Budget – This is fundamental. It will help you determine exactly what kind of mailing you can afford. Expenses will likely include data purchase or rental, creative development, postage, production costs, the offer, and response handling.
Tell your coworkers – Customer-facing employees will need to know about the mailing campaign, so be sure to brief them. Make sure any digital assets are up-to-date and that the sales team is prepared to follow up if need be.
Know your target market – This means that if you're targeting consumers, be aware of age, gender, geography, the type of household they live in, and their purchasing habits; if you're targeting businesses, be aware of geography, size, vertical and employee turnover. You'll also want to be aware of the employees within that business you're targeting—what their job titles and functions are and how much influence they have. Whoever your recipient is make sure you get the name, title, and salutation correct. Also, determine whether you plan to mail all of the recipients at once or in stages.
Know your objectives – Your goal will define the tactics you use, whether it's to promote products or services, generate leads for future follow-up calls or mailings, increase awareness, or build loyalty. Once you've figured this out, have a plan on how to objectively measure the campaign's success.
Know your message – Consider segmenting the message for different recipients. And lay out a plan what will happen when the recipient responds to the call-to-action. Be sure to make the call-to-action simple for the recipient.
