Informed Delivery is a Postal Service program that provides a digital preview to consumers of their household’s incoming mail. Grayscale images are displayed of letter sized packages that have been processed and scanned through USPS automated sorting equipment. The images can be viewed via email, an online dashboard or mobile app. Individuals can quickly and easily sign up for the program on the USPS website.

Mailers who run an Interactive Informed Delivery Campaign from September 1 through November 30 can take advantage of the USPS promotion and earn a 2% discount on postage! See more below.

Stats on Informed Delivery

In August 23.6 million U.S. households were signed up for Informed Delivery with 29.8 million registered users. About 1 in 5 eligible households are enrolled in Informed Delivery so the challenge for the USPS is getting consumers to enroll in the program. However, the number of users continues to increase each month. The great news is that email open rates are an average of 63% so the ads and images are definitely being viewed by consumers.

Informed Delivery Interactive Campaigns

Marketers can create an integrated digital and mail campaign with an Informed Delivery Interactive Campaign. A color ad is displayed under the mail piece image with a link to a webpage that directs the recipient to a digital experience. An optional color image can also replace the grayscale scan of the mail piece. There are three primary elements to an interactive campaign

Informed Delivery email with Ride-along Image, and grayscale mail piece image.

Ride-Along Ad (required) – appears below the grayscale mail piece or color representative image and is linked to a URL for response. The color image draws attention to the mail piece and gives the consumer a way to respond digitally to the offer in advance of receiving the mailing. The ad must include a prominent Call-to-Action.

Representative Image (optional) – a color image of the mail piece that replaces the grayscale scanned image. It must closely resemble either the front or back panel of the mail piece.

Target URL (links to Ride-along – required) – directs the recipient to a web or landing page that hosts the offer for the campaign. To track the Informed Delivery response, make it a different page from the mailing or use a pass-through page that captures the tracking data, then redirects the person to the mailer website. The link must be to a secure page (https://).

Example that includes both the mail piece Representative image, and the Ride-along image.

The color images plus the ability to link to a website provide an additional opportunity for the recipient to respond and reinforces the mail offer and the brand.

The Steps of an Interactive Informed Delivery Campaign

1. Design the mail piece with a clear call to action including an option for online response.
2. Create the Ride-along image that links to a webpage, and an optional Representative image of the mail piece.
3. Develop the URL to a web destination which can be your website, a landing page for the offer or a pass-through landing page to capture responses.
4. The USPS must approve the images and URL. JPEG’s or PDF’s of the images and live URL are submitted for approval. If a Representative image is used, both sides of the mail piece must also be included.
5. Setup the campaign in the USPS Business Customer Gateway. Mail Service Providers (MSPs) like J&Q can set up the campaign for their clients.
6. Produce and mail the packages.
7. The mail pieces are scanned as they are processed through USPS automation equipment. The interactive campaign images are matched to Informed Delivery users based on the 11-digit delivery point ZIP code in the outgoing address.
8. Informed Delivery users see the mail arriving soon in an email, mobile app or dashboard.
9. Post-Campaign reports provide the number of Informed Delivery emails sent, opened, and click throughs, as well as dates and times for each individual record.

Interactive Informed Delivery Promotion begins September 1

Informed Delivery is one of the USPS Promotions in 2020, earning mailers a 2% discount on postage. The promotion period for the mailings is September 1 through November 30. Eligible mail includes –

• First-Class presort and automation letters, cards and flats
• Marketing Mail letters and flats (all except carrier route saturation rate FLATS)
• Nonprofit Marketing Mail letters and flats

The costs to create the color images, develop a webpage for responses, and set up by an MSP are typically low. Combined with a 2% postage discount, now may be the time to plan a test of Informed Delivery.

If you have questions or need more information on an Informed Delivery Interactive Campaign, contact us at 847.588.4800 or jqinfo@j-quin.com and ask for Sales. You can also learn more on the USPS site at https://www.usps.com/business/informed-delivery.htm.