You want more exposure in the marketplace and someone has suggested that you consider direct mail as an option.

Direct mail is a marketing tool that uses the mail service to deliver a printed promotional piece to a group of people. Promotional pieces can include newsletters, sales letters, brochures, catalogues and/or cards.

The main advantage of direct mail is that it enables you to control who receives your message, when it is delivered, what’s in the envelope and how many people you reach.

To maximise this advantage, there are a number of steps you should consider when preparing your direct mail campaign:

1. What is the objective of your campaign? Is it to build brand awareness or is it to create a call-to-action mail item. For example, a newsletter containing stories will build brand awareness, whereas a Coles sales catalogue illustrating what they have to offer, pricing and specials is a call-to-action mail piece.

2. Who do you want to communicate with? That is, who is your target audience? Do you want to send the item to all and sundry (and hope that something sticks)? Or do you want to reach a particular audience? For example, adults/women/doctors who live in a specific post code.

3. What is the best way to reach your target? There are two types of direct mail – unaddressed mail and addressed mail.

An example of unaddressed mail is the Coles sales brochure that you receive in your letter box. Addressed mail is when a business creates or acquires a database that enables it to send marketing material personally addressed to the recipient. Either method works (or why would Coles continue to use this style of promotion), and the method you select will depend on your answers to steps 1 and 2.

NB: If you choose to use addressed mail, you will need to either create a database or purchase one. Either way you need to pay particular attention to the privacy laws surrounding acquiring and/or the use of mailing databases (visit http://www.privacy.gov.au/ for more information).

4. The content of the direct mailing item must grab the attention of your target market. This can be achieved in a number of ways, such as catchy headlines, a well-designed cover, a special offer, an unusual-shaped mail piece or the quality of the mailing piece. Remember, the item is about your audience, not you.

Now you have answered Why, Who, How and What, the last step is to make sure you have the systems in place to cope with the response.

Direct mail can be a very cost-effective method to communicate with your target audience. Remember, a direct mail campaign needs to be well planned and executed to achieve the desired results.