This article originally appeared in the September/October issue of Mailing Systems Technology.

The United States Postal Service revealed that between 2010 and 2014, it experienced a loss of 15.5 billion pieces in total mail volume.

Are you wondering why nowadays people seem to choose online communications over traditional media like newspapers or direct mail? In short, we are a part of today’s ‘I want it now!’ culture. We are accustomed to having access to information when and where we want it, always just a few clicks away.

As a response to our demand for immediacy, the USPS rolled out its Informed Delivery feature earlier this year. Every morning, Informed Delivery notifies users via email with an image of the mail they’ll receive that day. Suddenly, traditional mail is easily accessible from any device with internet access at any time of the day, from anywhere in the world.

So, is the right move for the USPS? You can bet it is. This has opened a new door to keep future generations excited and engaged with their physical mailbox — and the stats prove it. Approximately 2.5 million people have signed up for Informed Delivery, and this figure continues to grow every single day, as more than 10,000 people are signing up for Informed Delivery on a daily basis.

The Impact on Your Business

But what does this mean for you as an advertiser? It’s great news for direct mail marketing! Informed Delivery allows you to interact with your audience in the physical and digital worlds simultaneously.

With Informed Delivery, you will be able to enhance your piece digitally when it’s scanned into the mail stream. You can add a full color ad, interactive content, and a live link that drives traffic to your website or landing page — it’s all displayed to users when your piece comes up in their daily Informed Delivery email. It’s direct and instant. They won’t have to open another app and Google your business or your services (and possibly find a competitor!). One click, and they’re exactly where you wanted them to be.

The results of Informed Delivery can be taken even further when combined with online follow up, which can boost ad response up to 400% and increase conversion rates by 147%, according to DataXu and a CMO by Adobe Report (respectively).

Printers and mailers should be rejoicing at the thought of using these two digital powerhouses (online follow up and Informed Delivery) in tandem to amplify direct mail.

Let’s Look at an Example

A prospect clicks on the link provided via Informed Delivery and visits your website or landing page. They’re interested, but not enough to convert right there. So, they go back and check the rest of their mail via Informed Delivery.

Here’s the kicker: the next time this prospect logs onto the internet via their phone (which is more often than their desktop, according to Google), those online follow-up ads will be everywhere — instantly and continuously reminding the prospect of their initial interest. And these ads will not only show all over the Google Display Network, but also on their Facebook newsfeed, acting as a constant reminder of the interest they had in your direct mail piece.

Being constantly reminded of their interest will turn prospects into a warm lead who’s more likely to purchase, fill out a form, send an email to enquire, etc. According to WordStream, Facebook and the Google Display Network are the best places to show online follow-up ads, as they have the highest reach for this type of campaign.

Let’s not forget that the key to effective marketing is repetition. The more a potential customer sees an advertising, the more likely they are to retain the information and actually take a desired action towards it.

When your customer’s campaign is successful and they are able to view and access their results, it automatically translates in re-orders and positive word of mouth for your direct mail or commercial printing company.

Brad Kugler is the CEO of DirectMail2.0, a fully integrated marketing solution for the clients of printers/mailers that combines the proven success of direct mail with in-demand features like online advertising and automated campaign tracking. You can schedule a free demo to see how a partnership with DirectMail2.0 can boost revenue and improve your clients’ response and ROI. Visit www.dm20.com or call 800.956.4129 today!