Do you use direct mail to promote your business? If you don’t, you should. It’s one of the cheapest and most effective ways to do targeted advertising.

Of course, the key to direct mail is getting recipients to open, and then respond to, your message. Let’s face it, we all get tons of so-called “junk mail” from businesses wanting us to buy their goods or use their services. And we throw most of it away – often unopened.

So how can you make sure your direct mail gets opened? The answer is to use what’s known as “lumpy” mail. The lump refers to a promotional product that’s included with your mailing. It can be anything – a pen, refrigerator magnet, screen-sweeper, divot repair tool, pin, rubber wristband, mousepad, pedometer, key chain, ruler – as long as it’s light enough to mail yet bulky enough to arouse curiosity.

With typical direct mail response rates of 2% considered a success (e.g., 20 responses for every 1,000 pieces sent), it’s in your best interest to do everything you can to increase that number. How? A Baylor University study of lumpy mail found that you can nearly double your response rate by including a promotional product in a “dimensional” mailing (i.e., a small box or something other than a standard business envelope).

Consider the upside to having 35 or 40 people actually respond to your mailing – that’s a lot of qualified leads that could potentially turn into new business for you. Calculate the revenue from an average sale, and those 35 or 40 prospects should bring in way more than enough to pay for the products and postage involved in your mailing.

It’s a great way to expand your business, and we can help you choose the right product and package that will ensure your direct mail campaign meets or exceeds its objectives.

We hope you find this promotional concept helpful. If you’d like to discuss lumpy mail further, send us an e-mail or call us at 877.663.0333 or 301.663.0333.