Whenever you make an offer, potential buyers always wonder why. This is part of what makes the "reason why" offer so popular. The problem is that many of this kind of offer makes no sense. Labor Day sales, Christmas savings and Washington's birthday deals certainly work, and consumers look forward to them. But since they're so routine, they lack power. Miss one sale, and you know another will roll along soon enough.

E-mail has matured and gained popularity among marketers, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it completely beats out postal mail. Two experts take sides in the debate

The rush to stand out in the mailbox, as well as advances in mail technology, has led some marketers to consider larger mailers. But are they worth it? Two experts examine options.

Most people love birthdays — the anticipation, the excitement, the gifts. But me? I've never really been into them, even as a child. However, after two of my creative directors received this birthday mailing from Anthropologie recently, I suddenly wished it were my birthday so that I could receive such a fantastic and memorable gift. So ... what's the big deal about this piece?

Most of us know the keys to direct marketing success are multifaceted and includes many — if not all — of the following techniques.
Define the goals of your program with a clear and concise call to action. Create and scrub your list.

My husband and I collect beautiful rugs, including our prized "Kerman," purchased from Area Rugs by Rugman. Imagine my shock back in 2006 to see our very own luscious Kerman rug featured on the cover of a tabbed self-mailer.

Whether retail or b-to-b, the economy and rising print and postal costs are crunching the catalog sector. Our experts assess what the future holds for the popular sales channel.

There has been a longstanding debate over whether to immediately act on leads or to nurture them before handing them off to sales. While it is understandable, there are, in practical terms, very few advantages to waiting before acting on a lead — especially in a down economy. I would like to share three quick reasons why calling leads immediately will better serve your company.

In reviewing my own mail over the past several months, in addition to all the e-mails and texting, I've notice a couple of things that have now become standard. One, I'm using less checks, because I'm paying all of my bills, with the exception of rent, online. As a result, that book of stamps that used to last less than a month now carries me through for quite some time. 
And that's the problem.

Direct mailers looking to cut costs while increasing effectiveness need look no further than cleansing and qualifying customer and prospect addresses. The solution goes further than simply utilizing address cleansing software, though. Instead, consider employing managed address services to avoid wasted costs and lower response rates resulting from undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail.