Direct mail can put your marketing message in front of new potential customers, and effectively introduce new products, services or special promotions to prospects and existing customers. And with four-color printing today being such a bargain, direct mail can be very cost-effective and efficient.

On the other hand, poorly designed and implemented direct campaigns with no followup can produce lackluster results.

The following steps will help with designing and evaluating a direct mail campaign so all marketing efforts are maximized and the results exceed expectations.

Step 1: Create a campaign theme

Campaign themes unify several different marketing messages and can allow you visually deliver several related ideas. Since it takes repetition for the direct mail recipient to both learn who you are and what you offer, having a series of postcards or direct mail pieces that follow a theme can be a very effective way to repeat a message, without showing the same graphics and verbiage.

Think about a series of three or four post cards or pieces that are similar in overall design in terms of use of your brand, but with each having a phrase or sentence that is communicated with words and with a strong visual.

Step 2: Create a compelling design

Less is more. Postcards and other mail is quickly scanned and needs to grab the reader's attention right away, or the piece will be bound for the trash can.

The size of a postcard isn't as important as how well you use the space within the card.

Resist the temptation to turn your direct mail piece into an a mini-brochure listing everything your company offers or all your products. The more images and text areas on the piece, the more complicated it is perceived to be and the less information will be absorbed.

Humor can be an effect way to make your direct mail piece memorable, but make sure it is in good taste and well executed.

Step 3: Create a compelling call to action

Even if your business is more of a "soft sell" in its marketing approach, there needs to be a compelling reason for the person to contact you.

Special limited offers or other promotions are one approach. Many prospects may be unwilling to "call now" or "act now" and actually call to speak to your sales department. Consider using a special offer and direct readers to a special website page as a backup and have this website page tie into your marketing theme.

A promotion with an entry form for a prize drawing or a special discount for responding to the card can also be effective in getting a higher response or conversion.

To track responses from your direct mail piece, consider using a special toll free number or a special URL that is easy to type so you will know exactly the number of responses to your direct mail campaign.

Step 4: Clean up your mailing list

Outdated lists will mean lower responses and missed opportunities to connect with new prospects. List clean up is not just limited to making sure the contact is still at the company you are sending out to, but also making sure the address and other information is correct.

If you purchase a new list from a reputable list provider, it will be important to make sure the list only includes appropriate companies. That is, the list should closely match the profile of your target audience.

After your first mailing, save all direct mail pieces that get returned by the USPS and do an additional list cleanup to remove addresses that are undeliverable. Companies move or close regional offices and over time these bad addresses will add up.

Step 5: Have a potential lead followup strategy

Many businesses will admit they tried direct mail once or twice with little or no responses. Even with a powerful direct mail piece and a compelling message and call to action, you may still only receive a 1 to 2 percent response rate, especially in a competitive market.

By calling your email list contacts after the delivery of your second or third direct mail piece you can increase your response rate. Remember, the more times your contact has received your marketing message, the more familiar they will be with your company name or marketing message when you do make contact with them.

Some leads who may be reluctant to visit your website or call you to make initial contact, will respond well to a call, especially if they can remember the direct mail piece.

Even if a prospect is not interested in your product or service, ask what they thought about your campaign—what they liked or did not like or if they remembered what was sent to them. This information can be invaluable for fine tuning future campaigns.

Step 6: Evaluate your direct mail campaign

After your campaign and followup is complete, get together everyone involved in the direct mail project and critically examine what worked well and what did not. Also, look at responses you receive both in terms of prospects who become customers and responses by prospects to the marketing message.

If prospects can not remember your marketing piece, consider changing the campaign to something more memorable next time. If the offer or promotion is not getting a response, change the offer or make the call to action more compelling.

Direct mail tips

• Repetition - Keep in mind that one direct mail campaign may not be enough to introduce your company to new markets or to get prospect customers to consider switching brands or giving your company a try. It may take many campaigns for prospects to get your message and to respond in a positive way.

• Testing - If you are mailing to thousands of prospects, consider first sending a test of a few hundred to see how well the piece works. Or send several different pieces and see which direct mail piece works best.

• DIY - Avoid "do it yourself" online postcard design and printing. Unless you are are a seasoned graphic designer and you have designed professional pieces before, doing it yourself will cost you more in the long run because of less effective communication with the piece. Working with a professional designer who can bring in an outside perspective and creative ideas will result in better design and more effective communication with prospects.

• In-house mailing lists - Be sure to keep in-house mailing lists up to date. Calling to verify contact information and mailing addresses is time consuming, but will mean less returned mail and better results.

• Followup strategy - Have a well planned followup process and track all followups with lead sheets or a sales program like Act! or Goldmine. Not all prospects may be ready to make a buying decision now, and having a way to followup later and separate hot, warm and cold leads is important to the process.