If you’ve just begun advertising your business, it can be easy to discount the effectiveness of direct mail. After all, with so many forms of electronic marketing, does printed advertising make sense? The simple answer is yes. The Direct Mail Association’s 2010 Response Rate Trend Report shows that direct mail had a 3.42% response rate, compared to an email’s 1.73% conversion rate.

Why does this occur? For email, more prospects can be addressed, but problems such as spam email filters, old email address, and the lesser case of urgency could result in a lost lead. Direct mail cost more initially, but can have a better return on investment. As the upfront costs for printing and postage increase, companies must chose their recipient list wisely. A good mailing list is critical to the effectiveness of direct mail. Your company can collect customer information through product registration or surveys. If you don’t have time to generate a mailing list, you can also purchase one from a reliable provider.

Once you have the proper list, carefully consider the message and the design of your mailing piece. If your company has been doing marketing online, then consider making the printed mailers to match. Don’t skimp on the design, since a poorly design mailer can turn customers away. Be sure to choose the right images, fonts, and message. Also consider the size and shape of your mailer, since this will affect postage rates.

Printed mailers can also be an integrated part of an online marketing campaign. Consider utilizing a mailer to offer special discounts that can be accessed via coupon code or a secret URL on to offer customers further discounts.

Direct mail still has a place in our modern society and will continue to, as long as people still respond to the tactile feeling of paper. Direct mail isn’t an analog to email blasts, but rather a more traditional and completely different way to reach your customers.

[Photo: Laineys Repertoire]