Every day that I go to work I am asked this same question by our potential clients:

“I need new clients. Should I mail a postcard or a letter?”

They are both effective, however, they both have distinct advantages.

Postcard Advantages:

It is naked mail – You do not have to open it see the contents. No matter how hard you try everyone will see it. If your headline on the postcard is effective, even the postcards that are tossed in the trash immediately will still work; much like a billboard.

Stackability – Large postcards always stick out in the mailbox. It is hard to miss something twice the size of all the other bills and letters.

The WOW factor – Postcards have relatively lax postal restrictions compared to a letter. Postcards can be designed to be big large, bright colorful and LOUD. Whereas, an envelope is restricted on the content that it can contain on the outside.

Envelope Mailing Advantages:

Sensitive Advertising: Advertisements based on credit scores, legal information, and medical scores must be contained inside an envelope based on privacy regulations.

Envelopes Blend In: Have you ever opened up a “bill” and read it about halfway through only to realize it was another company trying to get you to sign up for another credit card or to extend your car warranty.

A postcard mailing is always recommended as a form of unsolicited direct mail advertising unless the advertisement is based on private information. Doctors, lawyers, and financial using targeted mailing lists should advertise with a letter.

Remember, direct mail is not easy, but it IS very effective.

Direct mail advertising is a versatile and measurable marketing technique that provides a higher return on investment (ROI) than other advertising and marketing schemes, expanding the company’s client base and increasing sales. It has proven to be more cost effective, too, since it sends the advertising and marketing message of the company directly to the target audience at lower costs. Following are some best practices in direct mail advertising that businesses in Miami FL can learn from and apply.The first thing to do before embarking on your direct mail advertising campaign in Miami FL is to clearly identify your campaign’s business objective. Do you aim to attract new clients or is your priority the introduction of more of your products to your existing client base in order to expand their buying patterns? Are you focused on increasing the sales of certain specified products or do you want to increase sales across your entire product range? Defining your goals will result in a streamlined campaign with measurable results. It will also translate into savings since there will be no wasted efforts.Make sure that your direct mail advertising campaign contains messages that will be perceived by your Miami FL target audience as personal. Consumers find personal messages more effective. Personalized letters sent to individuals are less likely to be regarded as junk mail.The messages in your direct mail advertising campaign should succinctly present the benefits of your products or services over those of your competitors in Miami FL. Be careful that while your message shows the superiority of your products or services, it should not seem arrogant. Pompousness will backfire on your company.An effective way of getting the attention of your target audience in a direct mail advertising campaign is by giving them an incentive such as a gift of a free item or a significant discount. You can offer this to entice new customers to try your products or services. You can also do this to reward your loyal customers in Miami FL and strengthen your relationship with them. It is easier to convince existing customers to try your other products than to get new customers to try any of your products. You should, therefore, maximize your existing ties with clients.Of course, your direct mail advertising campaign should prominently display all the means by which your target audience can get in touch with your company in order for your message to be concretely and successfully converted into real sales. Make sure your phone numbers, fax numbers, email address, website and physical business address in Miami FL are all shown in your materials.No matter how great your message is, it needs repetition to be truly effective. Your direct mail advertising campaign should not consist of merely one batch of bulk mail. You should plan a sustained direct mail advertising campaign, with each batch of business mailings in Miami FL addressing a particular goal. A sustained direct mail advertising campaign is laborious. When sending business mailings by bulk mail, you will have to stuff hundreds or perhaps thousands of envelopes and address each one. Instead of tying up your staff in these tasks, free them to be more productive in doing their core assignments. It is more cost effective for your company to get the business mailing services of a professional mail house that offers more than mere postal services. Choose a mail house that offers complete mailing services and fulfillment services such as presort services and catalog mailing.These best practices in direct mail advertising have been proven effective by businesses in Miami FL. Make them work for your business, too.