Aiming to bolster a floundering medium, the United States Postal Service has launched a direct mail marketing campaign that targets small businesses. The USPS' Every Door Direct Mail initiative will enable small firms to target local consumers with mailings without the necessity of purchasing a mailing list.

The new campaign instead will allow companies to leverage delivery route information to target consumers. Rather than addressing mail pieces directly to a specific person, they will instead go to "Postal Customer," "Residential Customer," or "PO Boxholder."

"Every Door Direct Mail is ideal for restaurants, doctors' offices, hair salons – or any kind of local business that is not currently using the mail," said Paul Vogel, president and chief marketing/sales officer in a statement. "Direct mail has strengths other advertising media can't claim – it's personal, tangible, portable (to re-read later and share with others), manageable and measureable."

Recently, the USPS has launched multiple initiatives to help save the direct mail industry. Targeting early adopters of technology, the USPS is encouraging marketers to include digital efforts on its initiatives by putting quick response codes on envelopes. Those who do will receive 3 percent off mailing costs.