TWENTY YEARS ago we were designing and implementing direct mail campaigns so often we were dreaming about it in our sleep. With the advent of electronic advertising, direct mail fell by the wayside. 

Now nearly every business has some sort of e-marketing program in place — either e-mail, banner advertising, Google Adwords, Facebook or others. As a result many companies have forgotten completely about direct mail. So the question is — is it worth another look?                                                                                                                                        

Think about your mailbox these days. It's nowhere nearly as cluttered as it was ten years ago.

Now think about what you email inbox looks like. Yikes!
The flight from direct mail is your best excuse to use it now. A well-designed campaign will receive more attention than it has for decades because it has so little to compete against. The positives of direct mail are still valid:

• It's information-rich.
• Your prospects have your message literally in their hands, making it more motivating and actionable.
• Unlike electronic advertising, direct mail isn't just present for a moment; people can hang on to it indefinitely.
• Designed and sent properly, it will reach nearly every eyeball you send it to.

Done right, direct mail can be a powerful tool for increasing business from new and existing clients. Done wrong, it can be an expensive mistake that may scare you from ever trying it again.

So how do you do it right?

Great databases make great campaigns
Make sure that your database is clean, sorted and with good recency (you've communicated with them within the last year). If you've been sorting your clients and prospects by interest, consider how printing custom, targeted messages to individual market segments might increase your success.

If you're buying a list, use a professional who lives near enough that you could potentially dope-slap them if they give you a bad list. If you really want to handle it on your own, try to stick with the biggies, like Experian or Dun and Bradstreet. Consider your targets carefully. If your target is B-to-B you may want to purchase your list sorted for things like years in business, geography or SIC code to qualify the list as much as possible.

Clean that list! Use a good mail shop and have them a) remove any duplicates. and b) send it through the National Change of Address (NCOA) registry. That way anyone who has moved recently will still get your mailing.

Have realistic expectations
Well-designed mailings with a strong offer get results, but don't expect more than between 3 and 15 percent response from existing clients or between 0.5 and 1 percent from prospects. Also, even a cleaned purchased list will likely only achieve 95% deliverability. Ask your mail shop for a postal reciept to verify how many pieces actually went out.

Use an experienced designer
Graphic designers with years of experience will be able to create a visually compelling piece with the proper word and graphic density, legibility and a built-in response vehicle. This is not the sort of job to try out an amateur.

Present a strong offer
Here's where so many companies go wrong. Making your offer truly compelling is crucial to the success of your campaign. Make sure that your offer is generous enough to generate interest and worded in a way that is instantly understandable.

For example offers have gotten a 40 percent lower response rate when they were worded “15 Percent Off” compared to an offer that said “$15 Off.” Both offers could cost the business the same amount when structured right, but one elicits a significantly higher response rate than the other.

Here's a strong offer checklist:

1. Make it concise and easy to understand.
2. Give it a high perceived value. Don't be cheap.
3. Avoid over-used market lingo. Clearly stating your offer respects your audience.
4. Test it! Split a small test mailing to see which headline or concept resonates or test it in person with your audience using a reputable marketing agency. (ahem!)

Measure your results
There are many ways to track the results of your campaign, including offer redemption codes, custom phone numbers, custom web landing pages and so on. Use them! Advertising without tracking is unnecessary and risky. Companies that track learn how to get results with the least expense.

Naturally, Brainstorm Marketing would love it if you considered us to help you with either direct mail or any other marketing vehicle. Contact us at:

GIFT GIVING builds goodwill, can be an incentive, communicates a message and creates awareness. When thinking about giveaways for your next trade show, consider the following ten questions.

1. What do you want to achieve by giving away a premium item?
Give-away items should be designed to communicate, motivate, promote or increase recognition and memorability. The premium and the message should make an impact.

2. How will you select your premium item?
With so many items available, your challenge is to find one which will best suit your purpose and meet your objective. Do you want it to enhance a theme, convey a specific message or educate your target audience? Remember that your company’s image is reflected in the choice you make.

3. Whom do you want to receive your premium?
Having a clear objective for your premium item will also help determine who should receive it. Consider having different gifts for different types of visitors – quality gifts for key customers and prospects and a lesser valued item for general customers.

4. How does your marketing giveaway tie into your marketing theme?
Look for an item that naturally complements your marketing message. Have the message clearly imprinted on the item along with your company name, logo and phone number. Remembering who the gift was from, long after the fact, is key.

5. What is your budget?
Premium items vary considerably in price. Quality, quantity and special orders affect pricing. Consider using the same item for several different shows to save on quantity discounts.

6. What must visitors do to qualify for a gift item?
You can use your premium effectively in several ways. For example, as a reward for visitors participating in demonstration, presentation or contest, as a token of appreciation when visitors give you qualifying information about their specific needs, as a thank you for stopping at the display. Avoid leaving items out for anyone to take as this diminishes value and has little or no memorability factor.

7. Will your giveaways directly help your future sales?
Hand out a discount coupon or a gift certificate that requires future contact with your company for redemption. Consider premiums that will help generate frequent visits to customers and prospects, such as calling you for free refills. Make your premium work for you and it will be money well invested.

8. How does your premium item complement your exhibiting goals?
Premiums can be used to pre-qualify your prospects. One company uses playing cards. Prior to the show, they send "kings" to key customers, "queens" to suppliers and "jacks" to new or hot prospects. They request that the cards are brought to the display in exchange for aspecial gift. When the prospect visits the trade show display and cards are presented, the display staff already know certain visitor information. They then act on previous knowledge and use their time more productively.

9. How to inform your target audience about your giveaway items?
Novel or useful giveaways can actively draw prospects to your display. Send a "tickler" invitation with details of the giveaway or create a two-piece premium, sending one partout to key prospects prior to the show telling them to collect the other half at your display.

10. How will you measure the effectiveness of your premium?
Establish a tracking mechanism to measure the success of your giveaway. Code redemption items so you know they resulted from the show. Post-show follow-up could include a question about the premium, such as "did visitors remember receiving it and how useful was it?" After the show, critique the giveaway with your team. Did it draw specific prospects to the display? Was it eye-catching enough to persuade passers-by to stop? Did your customers find it useful? Did it project the right corporate image?

1. Plan your strategy
Planning is the key to the success of your pre-show direct mail campaign. There are many facets in the planning process, including the product/service, the offer, the media, the communications format and an evaluation of the results. Your direct mail campaign should be used in conjunction with other pre-show promotional activities such as advertising, telemarketing, press relations, etc.

2. Select the product, service, or event to promote
Decide which product, service, or event is most likely to attract visitors to your trade show exhibit. For the best response, keep your promotion simple and easy to understand.

3. Establish objectives
Write down the objectives for your promotion. Make sure they tie into your established trade show objectives and marketing strategy. Think about the response you want as well as the result you can realistically hope to achieve.

4. Target your audience
Target the people you want to respond to your mailing. Think about their interests and concerns. If you are promoting to different markets, you often have to reach multiple buying influences within each company. Consider tailoring your message to the appropriate audience.

5. Locate qualified mailing lists
Your mailing list is the most important factor in determining whether your mailing will be successful. Often, who you mail to is equally, if not more important, than what you mail. Your very best mailing list is your own in-house list made up of current and past customers, and interested prospects. If you consider buying a list, consider your secondary, as well as your primary markets. Merge the registration list from show management with your in-house list to avoid mailing duplicates.

6. Choose a format, tone and style
Your goal should be threefold: to get your piece opened, to get it read, and to get the reader to take action. Think about using envelope teasers, attention-grabbing headlines, offers, testimonials, benefit charts or response coupons. Consider size, color, whether it will contain a reply mechanism, or be just a simple postcard. Distinctive color and shape will improve your mailing's effectiveness.

7. Highlight your uniqueness
Successful copy focuses on one key message. Highlight your uniqueness and competitive advantage by stressing the benefit that is most important to your customer. When writing copy, use the Who, What, Where, When, and How exercise. Five times as many people read headlines as read body copy, so say something important.

8. Create an incentive
An enticing offer will give prospects a reason to visit your display. The incentive will only be meaningful and irresistible if it is linked to a direct benefit for your prospect and only made available at the show by redeeming the offer at your stand. Often two-part mailings entice attendees to visit your trade show exhibit. This usually consists of a premium item that is sent in two parts. The first half is sent prior to the show. If the visitor wants the second half of the item, they must collect it at your booth, during the show.

​9. Schedule your mailings
Timing is critical to your show mailings. Consider the need for a single or a series of mailings. Plan a realistic timeline for your campaign. Use pre-sorting to save on postage. Take advantage of show management's promotional materials. Purchase pre-printed postcards for pre-show mailings.

10. Track your success
The best way to measure your mailing success is to establish a tracking system. Use a code on each mailing. As part of your incentive offer, encourage visitors to bring the mailing to your display in exchange for a gift.

11. Alternatives to direct mail
Some additional ways to promote your show or event include email, web banners, and magazine advertisements.