Experts say that increasing your leads through direct mail is both an art and a science. However, you'll improve your response rates if you keep these "secrets" in mind:

1. Your mailing list accounts for 603f your mailing's success. It must contain recipient's name (not just title) and must reflect your target market. Additionally, it must be fresh, groomed to remove duplicates and incorrect postal codes, and recently updated.

You can rent lists for $75 to $140 per 1,000 (M) names. However, if you want "selects", expect to pay an additional $5-10/M per select. (For example, if you want names of advertising managers working in Chicago and Hong Kong, you might be asked to pay for three selects -- one for advertising managers and two for geographic locations.

As a rule of thumb, better you can target your market, better it will be. For instance, if you are selling a golf book, you could send mailing to every postal address within a zip code (expensive), or you could target list to members of golf clubs or persons who have expressed an interest in hearing about golf-related products.

2. A direct mail package outperforms a self-mailer by a 4:1 ratio. Typically, a mail package includes an outside envelope, a one or two page sales letter and a reply device. The less-expensive self-mailers are not sent in an envelope.

3. Postcards are most economical means of direct mail. Moreover, recipient does not have to open them to read message.

This isn't so surprising given that email is most popular activity among Internet users. This popularity, coupled with email's cost-effectiveness as a marketing vehicle, make it an important customer acquisition and retention tool.

Before looking at various ways you can use email marketing, let's examine how to make your campaigns more effective. Like other marketing methods, when using email you should pay attention to some basic rules of engagement.

1. Target Your Message

Put your messages in front of people who are most likely to have an interest in your product or service. Know who your product or service will benefit and where these people can be found.

2. Offer Value

When people visit you by way of your promotions, create an environment of value which puts your visitors in a buying mode. That is... offer irresistible benefits, make it effortless for people to see benefits, create an urgency in people to get benefits from your product, and make it easy to buy benefits (your product or service).

3. Use Repetition

An integral part of successful marketing is your visibility in front of potential buyers. Therefore, it's important to realize necessity of putting your message in front of people repeatedly.

4. Track Your Marketing Results

Another important consideration is performance of your promotions. Tracking allows you to test your promotions and zero in on things that work. Here some ways to evaluate results of your marketing efforts:

==> URL Tracking

One of easiest ways to track responses to your promotions is to code your URL. Simply add a special code at end of your link and then look at your log files to view clickthroughs. You can use any code you like following question mark. The coding will look similar to this: http://www.yourdomain.com/?advert1

==> CGI Tracking

Using your CGI directory you can accomplish many tracking tasks. CGI scripts run on your server, so you should be versed in their installation or be prepared to pay for installation from supplier. You can use a free link counter script such as LnkinLite at dtp-aus.com, or go with a more powerful program as found at Adtrackz.com.

==> Tracking Services

If you prefer not to work with scripts, you can hire a third party to track your campaigns from their server. These services charge a monthly fee, but are well worth it in terms of helping you pull best results from your advertising. Check out HyperTracker.com or ROIbot.com to see versatility these services offer.

Six Effective Ways To Market With Email

By targeting your market you bring in willing buyers. With an attention to delivering value, you remove barriers that hinder sales. Through repetition you're able to demand recognition, and with performance tracking you are able to market with greatest impact. Now you can market with gusto! Here are six very effective methods:

1. Start an Opt-In Mailing List