The first key element in direct mail advertising is the list. If you're mailing to past or existing customers then your list is ideal. They know who you are and how good your product or service is. (More on lists here.)

The second element is your promotional mail piece. Is it professional looking? Was it printed or just photocopied? Are the folded edges crisp or does it look sloppy? This piece represents you and a mail piece that looks like "junk," regardless of what your offer is, will be treated that way. Even if you've forgotten everything from Marketing 101, remember what your grammar school teachers told you - neatness counts.

Finally, consider what your mail piece has to say - your offer. Even an informational piece - a newsletter - has a goal: to bring members and customers back. Selling something new? Now the offer is even more important.

Need a recipe for disaster? Minimize any one of the those key elements. Offer 19" non-digital color television sets for $495; it won't make any difference how good your list is or how professionally produced your mail piece was. Want to grow your business? A great offer, visually attractive, well written and mailed to the appropriate markets will generate results every time.

Broadcast advertising, newspaper ads, a web site, magazines ads, they may all have a place in promoting your business. Think of them as arrows in your marketing quiver. Now think of direct mail as the arrow with the sharpest point.

3" X 5" Postcards to 12" X 18" envelopes