Direct Mail Marketing Resource Center

Created by Brandon Cornett

Direct mail marketing is often referred to as the "workhorse of marketing." That's because direct mail is a proven marketing medium with a long history of delivering results.

But like any form of marketing, direct mail delivers success as well as failure. In direct mail marketing, success or failure depends largely on research, planning and execution. That's where this resource comes into the picture.

Direct Mail Marketing Resources
This resource center is designed to help you with the first phase of a direct mail marketing campaign — the research phase. We have broken this page up to represent the many components of a direct mail campaign (mailing lists, copywriting, testing, logistics, etc.). Under each section, we offer a brief introduction followed by links to what you really want — a wealth of resources to help you learn about direct mail marketing success.

So without further ado, we offer the following direct mail resources.

1. Product Positioning
Some people start their direct mail marketing discussions with design and logistics. Not me. I start with the product or service itself. Why? Because when you have a product or service worth shouting about, your direct mail marketing will be more successful.

Great products start with R&D, of course, but we won't go quite that far back. We will start this direct mail marketing tutorial with product positioning — specifically, how to use direct mail to differentiate your product and accentuate its positive point.

The following articles and resources will help you strengthen your direct mail marketing through effective product positioning.

• Positioning Your Product or Service
• How to Position a Product
• Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind (book summary)
• Market Effectively with Solution Positioning

2. Direct Mail Letters vs. Postcards
Once you've determined the best way to position your product or service, one of your next decisions will be direct mail letter vs. postcard. Much of your direct mail marketing success will hinge on this decision, so you'll want to base your decision on best practices and relevant statistics. Here are some resources to help you decide between direct mail postcards and letters.

• Postcard vs. Sales Letter: A Case Study
• Reduce Direct Marketing Costs with Postcards
• Should You Use Postcards or Envelopes?

3. Direct Mail Lists
It is often said that in direct mail marketing, the list is more than a way to reach your audience - the list is your audience. Your direct mail success will depend, in large part, on the relevance and accuracy of your mailing list. The following resources will help you find, select and utilize the best direct mail list for your marketing objectives.

• How to Build an In-House Mailing List
• Mailing List Brokers: 3 Traits to Look for
• Fundraising Mailing Lists: Working with List Brokers
• InfoUSA (List / Data Company)
• Melissa Data (List / Data Company)
• USA Data (List / Data Company)
• More Mailing List Companies

4. Parts of a Direct Mail Kit
Assuming you've chosen a direct mail letter over a postcard, you will next have to decide what to put into the envelope. Just a letter? Coupons? Brochures or other inserts? How much is enough, and how much is too much? The resources below will help you choose the best ingredients for your direct mail marketing kit.

• Deciding What to Insert
• 9 Ways to Improve Your Outer Envelope
• Do Label Packages Work?

5. Direct Mail Copywriting
If the logistics are the skeleton of direct mail marketing, the message is the heart. Direct mail copywriting is a special skill that's part creative, part analytical, and all business. In other words, direct mail copywriting is not for the untrained. The following resources will help you determine what to put into your direct mail message, and where to go for professional help.

• 7 Tips for Direct Mail Headlines
• Specifics Outsell Generalities
• Direct Mail Copywriter's Checklist
• The Fundamentals Of Persuasive Writing

6. Measuring Direct Mail Response Rates
The key to long-term direct mail success is to repeat the successful mailings, improve upon them, repeat them again, improve upon them again, etc. But the only way to improve direct mail response rates is by testing and tracking. You have to measure results for campaign #1 to know if campaign #2 was better or worse. Here are some informative resources to help you measure your direct mail marketing success.

• Measuring the Return on Your Direct Mail Investment
• Estimating Direct Mail Response
• Testing B2B Direct Mail Offers
• What Should I Test?
• Measuring Your Direct Mail Success
• 11 Rules for Testing Direct Mail Creative

7. Additional Direct Mail Resources
Here are some additional resources we found while creating this page. These are items that don't fit squarely into one of the categories above.

• Direct Marketing Services Buyers Guide
• Direct Mail Tips for Sophisticated Marketers
• DirectMailQuotes.com - Bids on Mailing Services
• 10 Most Important Things About Direct Mail
• Direct Mail Fundraising Books
• DMA Job Bank - Direct Marketing Jobs
• Direct Marketing White Papers
• Rethinking Postcards