DIRECT
Hit
Beginner’s Guide To First-Class Mail
What Is First-Class Mail?
First-Class mail is one of the most popular
and ecient ways to send leers and ats.
First-Class mail oers speedy delivery.
Currently, the USPS is delivering mail 1-3
days locally and up to 4 days naonally. If you
are planning on sending out me-sensive
or personal informaon, First-Class mail
is your best choice and is required for any
invoices, credit cards, and other personalized
correspondence. For organizaons looking for
consistent delivery with a limited margin of
error, First-Class mail is the ideal choice.
What Are The Dierences Between First-Class
And Markeng Mail?
The primary dierences between First-Class
mail and Markeng mail are price, speed of
delivery, opons for mail forwarding, and
returns on mail with outdated addresses.
If you are planning on sending out me-
sensive or personal informaon, First-Class
mail is your best choice and is required for any
invoices, credit cards, and other personalized
correspondence. First-Class mail is typically
delivered in 1-3 business days.
Markeng mail does not have a guaranteed
delivery me, although many resources
esmate an average of under 5 business
days locally and up to 13 days naonally.
Addionally, Markeng mail does not oer
free automac returns and mail forwarding.
All other factors aside, Markeng mail is
signicantly more cost-friendly than First-Class
mail — if your delivery schedule is
more exible.
When Should I Use First-Class Mail?
First-Class mail is ideal for an organizaon
looking for consistent delivery mes while sll
staying within a reasonable budget. Invoices,
credit cards, and personalized correspondence
are required to be sent via First-Class mail.
When processed as First-Class, the mail is
touched less and processed quickly, keeping
the utmost integrity of the mailpiece. In
addion, First-Class mail is given priority
over Markeng mail, making it the best
choice for me-sensive mail — especially
during peak mailing seasons. First-Class
mailings are eligible for added delivery
conrmaon services such as Cered
Mail®, so you can be sure your mail was
delivered on me. There are studies
that show First-Class mail, arriving in an
envelope with a return address and stamp
are more likely to be opened by recipients.
This makes First Class Mail a favorite for
organizaons who want to improve the
odds that their correspondence is opened.
What Are The Advantages of
First-Class Mail?
• Delivery mes for First-Class mail remain
consistent, even during peak mailing
mes because the USPS gives it priority
over other classes of mail.
• Sending mail First-Class can help migate
the costs of returned mail. If a First-Class
mailpiece is undeliverable, the USPS will
forward the mail to the correct address,
or return it to the sender, somemes at
no charge.
• Consumer percepon that
this mail is “important” and
is likely to be opened
and read.
• Add-ons like Cered Mail® provide
evidence of mailing so that you
know when your items are
delivered to the correct recipient.
This also includes informaon
about the date and me of delivery or
aempted delivery.
Is First-Class Mail The Same As Priority Mail?
The only commonality between First-Class
and Priority Mail is that delivery is expected
within 1-3 days. First-Class mail is typically
used for standard size envelopes, postcards,
ats, and lightweight packages. First-Class mail
has specic weight and size requirements to
qualify for the First-Class price. The rates of
First-Class mail ats are also signicantly less
than Priority mail rates.
Priority Mail is more popularly known for
parcels, and is much beer for individual
use, rather than bulk mailings, there are no
commercial rates for Priority Mail. Priority
Mail sizes start much larger than First-Class
mail, they also oer Flat-Rate pricing for
specically sized parcels.
Read more about First-Class mail on our blog
post Beginner’s Guide to First-Class Mail at
hps://www.mw-direct.com/blog/posts/
beginner-s-guide-to-rst-class-mail/.
Team Treats
FuN FaCts:
Strawberry
Balsamic Bruschetta
Need a perfect way to ulize those summer
strawberries you picked? Try this recipe by
Delish for Strawberry Balsamic Bruschea.
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 baguee, cut into 1” slices
• 1/4 c. plus 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 c. ricoa
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 c. strawberries, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. fresh basil, thinly sliced
• Balsamic glaze for serving
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. Place baguee slices on a medium sheet tray and
drizzle or brush with 1/4 cup olive oil. Bake unl
bread is toasted, about 10 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, mix ricoa with salt, pepper, and 2
teaspoons oil. Spread each toast generously with
ricoa mixture, then top with strawberries.
4. Garnish with basil and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
Serve.
Find the full recipe here: hps://nyurl.com/y8m4xw7n
July 1st is Naonal
U.S. Postage Stamp
Day which celebrates
the day the United
States issued its rst
postage stamp in
1847. Since we are a
company that works with mail, we just had to
share a few fun facts about the history of postage stamps.
• The United States issued the rst postage stamp on July
1st, 1847. However, stamps were not required at that me
for mailing. They ocially became mandatory in 1855.
• The most popular U.S. postage stamp was a 1993 stamp
of Elvis Presley that sold over 120 million copies, whereas
the most valuable U.S. postage stamp was the 1918
Inverted Jenny which sold in 2016 at aucon for
$1,351,250.
• The rst postage stamps were not created with a self-
adhesive back. People had to use their own glue or paste
and hope the stamp stayed aached.
• The only country to print stamps
without its name on them is Great
Britain. Great Britain invented the
adhesive postage stamp in 1837.
• In 2013, Belgium printed millions
of postage stamps that were
chocolate scented. They also
apparently tasted like chocolate,
but we don’t recommend trying
that out…
This promoon encourages mailers to connue to adopt
use of the USPS omnichannel feature, Informed Delivery®.
Parcipants may create Informed Delivery® campaigns through
the portal or submit elements through their eDoc submission,
and develop campaigns that meet best-pracce requirements.
• Regular and nonprot Markeng Mail leers and ats, and
First Class Mail presort or automaon leers, cards, and
ats that meet the promoon requirements will be eligible
for an upfront 2% postage discount during the promoon.
• Registraon: July 15, 2021 - November 30, 2021
• Promoonperiod: September 1, 2021 - November 30, 2021
CTA: Need help with informed delivery? Contact us inf[email protected]
0:00 18:54
23: Why You Should Add Social Media
Ads to Your Next Mailing
Did you know most conversions happen between the 8th
and 12th markeng touch? By denion, if you’re serious
about conversions, you need to plan campaigns with
upwards of 15 touches. The best — and easiest— way to
do that is by adding channels to your campaign. If your
markeng team would be overwhelmed with a campaign
using mail and social media channels over 30-60 days, we
have great news! You can do exactly that with very lile
addional eort using our digital+post tool. When you ask
to add digital+post to your next campaign, we help you
greatly extend your markeng reach by adding Facebook
and Instagram ads to the feeds of the people already on
your mailing list. It’s easy to do and is proven to boost
campaign results by up to 20%. For most marketers, proven
results means trackable conversions, ROI, and improved
sales. Ready to get started adding channels, views, and
touchpoints to your next mailing?
Get started in three SIMPLE steps:
1. Develop your mailpiece, social media ads, and
mailing list.
2. Connect your website to our social ad serving dashboard.
3. Upload your list and ads to your private digital+post
dashboard and we’ll take it from there.
Listen to this episode of The Plus Podcast at mw-direct.
com/pluspod23 or contact us today at 1.800.686.6666 for
more informaon on how to add social media adversing
to your next mailing.
PROMOTIONS & INCENTIVES
Emerging and Advanced Technology
This promoon encourages mailers to incorporate emerging technologies such as AR, VR/MR, NFC, Video in Print, and mulchannel
mail integraon with digital assistants/smart speakers into their direct mail pieces.
• Regular and nonprot Markeng Mail leers and ats, and First-Class Mail leers, cards, and ats that meet the promoon
requirements will be eligible for an upfront 2% postage discount during the promoon period.
• Registraon: January 15, 2021 - August 31, 2021
• Promoon period: March 1, 2021 - August 31, 2021
FuN FaCts:
With semi-annual and Independence Day
sales quickly approaching, it’s me to
study up on shopping malls. Most people
do not know about shopping mall history
or that the strategic set up in shopping
malls is designed to encourage people to
purchase more. If you’re wondering about
the history of shopping and how shopping malls drive more
purchases, here are some fun facts that might help:
• Have you ever lost track of me while shopping? You’re not
alone! Much like casinos, shopping malls are intenonally
designed to make people lose track of me by removing
windows and clocks from the stores. The goal is to make
you shop longer and buy more.
• Shopping catalogs have been around a lot longer than you
think. The rst shopping catalog was made in the 15th
century by an Italian publisher who compiled a hand printed
catalog of books he produced and sold the catalogs at town
fairs.
• Surprisingly, there is a reason why escalators in shopping
malls are placed where they are. Escalators are placed
strategically around shopping malls to force customers to
pass the maximum amount of storefronts.
• Shopping carts have been around for a while, but they used
to be much more simple than the ones we have today. The
rst shopping cart was a folding chair with a basket on the
seat and wheels on the legs.
• Did you know that
what you wear while
shopping can aect your
purchasing decisions?
A 2013 Brigham Young
University study discovered
that people who wore high
heels while shopping made
more balanced buying
decisions while balancing in
pumps.
SHOPPING
0:00 18:54
23: Why You Should Add Social Media
Ads to Your Next Mailing
Did you know most conversions happen between the 8th
and 12th markeng touch? By denion, if you’re serious
about conversions, you need to plan campaigns with
upwards of 15 touches. The best — and easiest— way to
do that is by adding channels to your campaign. If your
markeng team would be overwhelmed with a campaign
using mail and social media channels over 30-60 days, we
have great news! You can do exactly that with very lile
addional eort using our digital+post tool. When you ask
to add digital+post to your next campaign, we help you
greatly extend your markeng reach by adding Facebook
and Instagram ads to the feeds of the people already on
your mailing list. It’s easy to do and is proven to boost
campaign results by up to 20%. For most marketers, proven
results means trackable conversions, ROI, and improved
sales. Ready to get started adding channels, views, and
touchpoints to your next mailing?
Get started in three SIMPLE steps:
1. Develop your mailpiece, social media ads, and
mailing list.
2. Connect your website to our social ad serving dashboard.
3. Upload your list and ads to your private digital+post
dashboard and we’ll take it from there.
Listen to this episode of The Plus Podcast at mw-direct.
com/pluspod23 or contact us today at 1.800.686.6666 for
more informaon on how to add social media adversing
to your next mailing.
PROMOTIONS & INCENTIVES
Emerging and Advanced Technology
This promoon encourages mailers to incorporate emerging technologies such as AR, VR/MR, NFC, Video in Print, and mulchannel
mail integraon with digital assistants/smart speakers into their direct mail pieces.
• Regular and nonprot Markeng Mail leers and ats, and First-Class Mail leers, cards, and ats that meet the promoon
requirements will be eligible for an upfront 2% postage discount during the promoon period.
• Registraon: January 15, 2021 - August 31, 2021
• Promoon period: March 1, 2021 - August 31, 2021
FuN FaCts:
With semi-annual and Independence Day
sales quickly approaching, it’s me to
study up on shopping malls. Most people
do not know about shopping mall history
or that the strategic set up in shopping
malls is designed to encourage people to
purchase more. If you’re wondering about
the history of shopping and how shopping malls drive more
purchases, here are some fun facts that might help:
• Have you ever lost track of me while shopping? You’re not
alone! Much like casinos, shopping malls are intenonally
designed to make people lose track of me by removing
windows and clocks from the stores. The goal is to make
you shop longer and buy more.
• Shopping catalogs have been around a lot longer than you
think. The rst shopping catalog was made in the 15th
century by an Italian publisher who compiled a hand printed
catalog of books he produced and sold the catalogs at town
fairs.
• Surprisingly, there is a reason why escalators in shopping
malls are placed where they are. Escalators are placed
strategically around shopping malls to force customers to
pass the maximum amount of storefronts.
• Shopping carts have been around for a while, but they used
to be much more simple than the ones we have today. The
rst shopping cart was a folding chair with a basket on the
seat and wheels on the legs.
• Did you know that
what you wear while
shopping can aect your
purchasing decisions?
A 2013 Brigham Young
University study discovered
that people who wore high
heels while shopping made
more balanced buying
decisions while balancing in
pumps.
SHOPPING
0:00 18:54
23: Why You Should Add Social Media
Ads to Your Next Mailing
Did you know most conversions happen between the 8th
and 12th markeng touch? By denion, if you’re serious
about conversions, you need to plan campaigns with
upwards of 15 touches. The best — and easiest— way to
do that is by adding channels to your campaign. If your
markeng team would be overwhelmed with a campaign
using mail and social media channels over 30-60 days, we
have great news! You can do exactly that with very lile
addional eort using our digital+post tool. When you ask
to add digital+post to your next campaign, we help you
greatly extend your markeng reach by adding Facebook
and Instagram ads to the feeds of the people already on
your mailing list. It’s easy to do and is proven to boost
campaign results by up to 20%. For most marketers, proven
results means trackable conversions, ROI, and improved
sales. Ready to get started adding channels, views, and
touchpoints to your next mailing?
Get started in three SIMPLE steps:
1. Develop your mailpiece, social media ads, and
mailing list.
2. Connect your website to our social ad serving dashboard.
3. Upload your list and ads to your private digital+post
dashboard and we’ll take it from there.
Listen to this episode of The Plus Podcast at mw-direct.
com/pluspod23 or contact us today at 1.800.686.6666 for
more informaon on how to add social media adversing
to your next mailing.
PROMOTIONS & INCENTIVES
Emerging and Advanced Technology
This promoon encourages mailers to incorporate emerging technologies such as AR, VR/MR, NFC, Video in Print, and mulchannel
mail integraon with digital assistants/smart speakers into their direct mail pieces.
• Regular and nonprot Markeng Mail leers and ats, and First-Class Mail leers, cards, and ats that meet the promoon
requirements will be eligible for an upfront 2% postage discount during the promoon period.
• Registraon: January 15, 2021 - August 31, 2021
• Promoon period: March 1, 2021 - August 31, 2021
FuN FaCts:
With semi-annual and Independence Day
sales quickly approaching, it’s me to
study up on shopping malls. Most people
do not know about shopping mall history
or that the strategic set up in shopping
malls is designed to encourage people to
purchase more. If you’re wondering about
the history of shopping and how shopping malls drive more
purchases, here are some fun facts that might help:
• Have you ever lost track of me while shopping? You’re not
alone! Much like casinos, shopping malls are intenonally
designed to make people lose track of me by removing
windows and clocks from the stores. The goal is to make
you shop longer and buy more.
• Shopping catalogs have been around a lot longer than you
think. The rst shopping catalog was made in the 15th
century by an Italian publisher who compiled a hand printed
catalog of books he produced and sold the catalogs at town
fairs.
• Surprisingly, there is a reason why escalators in shopping
malls are placed where they are. Escalators are placed
strategically around shopping malls to force customers to
pass the maximum amount of storefronts.
• Shopping carts have been around for a while, but they used
to be much more simple than the ones we have today. The
rst shopping cart was a folding chair with a basket on the
seat and wheels on the legs.
• Did you know that
what you wear while
shopping can aect your
purchasing decisions?
A 2013 Brigham Young
University study discovered
that people who wore high
heels while shopping made
more balanced buying
decisions while balancing in
pumps.
SHOPPI NG
ThePlusPodcast:EP4:Everything
YouShouldKnowAboutMail
Mail has one of the best response and engagement
rates available in markeng today. However, it is also
a demanding channel that requires experse and
experience to manage well. Midwest Direct can save you
me and money while increasing visibility and delivery
rates of your most important business communicaons
and markeng messages. To get the most for your money,
you need the help of a professional mailer to ensure your
mail is in compliance and that you have achieved best
pracces. When you contact us, we’ll help to educate you
on the best opons for your mail at every point in the
delivery chain — from data acquision and preparaon
through delivery, response tracking and reporng.
We manage the logiscs, prepare the data and postal
preparaon and manage rst-class mail, and markeng
mail (standard mail) for clients ranging in size from large
out-of-state nancial instuons to local non-prot
organizaons. We can pick up, commingle and deliver
mail to the USPS within about ve hundred miles of our
two locaons in Cleveland, OH, and Pisburgh, PA.
ListentoSeanGebbie,PresidentofMidwestDirect,at
mw-direct.com/pluspod4tolearnhowyoucanbecome
moreecient,getmoreinformaon,spendless,and
proveyourROIbeforeyournextmailing.Contactus
todayat1.800.686.6666andaskhowwecanaddthe
powerofdigitalmarkengandtrackingtoseewhen
yourprintactuallytriggeredaresponseinanonline
channel.
Michelle’s
MARKETING
MINUTE
First Class Mail
When it comes to qualicaons for mail classes and the best
opons for each mailer, the informaon out there can be a
bit confusing, especially about First Class mail. The primary
dierences between First Class and Markeng mail are price,
speed of delivery, and opons for mail forwarding or returns
on mail with outdated addresses. If you are wondering what
qualies your mailpiece for First Class, or what the advantages
and disadvantages are, here are some facts you might
nd helpful:
FirstClassmailistypicallydeliveredin2-4businessdays.
Delivery mes for First Class mail remain consistent, even
during peak mailing mes because the USPS gives it priority
over other classes of mail. With Markeng mail, the delivery
mes are inconsistent and the USPS processes it on a “me
available” basis. If ming is your concern, First Class mail may
be your best opon.
FirstClassmailisrequiredforanyinvoices,creditcards,or
personalizedcorrespondence. First Class mail is touched less
and processed quickly, keeping the utmost integrity of the
mailpiece. This is also why First Class mail is more expensive
than Markeng mail, rising incrementally with each ounce.
Any me-sensive informaon in the above categories, must
be sent First Class.
FirstClassmailcansllreachpeoplewithoutdated
addresses.If a First Class mailpiece is undeliverable, the USPS
will forward the mail to the correct address, or return it to the
sender, somemes at no charge. This gives mailers who mail
First Class a big advantage.
FirstClassisbestforpeakmailingseason. In 2019, the
USPS was projected to deliver 800 million packages between
Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day and that number was
projected to signicantly increase in 2020. Because First Class
mail is given priority over Markeng mail (that could take
between 5-20 days), it is the best choice for me-sensive
mail during the holidays.
However,FirstClassmailmaynotbethebestoponifcostis
theprimaryconcern. First Class mail rises incrementally with
every ounce, whereas Markeng mail allows up to 3.3 ounces
per piece without any increase in postage. If the informaon is
not me-sensive, mailing at the Markeng mail rate is more
cost-ecient, especially for large volume mailings.
Quesons? Our experienced mail professionals can help you
understand the qualicaons of First Class mail including
mailpiece design, quanes, and melines. Contact us today
at 1.800.686.6666 to learn more about First Class mail and
determine the best soluon for your next mail project.
“If your dream is a big dream, and if you want your life to
work on the high level you say you do, there’s no way around
doing the work it takes to get you there.” – Joyce Chapman
Mandy’s
MOTIVATIONAL
MOMENT
DIRECT
Hit
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
MWD
2222 West 110th Street • Cleveland, Ohio 44102-3512
www.mw-direct.com
Team Treats!
Fun Facts about Stamps!
Motivational Moment!
Inside This Edition...
Read about it on mw-direct.com/blog
Quesonsorcomments?
Emailusatmarkeng@mw-direct.com.
Telluswhatyouthink.Emailyourcommentsandgiveus
yourfeedbackonwhatyouenjoyaboutDirectHit!
Discover The Myths
About Commingling
