Mobile Up Your 2012

December 23, 2011

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2012 IS ALMOST HERE AND IT IS TIME TO “MOBILE UP” YOUR MARKETING! LEARN HOW TO LEAP OVER THE COMPETITION IN A SINGLE BOUND!

DataMart Direct wants to help you get 2012 off to the right start and to do so we will be hosting a FREE seminar, January 17th, 2012, that examines Marketing in this new digital age.

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Networking and refreshments will follow!

Visit www.MobileUp2012.com to register.  Seats are limited, register today!

RSVP by January 10th, 2012 for a chance to win an iPad2!

Please contact us for more detail! 630-307-7100 or at info@datamartdirect.com


Mobile Barcode = Postal Savings in Summer 2011

May 2, 2011

Did you know this could save you postage this summer?

Ok, so first, you recognize this – correct? It is a QR (Quick Response) Code. We have been telling you about the benefits of the QR Code technology for sometime now.

The USPS has recently proposed a 3% discount for mailers who use a QR Code this summer. That’s right, if you use a QR Code on your mail pieces for First or Standard Mail in July or August, you can receive a postage discount.

Why is the Postal Service doing this? Probably they have seen the explosive growth of this technology has had in recent months. It is in many Retail stores (take a look in any Best Buy, Lowes, Home Depot…), TV, Magazines, and printed flyers and postcards. By providing this discount, they are no doubt piling on the band wagon. And why not? It is an easy process for those of us who can create these for clients. And it will benefit their customers who are mobile connected.

You need to have a strategy in place in the next few weeks to take advantage of this discount. Since it is only available from July 1st through August 31, 2011 you need to jump on it, can’t dilly dally here. But it is also a good practice to use these codes and once you see their value, it will no doubt become a routine for you once you start it.

DataMart Direct QR Code Sample

Above is sample of a QR Code incorporated in a postcard that directs the customer to a website designed specifically for mobile users. This is one of the requirements the USPS has to qualify for the incentive program.

Here is a quick plan to follow.

  1. Direct the QR Code to your website. It is easy to do and it can be generic… or
  2. Direct it to a Mobile ready website. One that has been develop to view at the proper size and resolution of a mobile device… or
  3. Develop a variable QR Code that will guide users to a PURL or personalized website for and interactive experience.

Although the USPS has not finalized this offer, once it hits, we can ensure you will be ready. We can build the QR Codes, test them, verify they will meet your needs and the USPS, and even print and mail them if you need us to.

FAQs Mobile Barcode Promotion

So what to do? Call us… Now! 630-307-71010


USPS Postal Customer Gateway…

March 2, 2010

Sat through a seminar last week for the Business Postal Gateway the USPS is offering and I found it fascinating as the speaker mentioned many times all the wonderful things we can do on it, but she wasn’t sure what our site actually looked like or how to Navigate it… cause hers is not the same… sigh…


Change in Postal Requirements for Business Mail

January 15, 2009
The United States Postal Service® reports that over 44 million Americans change their address annually. 
How many of these people are your customers? 
Keeping up with all that change may seem like a daunting task, but if you want to keep these customers you must insure that your mail reaches them.  DataMart Direct is committed to helping you get the most out of your mailing and the most effective way to do so is by staying current with postal regulations.  The latest change in postal regulations is the revisions to the Move Update requirements.

In 2004 the Postal Service handled 9.7 billion pieces of Undeliverable as Addressed (UAA) mail at a cost of $1.85 billion. An independent study revealed that Standard Mail® accounted for 62.8% of that UAA mail. These results are the primary reason for the addition of Standard Mail® to the Move Update requirements. (USPS®)

Since November 23rd to qualify for maximum postal discounts your mail must adhere to the new Move Update requirements. The new Move Update standards not only include Standard Mail® but also increase the minimum frequency of Move Update processing from 185 days to 95 days prior to the date of the mailing. Therefore now all discount First-Class Mail® and Standard Mail® mailers (letters, flats, parcels and Not Flat-Machinables) must update their customer data using an approved solution within 95 days prior to the date of the mailing.

The approved method that DataMart Direct will be using is NCOALink . This process helps to reduce UAA mail by correcting addresses before the mailing is printed. Move Update predecessors such as ACSTM Service, National Change of Address (NCOA) and the FASTforward® system have been saving mailers millions of dollars, since 1986, by catching UAA that otherwise would have resulted in wasted materials and postage. NCOALink continues this trend and, like its predecessors, provides the following benefits:

  • Reduces undeliverable mail by providing the most current address information for matches made to the NCOALink file
  • Address correction is applied prior to the mailing preventing re-mailings after address corrections are received
  • By using most current address information, mailer’s costs are reduced by reducing the number of undeliverable mailpieces
  • Provides the opportunity for faster product/service marketing through accurate mail delivery

This change will cause additional processing, but you will ultimately save money by reducing money spent on mailpieces that never reach their intended recipient.

An address and an intended recipient are the two things all mailpieces have in common, regardless of size, weight, class or anything else. When both are current the Postal Service® can deliver them quickly and easily. However, if the address is incorrect or the intended recipient has moved the mailpiece could become undeliverable therefore becoming a waste of time, effort and money for you and the Postal Service®.

Besides saving you money by reducing wasted postage and materials DataMart Direct will return your list to you with all the necessary corrections made. For more information please give DataMart Direct a call at 630-307-7100.

Source: United States Postal Service®

The following trademarks are owned by the United States Postal Service®: [United States Postal Service®, The Postal Service®, USPS®, First-Class Mail®, Standard Mail®, ACSTM, FASTforward®, NCOALink].”


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