1. Your Most Valuable Asset

A mailing list of valued customers is the single most important asset you have. Loyal customers will spend an average of five times more in your business than new customers. Plus it costs ten times more to acquire a new customer.
When choosing a mailing list, first identify your best customer. What is their age, income level, and geography?
Then identify your "perfect" customer. Select mailing lists which match your perfect customer profile.
If you're selling business to business, select the type of business, number of employees and geography, then tailor your message to this audience. ... full article

Where to Start:
Most novice marketers have definite fixed ideas about direct mail that are way off base - most often in the area of what to spend and how much to do. You should determine what you are able to spend for your marketing budget, spend it, and determine the maximum number of leads that you can create. For instance, I've heard this statement quite often: "We aren't that large of a company. How could we send out 2,000 postcards all at once?" because "What if they all call?" – seems like a valid concern, right? ... full article

Which pulls the best response, a postcard, a self-mailer or a letter? The answer, you'll be irritated to know, is clear. It depends. The success of your mailing depends on who you mail to (your list), what you promise (your offer), when you mail (your timing), and what you mail (your format and creative). Here are a few questions to ask yourself to decide which format is likely the best one to use for your next mailing. ... full article