Today, direct marketing strategies (via mail, telephone, Internet and direct response) are important for businesses to approach, inform and retain customers, as well as provide customer relationship services.

Direct mail marketing involves sending out literature promoting products or services, such as brochures, leaflets and coupons, to a list of prescreened individuals. This list of potential customers is arrived at by compiling consumer and business mailing lists and sales leads, independently or using the offices of an outsourcer. The data needs to be accurate for successful returns on your direct marketing investment.

Building an effective mailing list can be made possible by contacting list brokers, trade associations, and local chambers of commerce; searching Internet directories; contacting list managers with magazines, trade journals and community newspapers; and communicating with homeowner associations.

Timing is vital for the success of any direct mail campaign. Spring is the best time of the year to send the mail out, since there is less mail traffic compared to the holidays. The lean period would be the holiday season in December, due to the heavy mail traffic, which makes it difficult for your marketing mail to be effective.

Apart from timing, a direct mail campaign also needs to make a strong impression on the prospect base. Per advertising guidelines, it takes at least six impressions before an average person can connect a product or service with a company’s marketing message.

The direct mail campaign needs to answer questions like how the consumer will benefit from the product, what the advantages are vis-à-vis the competitor’s product, whether the product can be purchased and used at any time, and if there is a bonus for immediate purchase, like a coupon or a gift.

The advertising materials could also include testimonials, or indicators that references from happy customers are available on request. Since one direct mail might get you zero responses, depending on the product type, repetition with consistency is also important.

In July 2005, the U.S. Postal System brought out guidelines on making the perfect bundle, to minimize the damage caused during transportation. Now direct marketing mail packages should not weigh more than 20 pounds, and if thicker than one inch need to be shrink-wrapped or double-banded.