Some may deride it as "junk" mail, but guess what? Direct marketing works.

But sending out large direct marketings can be time-consuming. Writing the mailing piece, getting it printed, selecting mailing lists, not to mention shipping-related tasks like folding, stuffing, stamping, metering, and taking the finished product to the post office… the whole process can easily take many more hours - or even days -- than you can spare.

One option to this is to outsource to a direct marketing service. There are thousands of local and national services and at least one that is exclusively online. They offer everything you need to get your piece designed, printed, packed, and shipped to your target audience.

Know your requirements

Even if you outsource it, you need to make some up-front decisions. These are some of the preliminary questions you'll need to decide upon before getting your piece printed.

 •  How many pieces are you sending?
 •  What is your target date for shipment?
 •  Do you plan to ship first-class or bulk?
 •  How will the mailing be addressed? (Laser printed envelopes? Labels?)
 •  How will it be packaged? (Business-sized envelopes? Large, padded envelopes?)
 •  Will the mailing be stamped or metered?
 •  Does it have anything that will need to be inserted?
 •  Will the mailing need to be collated? Folded? Stapled?

If it seems confusing, don't worry. Direct marketing services will go through each option and explain what it is, how it will affect your mailing, and the pricing.

Design

You probably realize that most direct marketing agencies provide mailing services like printing, packing, stamping, and sending. But did you ever realize that many provide design work, too?

Many small businesses don't have the in-house resources (staff or equipment) to design an effective mailing piece. And an unprofessional-looking piece of direct marketing isn't worth sending out.

Take advantage of the creative options your direct marketing service offers. Many will discuss what type of mailing would be best for you and your budget, as well as design the piece and provide some copywriting.

Even if you have a designer on staff, outsourcing is a good idea. The designers on staff at a direct marketing service know how to put together an effective direct marketing piece.

Mailing lists

Will you need a mailing list? You can purchase one through your direct marketing service or use a list from your own sources. You also have the choice of traditional, fax, and email lists.

If you use your own sources, take advantage of any filtering techniques your direct marketing service offers. While most services check for duplicate addresses for you, some offer advanced options like verifying if the recipient is still at that address (the U.S Post Office has the tools to do this) and making sure you don't have two names that are in the same household. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's expensive to send a piece to a bogus address.

Don't think you have to stick to traditional snail mail lists either. You have the option of fax lists and email lists, which can work well if you don't think you have the money to put together and mail a print mailing piece.

Choosing the right service

Try to narrow down your choices to three providers. Then ask each contender for samples similar to your project (note that ink quality can vary across providers), as well as names and numbers of customers that have used the house at least twice.

Most importantly, request a quote. To help your negotiating, request written bids that outline each specific aspect of your job and the cost of each service - not just one that provides a per-piece and total cost.

Be prepared to go back and forth with the vendor, answering questions about what exactly you want. These jobs need to be precise, and if the vendors have questions, it just means they're taking your job seriously.

Pricing

Reputable mail houses are typically well-versed in Postal Economics 101 and often can save you a few cents per piece by passing on some tips on mail design and preparation -- which adds up quickly for a large mailing.

Most mailing services price by the thousand and start with a minimum order of 1000 names. Pricing varies significantly depending on the job. While a 10,000-name self-mailer might cost a few cents per unit, a more complex 3-piece mailing of half that quantity can cost considerably more per unit.

And of course, as with other bulk-orders, your per-unit price goes down as your quantity goes up.

Quick tips

Seed the list with those you know. A good way to track when pieces actually hit the mailboxes of your intended recipients is to include addresses of people you know in the list. If you can, mail the piece to California, to Massachusetts - and to your own office, of course.

See it for what it is. Before signing off on anything, always request a sample sent to you exactly as it will be sent out.

It's the list stupid. The list and the offer are the most critical components of a successful mailing. Make sure to invest the appropriate time to make it right.

Pay attention to pricing. Keep close attention to pricing. Pricing is going to range considerably, there are so many variables that go into the price of a direct mailing. Make sure you get a detailed quote.

Stamps work. Stamps have been shown to "outpull" metered mail in terms of response. It may cost more, but you may find it's worth it.