Direct Mail - Thing of the past?

I believe direct mail is not necessarily a thing of the past, but should be used only in very specific circumstances. It should be used as a branding tool more than a sales tool. In some situations for some businesses it may be good to send a mass direct mail to introduce the business to the community. This can include a special offer, however, it is to let people know who and where you are in the community.

If direct mail fits what you need, I recommend small very bright colored post cards for direct mail. It should give enough information that the consumer knows what you are selling.

If you are going to collect information from your customers and send them information on a regular basis, the best tool to accomplish this is with emails. The ROI for direct mail has steadily decreased as the cost of mailing has increased. The ROI for email marketing is increasing. You can collect all the mailing address information if you want too, but you better get that emial address.

Don't throw away all of your direct mail information just yet - but - there are better more productive ways to accomplish what direct mail has done in the past.

Check out this article - some good information about direct mail.
http://www.businessknowhow.com/directmail/ideas/smallbusiness.htm