On the surface, direct mail marketing may appear like a simple process, but successful direct mail campaigns are created strategically, over a period of time. Before getting your marketing piece out the door, there are a number of steps to follow to achieve maximum results. Follow this process and youll understand how direct mail marketing works. A

The average rate of return on direct mail campaigns is generally 1/2 to 2 percent, in a campaign involving 100 pieces of mail, two to four people can be expected to respond and half that number to make a purchase.

Direct mail pieces can cost anywhere from 30 cents to more than $10 per person, depending on how much you spend on design, marketing copy, mailing lists, printing, and distribution. Some organizations do much of this in house and wind up only paying for printing and mailing.