To send direct mail, you have several options. You can label and mail your piece yourself, or hire a mail house to do it for you. Even if you choose to label and mail yourself, you can still buy a mailing list from the mail house. To purchase a mailing list, look under "mailing services" in the yellow pages.

To target your list, give the mail house the demographics of your target audience -- their household income range, ages, education level, etc. If you aren't familiar with demographics, the Claritas You Are Where You Live and US Census sites provide a lot of information to help you determine your demographic target.

• Before you print your mail piece, make sure it fits within United States Postal Service guidelines. For example, your design must allow space for a barcode. Also, on a post card, you must leave space on the back right side for the recipient address. (This may sound silly, but more than one overzealous, novice designer has forgotten the address space.) You can read about many of the regulations in the Business Mail 101 section of the USPS web site. Another option is to take the final draft of your mail piece to the post office and ask if it meets all regulations.
• If you're planning a large mailing, consider using bulk mail rates. That's a detailed topic I can't cover here. Go to or visit your local post office for information. Do keep in mind, that when you use bulk mail or imprinted postage, some direct mail experts feel it cheapens the perception of the piece and reduces the "read" rate. Some suggest only using postage stamps. You can compare the postage costs of both approaches and determine the approach you think is best.
• When you send direct mail, time it to arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday. Avoid Monday, Friday or holidays. You want to send direct mail at a time when mail volume is lighter.

After You Send Direct Mail. . .Follow Up!

• Direct mail is most effective if you can follow it with a phone call. Ask the recipients if they received the mailing and if they have any questions. Be cautious though. Make sure you are complying with the national do not call registry before you call anyone. Also, some states have their own do not call registry. Make sure you aren't violating any laws with a follow up phone call.
• After you send direct mail, and someone responds, act quickly. If they call, return the call right away. If they request literature, don't delay in sending it. This is your opportunity to make a good impression.

Measure Your Results

• Like I said earlier, the great benefit when you send direct mail is the ease of measuring response rates. In your planning phase, you should have identified your "measures of success." Track those items on a spreadsheet. You could be tracking new customers, products sold, phone inquiries received or an increase in sales.
• To track results of postcards, ask the recipient to bring the card in for a discount or to enter a special code if ordering online.
• An ROI (Return on Investment) calculator can tell you if your direct mail efforts have paid off. The USPS site has a very easy to use ROI Calculator.

A Few Final Direct Mail Tips

• When you receive a response to mailing, even if that person doesn't buy, make SURE to add that person to future mailing lists.
• Send direct mail in a series, instead of sending just one mailing. If you're having a grand opening, start with that. Then announce a new product or service. Follow with notice of a sale. Remind customers of existing services. Just keep a consistent look with each piece.
• Instead of mailing to different people each time, send three or more pieces to the same people over the course of six months to a year. If they don't respond in that time, you might consider re-evaluating your demographic criteria and removing some people from your list. If you still feel comfortable the people on your list are solid prospects, leave them on. Perhaps the "right time" for them to buy hasn't arrived yet.

A good direct mail response rate should be in the 2% to 4% range. It can be higher with a special offer and strong call to action. If your response is less, don't get discouraged. Begin with smaller mailings. Test and refine. Try different variations of design, message and timing until you determine the combination that works for you.