How Smart Mailers Will Respond to Upcoming Postage Increase

The USPS has proposed another postage increase set to take effect in July 2026, and for many marketers, the first reaction is predictable: “Should we mail less?” That’s the wrong question.

The better question is: “How do we make our mail work harder?” Because despite rising postage costs, direct mail continues to outperform many digital channels in response, recall, engagement, and trust. The marketers seeing the best results today are not abandoning mail. They are becoming more strategic with it.

First Class Mail

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Marketing Mail Standard/Nonprofit

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The Real Cost of Direct Mail Isn’t Postage

Poor strategy costs more than postage ever will. I’ve seen campaigns with mediocre targeting, weak creative, and generic offers waste thousands of dollars while highly targeted, well designed mailings generate exceptional ROI, even at higher postage rates.

The strongest direct mail campaigns today focus on:

• Better data and segmentation
• Smarter personalization
• Stronger offers
• Integrated digital follow up
• More tactile and engaging formats
• Better timing and delivery visibility

When direct mail is done correctly, it still commands attention in ways digital advertising often cannot. Consumers are overwhelmed online. Physical mail still has the ability to slow people down, create interaction, and build trust. That matters.

USPS Promotions Can Help Offset Costs

One of the smartest ways to combat rising postage is by leveraging USPS promotions and incentive programs. The Postal Service continues to reward marketers who create more engaging, interactive, and technology integrated mail pieces.

The 2026 promotions include programs for:

• Tactile, Sensory & Interactive Mail
• Integrated Technology
• Continuous Contact campaigns
• Informed Delivery
• Catalog Insights
• First-Class Mail Advertising

Many of these promotions offer postage discounts for qualifying mail pieces.

For example, the 2026 Tactile, Sensory & Interactive Promotion encourages mailers to use specialty papers, textures, coatings, folds, scents, and interactive elements that increase engagement in the mailbox.

This is where print becomes incredibly powerful. Premium paper stocks, dimensional formats, specialty coatings, and embellishments do more than make mail look nice. They increase hold time, improve memorability, and often drive stronger response.

Smarter Mail Beats Cheaper Mail

When postage rises, many organizations instinctively cut circulation or reduce quality. That can be a mistake. Lower quality mail often performs worse, which drives up the true cost per response.

Instead, smart marketers focus on efficiency:

• Mail fewer pieces to better audiences
• Improve creative relevance
• Personalize messaging
• Coordinate digital follow up
• Use USPS promotions strategically
• Track delivery timing
• Test formats and offers

Direct mail remains one of the few marketing channels where marketers can combine physical impact, data targeting, and measurable ROI. And in many industries, especially nonprofits, healthcare, higher education, retail, and luxury brands, direct mail continues to outperform expectations.

The Mailbox Is Still One of the Least Crowded Marketing Channels

Digital fatigue is real. Email inboxes are saturated. Social feeds move at lightning speed. Digital ads disappear in seconds. But the mailbox still creates a physical moment of engagement.

That’s why many marketers are actually increasing investment in direct mail, even as postage rises. They understand that attention has value, and physical media still captures it exceptionally well.

The marketers who win in 2026 will not simply be the ones spending less on postage. They’ll be the ones creating mail worth noticing. For more information on the 2026 USPS promotions and technical requirements, visit the official USPS PostalPro promotions guide. USPS PostalPro 2026 Promotions Guidebooks

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.