When you are marketing for a college or university, it is easy to focus solely on the student. But that is only part of the story. Parents are often just as involved, especially when it comes to making decisions and writing the checks. Thanks to USPS Informed Delivery® data, you can see exactly who is paying attention at home.

📩 Take a look at a real USPS return file. One field to notice is called Email_Cnt. It shows how many digital previews were delivered to each household.

If more than one email address is listed, there is a good chance an adult such as a parent also viewed your message.

That’s a critical insight, because:

  • 🎯 Parents are the financial decision-makers
  • 💡 They are usually the ones encouraging students to take action
  • 📅 They pay attention to deadlines, timelines, and tuition details

📈 Why It Matters for Higher Education Marketing

USPS return data gives you more than confirmation that a piece was delivered. It offers a strategic advantage.

With it, agencies and institutions can:

  • ✅ Confirm physical delivery timing
  • ✅ Track digital preview engagement
  • ✅ See who clicked and when
  • ✅ Differentiate student vs. parent activity

 

📊 Real-World Scenario

A university mailed 80,000 postcards with a QR code linking to a virtual open house.

USPS return data showed:

  • 29,600 preview emails sent
  • 16,280 opened (55% open rate)
  • 500 QR code clicks
  • Most deliveries occurred on a Tuesday

 

This raises smart questions:

  • 📅 Should we keep mailing on Tuesdays?
  • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Are households with multiple emails more responsive?
  • 📱 Can we use this for A/B testing?

💼 How EdgeMark Helps Higher Education Agencies

At EdgeMark Partners, we help colleges and their marketing teams get more out of USPS Informed Delivery data. Here is how we do it:

✔️ We connect Informed Delivery to your full campaign strategy

✔️ We help you see the difference between parent and student engagement

✔️ We build dashboards that link mail activity to enrollment results

 🔍 Final Thoughts

USPS Informed Delivery is more than a digital preview. It is a tool that helps your message reach both students and the people supporting their future.

If your campaigns are not using this kind of insight, you are missing an opportunity to connect with the full decision-making team.

📬 Ready to make your mail work harder?

Let’s talk. 🌐 Visit our contact page.

EdgeMark Partners helps agencies turn direct mail into enrollment action that drives results.