The Power of Direct Mail: Why Integrating ZIP+4 Audience Data is a Game-Changer

For about a century, direct mail advertising has been an effective way for businesses and organizations to reach their ideal customers. According to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, the Direct Mail Association was first created back in 1917, with the first direct mail agency established in 1921. In 1928, a special advertising class of mail was created.  

Today, modern aspects of data impact the efficacy and cost effectiveness of direct mail campaigns. Data-driven strategies give you the ability to understand your audience, create audience segments, and implement personalization in your direct mail campaigns, but did you know that ensuring your data has the proper information is just as important? We’re talking about ZIP+4 audience data integration.  

Put simply, ZIP+4 audience data integration means the data businesses use to pull customer addresses includes a 5-digit zip code, as well as the additional four digits that follow the dash. Let’s break this down further.  

What is ZIP+4?

Many of us are familiar with zip codes, including the standard 5-digit zip code that many of us have in our personal and professional addresses. However, when you receive a piece of mail, have you ever noticed the zip code has an additional four numbers preceded by a hyphen? That is the ZIP+4 Code. This dash and 4 extra digits help the United States Postal Service (USPS) identify a more in depth and precise geolocation to the location. It can specify a certain city block, a specific building, or something else.  

Why is ZIP+4 audience data essential for direct mail?

ZIP+4 database is important for direct mail, because there are systems within the mail processing and delivery processes and systems that rely on the full zip code. These systems are essential in the direct mail industry for ensuring efficient, accurate, and cost-effective delivery of mail. They are widely used by businesses, marketing agencies, and other organizations engaged in large-scale mailing operations for various reasons. Let’s uncover a few of these systems used by the USPS.  

Delivery Point Barcode

A Delivery Point Barcode, or DPBC, is used by the USPS to properly sort mail and prepare it for accurate delivery. The barcode is read by the machines that assist in automatically processing the mail. This barcode is created using the entire ZIP+4 code. For direct mail to be effectively barcoded, having the entireZIP+4 code is very important.  

Deliverability Point Validation

A Delivery Point Validation, or DPV, is how the USPS ensures accurate deliverability for every piece of mail. Delivery points consist of places like a mailbox at someone’s home, a mail slot at a business, or even a P.O. Box. Delivery points are assigned to each location to which mail can be delivered, and it’s a set of numbers between 00 and 99. The delivery point plus the ZIP+4 address ensures that mail ends up where it’s intended.

So, DPV is a system that ensures mail can be delivered to a specific location. By checking the deliverability of each piece of mail, DPV not only ensures mail is delivered accurately, but it keeps the USPS efficient, because it marks ahead of departure which mail is deemed as undeliverable.  

ZIP+4 Audience Data for Direct Mail

VisitIQ offers first party data solutions that allow businesses to match data available in their website traffic to the VisitIQ identity graph to produce validated PII records for previously anonymous website users. Our cutting-edge technology then matches these website users inside our Identity Graph, in which you can identify countless attributes about these consumers, including their mailing addresses. VisitIQ offers both residential and business addresses.  

All addresses within VisitIQ’s Identity Graph are up to the ZIP+4 Audience Data standard, meaning the accuracy and effectiveness of your direct mail campaigns will be greater.  

VisitIQ clients will have access to addresses gathered through first party data solutions, and we can also match their existing customer lists to over 14 billion customer records inside our Identity Graph. Plus, our ResolveID™ site tag technology allows you to capture their identities and contact information, even if they don’t fill out a form or make a purchase.

Direct Mail: An Important Element in First Party Data Strategy

Digital media is an important aspect of modern marketing campaigns. However, a study between Temple University and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General showed there are still great benefits to physical ads as well.  

While digital media is a fast and cost-effective option for advertising, print materials have a different benefit. In the study, which was conducted in 2015 and expanded in 2019, it was shown that digital media is an efficient way to deliver a message quickly. However, print products like direct mail postcards gave consumers a more emotional effect and kept their attention longer. Also, participants across all age groups were more likely to recall details from physical ads compared to digital ads.  

So, it would make sense, that consumers who have interacted with your brand online before receiving a mailer are more likely to recognize your brand. Also, given more opportunities to engage with an offer or brand, consumers are far more likely to act.  

VisitIQ’s first party data technology makes it possible to now link digital advertising to targeted Direct Mail offers with identified, opted-in online consumers who have recently visited your website. Now you can capture and connect with your online website visitors faster and more efficiently than ever with VisitIQ’s data solutions. If you’d like to learn more about VisitIQ and how our solutions will amplify your Direct Mail marketing into the future, book a live demo today with one of our experts.

Privacy-First Solutions

VisitIQ Corporation provides a range of data marketing and consumer analytics products and services designed to help both for-profit and not-profit organizations, including marketing companies and platforms and their own clients, to market their goods and services in a relevant and efficient way. Our solutions are used to help marketing that occurs through direct mail, email, online, connected-TV and other marketing channels.

We take seriously the privacy interests of the individuals whose information we receive and share. Our Privacy Policy further describes how we use and manage that information, and what rights consumers must control how their information is used in marketing.