First impressions are everything. It’s an old idea, but it still holds true—people are only human, after all. And the same thing applies to a direct mail campaign – the envelope you use may not be high on your list of priorities, but it can make the difference between getting your mail shot read or dumped. Read More

  Knowing how often to send out a direct mail campaign is vital if you want to avoid fatigue among your target market. At the same time, however, you know the experts believe it takes seven hits before the typical consumer responds to a direct marketing offer. So how do you strike a healthy balance between not sending too many or too few? Here’s how to do it: Read More

  The common view of direct mail is one of a campaign that delivers marketing materials directly into the mailbox of potential customers. Usually, those customers are the consumers, and the idea of using the same method to reach business-to-business (B2B) clients simply doesn’t occur. That’s not entirely accurate, however, as marketers have found business mailing lists to be a powerful way to reach prospects and generate sales leads. Read More

  The words on every marketer’s lips these days are multi-channel marketing (MCM). This means the use of a combination of channels for reaching your target audience, and it works well when it incorporates traditional methods of direct marketing. As part of IKEA’s comprehensive integrated marketing plan, the furniture giant recently set out to “re-invigorate” the mailbox by leveraging digital channels. Read More

  Every industry uses marketing methods in different ways, and sometimes there are benefits to be gained from knowing what others are doing. The financial services industry makes good use of direct mail, particularly when marketing to millennials. This flies in the face of current thinking that younger audiences are only reachable through digital marketing channels, so we took a look at how the industry is doing it and how well it’s working. Read More

  With a tendency among marketers to consider direct mail a cost rather than an investment, far too many marketers try to do it on the cheap. That means using items such as self-mailers and postcards, when in fact you should be sending out a campaign with a classic, direct mail package accompanied by a letter. Why? Because tests usually show it delivers a much greater ROI than the cheaper options do. Read More

  For a lot of years, a lot of non-profit organizations—who historically use a lot of direct mail—have been troubled by the fact that their constituents are aging. Many have been told by consultants that they need to step up their efforts to recruit “new blood” to their cause. Read More

  These days it’s not enough to “send out a mailing.” No business can afford to spend money on marketing that doesn’t pull its weight. If you’re going to use direct mail, you need to make sure that what you send out generates a response. Read More

  In today’s market, any form of marketing has to pull its own weight. Businesses can’t afford to engage in marketing efforts that don’t produce. But calculating the effectiveness of your direct mail efforts can be a little more involved than it appears on the surface. How do you weigh the success of your efforts? Read More

  It’s important to use the right tool for the right purpose. Everybody knows that if your want to make an omelet; you have to break some eggs. But you probably wouldn’t use pliers to do it. It’s inefficient. You’d end up with a mess on your hands and egg shells everywhere (including in the omelet). It’s just not the right tool for the job. Read More