Is snail mail dead? Has digital media replaced it? Will mobile media rule the world? Personally, I think they all work together. Traditional advertising including print, outdoor boards (billboards for those not in the industry), and direct mail will continue to be a vital part of the marketing mix. As I constantly say, you need to have both an online and offline marketing strategy. You will still delight in finding a personalized “pitch” delivered right to your doorstep (okay, maybe not during an ice and snow storm in Dallas, Texas…), you will still have something to read when you’re stuck in a traffic jam and your smartphone battery has died. Both will lead you to other kinds of media: a QR code that leads you to a promotion on the web, a web address that leads you to a new product, etc. That is what is so great about print, what happens in print doesn’t stay in print.

When you open your mailbox at your home (you know the one in front of your house) you find less and less mail. More and more of us receive all our bills and catalogs online, thus making anything we receive in our mailbox worthy of a once over. A targeted direct mail piece can get excellent results in this environment. With the capabilities to “slice and dice” lists today you can get very specific. Do you want to send a mailing to people who have just registered at bridal registries? That have an income over $575,000? That live in a ritzy zip code? That are vegan? (okay that last one is a bit tougher to get… I have someone who can get you a list with all those things. As Andrea from Mailers Haven told me “I have done a list with vegan as a demographic qualifier!” You can contact her at andrea@mailershaven.com. No matter what kind of list you are looking for she will be able to help you, she is awesome!).

When I put together a complete campaign I determine the marketing strategy and make sure that it ties in directly with your existing ongoing online and offline marketing plans. Then I bring in the big guns, I work closely with direct mail experts like the folks over at iPresort – Cam and Shaun Swegman (@iPresort on Twitter) to make sure that everything is done to the United States Postal Service specs. Not only do Cam and Shaun know all the ins and outs of the latest postal regulations, they work closely with us to make sure that everything is spot on. As Cam says: “Targeted mail is relevant to the addressee and more likely to capture their attention. It’s our job to make sure that carefully crafted message gets delivered at the best postage rates available.”

Remember adding direct mail into your marketing mix can be done economically, can reach your “exact audience” and can have the “call to action” that brings you the new client you’ve been looking for!