Well, maybe they're just not doing it right.

To have a successful direct mail campaign, you must employ certain postcard marketing techniques. Make sure you have a compelling offer; brilliant, short, clear copy; and a targeted mailing list. You need the right postcard printing shop to make sure your postcards or other direct mail pieces look flawless.

Those are just the basics. Here are some low key tips that will get you an overwhelming response rate.

Hand-address your envelopes. People are more likely to open an envelope that has been hand-addressed. People are also more likely to flip over a postcard that has their address hand-written on it. If you are mailing too many pieces to take the time to do that, ask your postcard printing shop if they have any fonts that look like hand writing. People can sometimes spot fonts that just look like handwriting, but they'll have to take a close look to tell. Most people don't spend that much time examining their address before reading the rest of the mail piece.

Don't use your company's name as a return sender. The return sender area is the upper left-hand corner of an envelope or postcard. This is a great postcard marketing technique. Use your name and your company's address. By using your personal name instead of your company's, you'll elicit a personal feel. You've just associated a person with whatever your postcard is selling, not a faceless company.

When people see a company they don't normally do business with has sent them mail, they automatically think “ad” and won't even open it.

Use postage stamps. Well, of course, how else will the mail get to the customers!? That's not what I mean here. If you use a postage meter stamp, which is just an ink stamp, that makes the envelope look professional and business-like. Although that's usually a good thing, that's not what you want in this case. You want to personalize your postcard marketing campaign to get people to feel like they already know you. They'll also know that you took the time to individually stamp each postcard yourself, rather than having a machine do it. Using decorative stamps associated with an upcoming holiday or anything other than the standard flag stamps work best.

Use a color other than white. Most envelopes are white. Stand out from the crowd by printing your postcard in color. You can't get a response from someone that doesn't see your mail piece because it blended in with the rest of the mail.