As you empty your mailbox, do you wonder why so many companies choose to send you a load of communication about their products and services? If you never respond to such letters, there's a good chance you believe no one else does either. But before you dismiss direct mail marketing as a waste of everyone's time, maybe you should look at its advantages and why it has caught the fancy of so many marketers.

What is direct mail marketing – it is simply a means to reach your customer directly, generally through paper or electronic mail. Direct mail that comes through the post usually contains a letter, a brochure or flyer and perhaps a postage-paid reply envelop. The electronic version might take the form of a plain email, newsletter or even a fancy brochure with music and flash animation. Regardless of the format, the crux of direct mail marketing is that the sender selects who should receive the communication, based on a consideration of several factors which have helped him identify prospective customers. For example, a furniture store might choose to communicate with all those people who have purchased a house recently in the neighborhood.

Why is it so popular – direct mail marketing has several advantages, the first one being that this is the most targeted form of advertising. As a marketer, you decide who should receive your communication, and when. Thus, direct mail marketing helps to minimize waste. It also increases the chance of your message getting noticed – we at least glance at our letters before trashing them, but it's not necessary that we would notice an advertisement in our favorite magazine.

Since direct mail reaches a pre-defined group, there's probably a better chance of getting the constituents to take action. A good example is that of an optometrist who sends reminder letters about an eye exam that is due.

Another big advantage of direct mail marketing is that it allows a higher degree of customization, and lends a “one on one” feel to the communication. Better still, you have the opportunity to tweak the message even during an ongoing campaign.

Direct mail can also spur immediate action – sending coupons is a proven way of inducing customers to try a product. Again, a discount offer on a magazine subscription is quite likely to work well with regular readers. Unlike advertising, where there's usually a gap between the timing of the communication and the resultant effect, the impact of direct mail marketing is quickly felt.

What's more, the results are measurable, thus enabling marketers to calculate their return on investment.

What can it be used for – direct mail can be used extensively across the marketing life cycle. You might use a simple flyer to create awareness about a new product, or induce trial by sending out coupons. At the same time, business to business marketers might target prospective customers with the highest potential to convert to real leads. Loyalty Programs use direct mail very effectively to create a community of committed customers.

How do I do it – that depends on the size of your mailing list, and other considerations such as available manpower and budget. If you'd like to do it in-house, mass mailing software can help ease the drudgery of printing and labeling those letters. Alternatively, direct mail agencies can take care of the entire printing and mailing logistics. You can even buy a targeted mailing list if you haven't yet compiled a customer database.

Sounds too good to be true? You're obviously wondering where the catch is. Well, the cost of reaching a customer using direct mail marketing is higher compared to other media. However, this is compensated by the fact that you reach a very targeted audience. At the end of the day, you can measure the returns on a direct mail campaign, and that might prove to be the decider!