“On May 11 the price for a 1-ounce First-Class Mail stamp will increase from 42¢ to 44¢. Prices for other mailing services — Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services (including Parcel Post), and Extra Services — will also change. The average increase by class of mail is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index”. – USPS

For those of you still using “Snail Mail” almost exclusively, it’s time to pony up again.

The United States Postal Service is raising rates. This time the increase is from .42 to .44 for a First Class Stamp.

Here’s How the First Class Mail Rates have been increasing in the US since 1958:

August 1, 1958 -  4¢
January 7, 1963 -  5¢
January 7, 1968 -  6¢
May 16, 1971  -  8¢
September 14, 1975 -- 10¢
December 31, 1975 -  13¢
May 29, 1978  -- 15¢
March 22, 1981 -  18¢
November 1, 1981 -  20¢
February 17, 1985 -  22¢
April 3, 1988  -  25¢
February 3, 1991 -  29¢
January 1, 1995 -   32¢
January 10, 1999 -  33¢
January 7, 2001 -  34¢
July 1, 2001 -  34¢
June 30, 2002  -  37¢
January 8, 2006 -  39¢
May 14, 2007 -   41¢
May 12, 2008  -  42¢
May 11, 2009  -  44¢

Are you marketing your Business with Snail Mail?

Why not mail a CD or DVD with a link to your website?

Load the disc up with some great discounts and special offers for your prospect, and you’re less likely to end up in the trash bin.

You may also want to consider mailing Post Cards, since they can be even more effective than direct mail letters. And of course, it’s much less expensive to mail a post-card.

Heading to the Post Office between now and May 11?

Do yourself a favor, and pick up a handful of Forever Stamps.

Check out “Going Postal 2009”.

Is Snail Mail still worth it today? What do you think?

We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.  ~Albert Einstein

Greetings Fellow Earthlings,

In honor of Earth Day 2009, we have initiated our “Green Scheme” – to do our part in reducing Paper Waste and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Item 1. We have terminated the printing of paper business cards for our Staff. Instead of printed business cards, we now distribute business card sized Multimedia CD-ROMs.

Item 2. We have discontinued the printing of our brochures. The last of our printed brochures was mailed on March 12, 2009. To outline our services, we simply use our CD Business Card – which also has one-click access to our website.

Item 3. For much of our printing/faxing/mailing, we use 100% Recycled Paper and Envelopes. Our “brown bag” envelopes may not be pretty, but they are very Earth Friendly!

Item 4. We now print and mail invoices upon request only. Our standard procedure will be to create your invoice as a secure digital document (PDF) and to email it to the appropriate contact. If you prefer a paper invoice – please tell us.

Item 5. We launched this Blog today -- in honor of Earth Day!

Don’t forget your free subscription via RSS or Email.

Happy Earth Day From Studio Logic Multimedia.