences.
    2. Create Immersive Environments for Exhibits. Technology is continually changing the expectations of your visitor and the sensory experiences you can provide them. Digital, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) signage exhibits lets your guests experience new worlds like never before.
    3. Increase Entrance and Exit Visibility. Provide your visitors with peace of mind by providing directional signage that stands out and is easily distinguished. Incorporate brand colors or exhibit themes on signage to inject creativity while helping guests navigate your space confidently.
    4. Reduce Perceived Wait Times. In the museum business, lines signify popularity and steady revenue, but long lines can mar the visitor experience. Use signs to share content that guests can read or watch. Inform them of expected wait times to improve guest satisfaction.
    5. Deliver Timely and Coordinated Emergency Alerts. Safety is always a concern. In the case of an emergency, moving visitors efficiently throughout an unfamiliar space can help avoid confusion and injury. Print signage should incorporate universally understood symbols. Digital signage can keep information relevant.
    6. Advertise Promotions and Special Events. Signage gets the word out to support membership drives, seasonal celebrations, gift shop discounts and special offers. Alert your supporters to unique events to generate ticket sales and attract repeat visits.
    7. Manage Ticket Sales With Kiosks. Better allocate staff to increase customer service throughout your museum with digital signage ticketing kiosks. Allow your visitors to select ideal times based on exhibit traffic and schedules. Touchscreens can offer language choices to accommodate the preferences of your guests.
    8. Sell Signage Ad Space for Revenue. Use your print and digital signage for income potential by selling ad space to local community businesses. Build merchandise tie-ins and promotions and generate interest around high-traffic exhibits. Digital signage, in particular, offers opportunities with easy-to-use content management tools to curate ad content.
    9. Streamline Food Orders with Digital Menu Boards. Digital signage makes it extremely efficient for your visitors to place food orders in your museum café or restaurant. They can quickly get information about menu options and nutritional and dietary facts to help them make more informed choices.
    10. Promote Concession Stands and Gift Shops. Your gift shop signage can do more than welcome shoppers and list hours of operation. Create and display engaging digital content around your museum’s gift apparel, jewelry, books, collectibles, and other objects. Call out special discounts or limited time offers.

    Museums are embracing innovations in exhibit and attraction signage to create more immersive experiences for visitors and invite greater participation with interactive signage.  Marketing.com’s museum signage experts can work with you to develop strategies for memorable visitor experiences. Contact us today.

  • How to Leverage Printed Envelopes for Direct Mail Campaigns

    How to Leverage Printed Envelopes for Direct Mail Campaigns

    Every detail of your direct mail piece counts. The impression you make starts the moment your prospect receives their mail. It’s crucial to resonate powerfully with an envelope that captivates your audience. motivates them to see what’s inside.

    Did you know that over 42% of Americans look forward to checking their mailbox daily according to Gallup. Your message can stand out with a customized direct mail envelope that compels your audience to discover what is within the envelope.  Don’t overlook the potential of the envelope, as it is often the most underestimated component of your marketing campaign.

    Benefits of Direct Mail

    In an ever-evolving marketing world, three things remain constant regarding direct mail. Direct mail effectively reaches into the households of audiences, delivers exceptional ROI and response rates, and plays a major role in customer retention and long-term value for all types of businesses.  According to the United States Postal Service (USPS), direct mail drives customers to spend 28% more than those who did not receive mail from a business.

    Here are four reasons why consumers enjoy receiving direct mail:

    1. Americans feel more comfortable receiving direct mail in their homes compared to TV advertising, email, and social media. Its popularity reaches across demographics and is not just preferred by baby boomers. According to the USPS, direct mail is read more often than email among all age groups, and 71% of all consumers are excited to discover what the mail brings every day.
    2. Households can hold onto direct mail promotions and keep them where they can be used for future reference. According to the Rochester Institute of Technology, 48% of customers retain direct mail ads on a long-term basis until they’re ready to apply them.
    3. Direct mail feels more personal and lets customers know that they’re valued and appreciated. A recent study revealed that 82% of people are willing to share personal data in exchange for a better customer experience.
    4. People enjoy the look and feel of direct mail and look forward to retrieving and looking through it as part of a daily routine.  A study by Epsilon showed that 77% of people sort through their physical mail as soon as they get it. 

    These benefits show that direct mail remains a cornerstone of effective marketing strategies. Direct mail offers a unique element to campaigns: each element plays a crucial role in the success – starting with the envelope. With the variety of tactics and tools available, it’s easy to overlook the envelope. The envelope serves as the gateway to your message, the first impression your audience receives. Its design, touch and feel, messaging, and overall appeal can significantly impact the recipient’s decision to engage with your content. By paying careful attention to the design and messaging of your envelope, you can elevate your entire campaign, enticing recipients to open, explore, and ultimately respond to your message.

    Why Use Direct Mail Envelopes?

    • You need more space than provided on a single postcard to share your messaging and promotions.
    • You’re exploring opportunities to build upon existing relationships and add intrigue to communications with prospects.
    • You’re appealing to existing customers that appreciate personalization and special attention.
    • You want to attract and hold the awareness of younger prospects with marketing that captures their attention with tangible, non-digital, and engaging printed direct mail.
    • You’re including buckslips, response or donation cards, coupons, a brochure, invitation, promotional product or gift, or a reply envelope with your mailing.

    7 Tips for Leveraging Printed Envelopes into Your Direct Mail Campaigns

    1. Choose the appropriate envelope for the task at hand.
      The size of your direct mail envelope should hold your marketing collateral comfortably, so contents don’t get crumbled, creased or damaged during mailing. Keep budget consideration in mind because while larger envelopes might stand out, they cost more to mail. If you’re taking advantage of USPS direct mail promotions, make sure the envelope size meets their size and weight requirements.
    1. Select finishes that entice recipients.
      Create the response you’re after by using finishes that encourage your prospect to find out more. Soft touch envelopes offer a unique tactile experience that elevates your mailings. With a velvety, smooth texture, these envelopes stand out from standard paper options, leaving a lasting impression on recipients. Beyond their luxurious feel, soft touch envelopes also provide practical benefits. Their durable construction ensures that your mailings withstand the rigors of the postal system, protecting your materials during transit. Additionally, the soft touch finish creates a subtle matte appearance, perfect for enhancing the visual appeal of your branding and messaging.
    1. Create visuals that grab attention and create urgency.
      Your direct mail envelope is the first impression you make on your customer, so add some excitement and intrigue into design elements of your envelope with trailing edge. Trailing edge envelopes offer a practical and efficient solution for mailings, providing several advantages that make them a preferred choice for businesses. One key advantage is their easy accessibility, as the opening flap extends along the entire trailing edge of the envelope, allowing for quick and hassle-free access to the contents inside. Use trailing edge envelope design to create a sense of urgency with brief and compelling call-outs that tease, tantalize and pique curiosity, making the urge to open the envelope irresistible. Make promises of limited time offers, exclusive discounts, and unique opportunities that make your envelope impossible to ignore. Additionally, trailing edge envelopes offer ample space for branding and customization, with the extended flap providing a large area for printing logos, messaging, or other design elements. 
    1. Get personal with variable data printing.
      Don’t wait until your prospect starts reading what’s inside your envelope to begin forging a personal relationship and making your recipients feel more valued. You can add elegant touches to your envelope with variable data printing like a handwritten note or address to encourage your prospect to open your mailer. Placing a customized QR code in your envelope design creates new opportunities to connect with customers across your other marketing channels.
    1. Select direct mail envelopes that are user-friendly.
      Make it easy and effortless for your prospects to open your envelope. Use perforated tear strips or pull tabs that can be located quickly and that tear cleanly. The method of sealing is also important, and options include traditional adhesive and peel-and-seal closures. Avoid frustrating your prospect and protect the envelope’s content with envelopes. If you are sending direct mail that must adhere to HIPAA and other data-protection regulations, it’s also vital that your envelopes do not reveal any personal information beyond name and address of recipient. 
    1. Choose durable, environmentally friendly materials.
      Consider how many times your piece of direct mail will be handled before it reaches the intended household. While most standard envelopes may be suitable for your purposes, you want to make sure the envelope material you select is up to protecting important communications and cannot easily be torn or damaged. Use recycled or biodegradable paper to put your environmentally sustainable practices on display and tell your customers that you value eco-friendly processes by printing sustainability symbols on your envelope.
    1. Partner with an experienced direct mail print company.
      The look and feel of your direct mail envelope, as well as the appearance of your enclosed materials, impact the success of your direct mail campaign. Find an experienced direct mail partner who shares your commitment to quality and can create custom solutions to optimize the performance of your campaign. Trust a print partner who will provide a seamless experience from design to kitting and fulfillment to finding affordable solutions to control costs and boost engagement with your prospects.

    Types of Direct Mail Envelopes


    • Standard envelopes are the most common type, available in various sizes and suitable for general correspondence.

    • Custom windows and specialty die-cutting envelopes feature unique window designs or intricate die-cut shapes, ideal for showcasing branding elements or adding visual interest to mailings.

    • Catalog and booklet envelopes are larger and sturdier, perfect for mailing bulky items such as catalogs, booklets, or reports.

    • Remittance envelopes, often used for fundraising or payment collection, include a built-in response form or envelope flap for easy return.

    • Security tints add an extra layer of confidentiality by concealing the contents of the envelope.

    • Bangtail envelopes feature a perforated tab that can be torn off for easy opening, while Glassine envelopes, made from translucent paper, offer a delicate and elegant presentation, commonly used for invitations or special announcements.

    Don’t underestimate the ability of eye-catching direct mail envelopes to build excitement and anticipation with your prospects and increase the open rates of your direct mail. The envelope you select and create will set the tone for your entire direct mail campaign and the impression you make could be the start of a long relationship. Marketing.com can help you connect the dots at every stage of your direct mail campaigns, beginning with the very important direct mail envelope.