Marketing 101 with direct mail:

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Direct mail, direct response, whatever you name it, still provides one of the most guaranteed methods of reaching a prospect. Email marketing is completely over sold, unless - UNLESS - it's an opt-in program. SPAM email marketing is dead.

Therefore, this is a great area to invest. Multi-channel, targeted, individualized communications will reach their recipient (not so with email necessarily) AND if done correctly, will generate a response. If the value is there, they will take action.

However, one fatal mistake print customers make is to underestimate the number hits it takes in order to solicit the response they are looking for. One postcard with an offer may not be enough (and generally isn't) to capture the attention and achieve the behavior necessary for the prospect to take action. I see this happen all the time.

There are many other factors, here are a few:

• Of course value is key. Does the recipient understand and recognize the value that you are offering? Is the message clear? Is there an action that is required?
• Targeted messaging. Is the offer something that the recipient can use, IE: is it valuable to them? EX: Selling a skiing trip to a retired senior versus selling a cruise. EX: Selling a Minivan to a single man versus selling a Mustang. EX: Selling life insurance to a teenager versus selling life insurance to a 40 something father of three. Does your communication piece 'speak to them'? If mailing to seniors, you need to have larger fonts, easier to read layout, images that relate to them... etc. Younger people want to look at younger people and have designs/fonts etc. more to their likes/dislikes. One set of content/layout/design templates will not be as effective.
• Timing. This is almost always overlooked. For maximum response, the message has to be timed correctly. If you send me a coupon for my oil change right after I just had my oil changed, then the likelihood I would respond would be low. However, if I am supposed to enroll in my 401K prior to July 31st then a 'campaign' of communications perhaps beginning as early as May and continuing through early July in order to have the forms filled out, the payroll withdrawals set, etc. would be effective. Other things that relate to timing include frequency of communications and seasonal opportunities.
• Preferred method of communication. If you can capture this, it is extremely valuable. Would the recipient prefer an email? a web link? a postcard? a phone call? This can really dramatically improve the response rate and close percentages of business. I found very few mailing campaigns captured this type of information.
• Response tracking, recipient validation and follow up. This is an obvious one. Who responded to the mailing? What action did they take or not take? Did you give them a chance to update their contact data? Did you give them a chance to request a follow up call?
• Couple direct mail with cross media tools such as opt in landing pages (GURLs) and personalized landing pages (PURLs) and you have the ability to add metrics to your campaign. These tools allow for a two way conversation with your prospect by collecting information voluntarily such that future communications are refined to topics relevant to their interests.
• QR Codes also allow for measurable data as well as access to the “Holy Grail” of personal contact...the Mobile Phone. QR Codes can link printed documents to all sorts of social media sites, opt in landing pages and even video messages. This is an exciting connection between the physical world of print and the virtual world of the internet.