• Direct Mail Marketing Tips & Ideas

    Direct mail marketing is one of the oldest and most reliable forms of marketing. It can be used to support any type of marketing objective, from lead generation to sales. But you have to do it right. If you rush into it without any planning or research, you'll probably just end up wasting time and money.

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    And that's where we come in. PostcardSmart.com has been offering direct-mail marketing tips, strategies and ideas since 2005. We can help you get the most out of your campaigns by using best practices that have been refined and built upon for decades.

    Reasons to Use Direct Mail

    So what's so great about direct mail marketing, anyway? Why have we dedicated an entire website to the principles and best practices of this marketing strategy? Here are some of the benefits of using letters and postcards to grow your business.

    Disclaimer: Postcards and letters can be an effective way to promote your business. Statistics have proven this time and time again. Still, it's not for everyone. Direct mail marketing isn't right for every business model. But it does work for most of them. It's up to you to determine whether or not it's right for you. We can show you how to get the most out of your mailings, with helpful tips and ideas. But the initial decision is yours alone.

    With that disclaimer out of the way, let's talk about the benefits:

    • Proven -- Direct mail marketing has been around nearly as long as the Postal Service. There's a good reason for this. It works! If it didn't work, you wouldn't still be receiving letters and postcards from marketers.
    • Versatile -- PostcardSmart founder Brandon Cornett used to say, "Show me a business objective, and I'll show you a way that direct mail can support it." Postcards and letters can support almost every business model or marketing objective. Financial services companies use them to attract new clients, and to get new business from old clients. Painters and landscapers use them to land jobs in newly built neighborhoods. Consultants use them. Real estate agents use them. The list goes on and on.
    • Cost Effective -- Most direct mail and printing companies have some kind of minimum order for marketing pieces. But these minimums should still fall within your budget. Postcards and other self-mailers are the cheapest form. Letter kits are more expensive. And catalogs cost the most. But you can build a mailing around any marketing budget. It's totally scalable.
    • Measurable -- You should only spend money on advertising you can track. Otherwise, you won't be able to calculate your return on investment. Direct mail marketing is easy to track. You can measure responses in a number of ways. One of the most common methods is to send the letter / postcard recipient to a special page of your website, or a phone number that has been set up for that purpose. You could also come right out and ask them: "How did you hear about us?" Simple.

    Today, there are new technologies available to help you get even more out of your direct-mail marketing program. These include data mining, customizable mailers and more.

    But the concepts behind the marketing pieces are the same. You still have to create a strong offer. You still have to appeal to the reader's emotions in some way. And you still need to establish a clear sales path, before you send your first letter or postcard. That's what we teach on this website. We offer tips and ideas to help you connect with your audience more effectively.

    Marketing Experience and Expertise

    This website was created by Brandon Cornett, a former copywriter with years of experience in the direct marketing industry. Brandon worked for two direct mail and printing companies, before starting his own marketing firm in 2006. He has managed or worked on more than 700 marketing campaigns over a seven-year period. And on this website, he shares all of his tips and strategies with you -- for free.

    Update, June 2011: We are currently restructuring the PostcardSmart website. Actually, that's an understatement. We are rebuilding the content from the ground up. Over the coming weeks, hundreds of direct-mail marketing tips and ideas will be added to the site. Come back often!