The U.S. Postal Service launched a new service called Informed Delivery and it is about to make your life a little easier. Informed Delivery provides scanned images of your incoming mail a day or two before it arrives in your mailbox. You can see the images via email or the Informed Deliver app right on your smartphone.
Informed Delivery is not only a free service but is also convenient and very easy to access. Once you sign up for the service you’ll begin receiving emails each morning with black and white photos, sometimes full color, of the front of your mail that will be delivered that day.
It was created to help customers determine what and when mail will be showing up, allowing them to prepare accordingly. If you’re waiting for a check in the mail, you’ll know when to be home to cash it in time. Maybe you want to grab a package that’s coming so it’s not just sitting outside; this will help determine when to plan for that. It’s also great for travelers who want to be informed of what’s waiting for them when they return.
The program, however, is not brand new. The service has been available since 2014 in Northern Virginia. It was then expanded to California, Connecticut, Maryland, New York, Virginia and Washington, D.C. A survey done by the USPS found that “nine out of 10 people who signed up for the service checked their Informed Delivery notifications every day.”
Informed Delivery is currently available for residential customers only. Those with P.O. boxes don’t have the option of this service just yet. Customers who qualify for the service can go to InformedDelivery.USPS.com to sign up.
Scroll through to see the process of setting up your account.
Customers will begin to receive daily notifications via email. It will include all of the mail that will be delivered for that specific day. Only 10 images are sent in your email. If you are set to receive more 10 pieces of mail for the day, there will be a link that will direct you to the rest of the images.
The images you receive are simply scans of your mail. Furthermore, the Post Office never opens envelopes, so privacy is still ensured. If you get an image but never receive the actual piece of mail, Informed Delivery makes it easy to report any lost letters.
Over the last decade, traditional mail has dropped tremendously in terms of volume. Informed Delivery allows for a new, digital way to keep up with the trends and to satisfy customer needs.
Informed Delivery’s Executive Program Director, Bob Dixon, stated that “Our emerging consumers, younger folks, are digital natives. That’s how their communications are coming to them.” He went on to say, “We also know that if we can get those folks to the mailbox, they’ll spend longer with each piece of mail that someone who has a long history of mail usage. So the benefit to us is that we continue the relevance of mail in a very digital world and we provide access to the consumers for those mail pieces.”
Incorporating digital into traditional mailings allows marketers to incorporate it into their advertising and marketing strategy. To be honest, digital advertising is just easier. When a company sends out a direct mailer, it will still be delivered to their mailbox, however, with the new digital scan technology, the coupon is now accessible directly from your inbox on your phone or desktop.
Say you have signed up to receive offers from JOANN in the mail. Once that promotional card is set to arrive, it will then be included in your email notification as a full-color image with a clickable link that will take you directly to their online store to purchase the offer. It’s as easy as 1,2,3. No more having to take your card into the store to receive your discount. No more having to type in the website and punch in the discount code either; now it’s all done directly for you.
USPS is strict with their advertising process. Promotional pieces must be related to the piece of mail that is being sent to your mailbox that day. Therefore, USPS makes sure you won’t receive spam or an old ad that doesn’t relate to what is relevant and will be in your hands by the end of the day. The USPS will offer more automated tools to manage more targeted messaging, allowing marketers to provide even more relevant images and links (like pURLs) for each mailpiece recipient.”
As this marketing tool rolled out, companies are jumping at the chance to use it to their marketing advantage. With digital opportunities and Informed Delivery offers, the demand to participate is high. VeraPax helps in creating calls to action through digital campaigns. The campaign is coordinated specifically with the direct mail piece, which can be created, printed and mailed directly from the brick-and-mortar location of VeraPax. VeraPax handles the digital and printed promotional aspects, and with content creation and design, so you don’t have to.
Informed Delivery is ideal for marketers to target their clientele online, especially through mobile. Be sure to sign up to start receiving your incoming promotions and discounts directly to your inbox.
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