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Direct mail can be one of the most effective marketing tools around, or one of the most ineffective. Which end of the spectrum your project falls on usually depends on the depths of your preparation. It’s sort of a “measure twice, cut once” kind of thing.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself before you embark on any direct-mail project:

• What do you want the recipient to do? Ask for more information? Visit a Web site? Take a survey? Buy something? Or are you just trying to raise awareness?

• Are there graphic standards you need to be mindful of as you design the piece? Is it going to be a self-mailer or do you need to consider envelope sizes?

• What are the legal mandatories you need to honor? Are there terms and limitations? Copyright? Contract language? Do you need to have a legal review before you create final files?

• How will responses come in? Phone? Mail? E-mail? Web site? Who is recording and tracking the responses? Is your fulfillment system ready? Has it been tested?

• Can you translate the product’s features into benefits that matter to your audience? What is the most critical takeaway? If the audience only remembers one thing, what do you want it to be?

• Are you in compliance with postal regulations? When in doubt, make a trip down to your local post office’s direct-mail division. They’re happy to review a mock-up, offer suggestions and verify that you’re within the legal limits.

Remember, “measure twice, cut once” and reap the benefits. By asking yourself these questions up front, you’ll save yourself countless headaches and costly mistakes.

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and blogs at www.drewsmarketingminute.com. He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com. © 2007 Drew McLellan