A quick reminder that U.S. postage rates are going up on May 12th, with First Class postage going up by one cent to $0.42. The new rate schedule is available here.
Drop your mail before May 12th, if possible, but please don’t rush. Never is the phrase “penny wise, pound foolish” more appropriate than when dealing with rate increases. A rush to mail and save a few dollars per thousand should never take precedence over ensuring your promotion is strategically sound and with clearly-defined objectives.
My recommendation is that you always have both an employee on staff who’s familiar with the domestic mail manual (DMM) and have a trusted consultant or vendor available with whom to review upcoming changes in rates and specifications. Creative thinking from a couple of different points of view can often be helpful when working with the DMM. And please don’t hesitate to contact the USPS and work with your local rep. Their business, after all, is to help you use more of their services and I’ve found my account reps to be very helpful in many areas. (Alas, rescinding rate increases was one where they couldn’t help, despite my pleading.)
Given the timelines associated with direct mail testing, you should be working right now to get ahead of the round of changes, so you’re ready to roll out lighter, more machinable or cheaper mail based on tested results.
