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Direct mail, be it the old-fashioned kind – snail mail – or that “newfangled” e-mail, is still one of the most effective marketing tools around. If you do it right.

Right audience

Sending your direct mail piece to the wrong set of people is probably the most common (and most costly) error made in mailings.

Unless the people on your mailing list have a desire or need for your product or service, they’re going to be a pretty tough sell. Offering Marlboro products to non-smokers just won’t work; I don’t care how great the copy is.

Right message

Before you start writing a direct mail piece, make a list of the three things you want someone to get from the contact. No more than three. Rank them. Now eliminate one.

At best, people are going to remember one or two things. If you want them to take action or remember a benefit, don’t muddy up your message. Be clear about the result you want. And then, don’t get in its way.

Right call to action

As you create a direct mail piece, you should know exactly what you want the recipient to do. Call for more information, log onto your Web site, bring the postcard in for a 20 percent discount – whatever.

But be reasonable. No one is going to call up and buy a $50,000 car after one postcard. Match your call to action with where the audience is at the moment.

Where do you need to improve your direct mail offerings? Which one of these steps could have the most impact on your return on investment?

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and blogs at www.drewsmarketingminute.com. He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com. © 2009 Drew McLellan