With the continued increases in postage, the question has been raised again...Is Direct Mail Dead?

And it is not just the cost of postage. With the capabilities of email and Web 2.0, marketers everywhere have simply lost the love for direct mail. Still, while they may not look on direct mail as fondly as they once did, they have not given up on it all together. The DMA study released in June 2008 shows that 75% of marketers still use direct mail and that direct mail still surpasses email in the most important result of all--revenue generation.

So, while direct mail is not as easy...nor as cool...as it used to be, it can still be a vital piece of the marketing mix. Here are three considerations when using direct mail in today's environment:

1. Make it a blitz. We have always said frequency is key to a good direct mail campaign. It's perhaps even more true now. Consider sending your direct mail piece to the same list of contacts twice per week for a month, or more. The frequency/duration equation of this method will ensure awareness with your target list—and it is at a frequency you could not achieve with email or other vehicles. Prospects scream to UNSUBSCRIBE at a far greater rate than they scream DO NOT MAIL.

2. Follow-up on those that respond. While on the surface this is nothing new, there is a twist. Traditionally, marketers would send out a mail piece and then have sales follow-up with a call. Now, a better approach is to follow-up with a second more valuable offer via direct mail and/or email. As an example, your first mail may have an offer for a free report/white paper/article, while your second mailer (only to those that respond to the first) would offer a free trial, executive team seminar, or discount on purchase.

3. Clean up your database! This is old school. And yet, most marketing teams do not do it. In the "new world" it is even more important. As you conduct your mail campaigns, be sure to clean up your lists for bad addresses after EACH mailing. In fact, consider a call down prior to the first mailing to ensure those you mail to are accurate/active contacts. Money is wasted in sending multiple mail pieces to a bad address or contact. With each mailer, update or delete bad records. And once your campaign duration is completed, sort out those that never responded and determine a plan of action for what your next steps with this group will be (delete, phone, return to next campaign,etc.)

While not what it once was, direct mail is still a great vehicle. Perhaps even more so now that many marketers are neglecting to use it. Put it in the mix, adjust for the times, remember the general direct mail rules that still ring true, and you'll be golden. As you embark on your direct mail efforts, consider our tool, The Direct Mail Guide, to help you achieve success.

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