We turned to our now favorite method of reaching our target audience, good old-fashioned DIRECT MAIL! In our opinion, there is simply no better targeted way to spend your marketing budget and have results to prove your efforts. We set up a new postcard campaign with our logo, marketing message and a call to action. Then we sent it out to our target list of 1,000 companies. Total cost was $500 for postcard production & postage, and a day or two of building list. Guess what? We had over 75 calls that we could track based on postcard message. Out of those 75 calls, we have already begun work on 4 projects. Not bad if you compare those numbers with what Google Adwords did for us. Just give it a try and let us know how it works out for your company. It may just sway you towards cutting back on your Adwords budget and allocating those dollars towards more productive marketing means.

Here are 5 rules to follow if you want to create a successful direct mail campaign:

Here are 9 low-cost but highly effective marketing tips to help you boost your sales and profits fast.

Tip #1: Look for some low-cost ways you can enhance perceived value of your product or service. Then test raising your price. Don't be surprised if both your sales and your profit margin go up.

Tip #2: Try to limit your customer's decision making to either "Yes. I'll buy." or "No. I won't buy". Don't risk losing them by including "which one" decisions. The more options you offer, more likely some customers will procrastinate and never make decision ...causing you to lose a sale needlessly.

Tip #3: You can demonstrate a low cost for your product or service by breaking down price to its lowest time increment. For example, "Enjoy all of this for less than 90 cents a day" (for something priced at $325 a year).

Tip #4: Add an unexpected bonus to every sales transaction just before completing sale. It prevents customers from developing any last minute hesitation ...and changing their minds about buying.

Tip #5: Print your best small ad on a postcard and mail it to prospects in your targeted market. Postcards are inexpensive and easy to use. Most recipients who ignore other types of advertising will read a brief ad when it's delivered to them on a postcard.

Tip #6: Prospects who ask questions are usually close to buying. Take advantage of this. Don't just answer their question. Include a reason for them to buy as part of your answer. Then ask for sale ...or tell them exactly what to do to place their order.