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their campaigns, analyze results in real time, and modify strategy and tactics accordingly. This digital technology empowers the direct mail industry by transforming a one- sided announcement into a two-way conversation, build- ing a relationship for the long term." Building and Promoting Business Print service providers (PSPs) are ideally positioned to leverage the resurgence of direct mail and turn it into profits. Sweeney noted many PSPs work with small- to mid-size businesses, including doctors, lawyers, accountants, and restaurant owners. And 76 percent of small- to medium-sized businesses report their ideal marketing strategy is to employ print and online market- ing together. The easiest way to get into direct mail is to create templates for the different industries you serve, Sweeney said. Have one template for lawyers, one for realtors, one for contractors, and one for restaurants. "Showcase a client, say a realtor, and move toward additional clients, using relevant data to dem- onstrate that the direct mail you produced improved sales," she encouraged. Like Berlin, Simpson said profiting from direct mail involves recognizing it works better with another marketing channel, such as email. "No channel should stand alone in my book," Simpson noted. "It can be very simple. One of the most effective ways to market is through a postcard campaign, combined with email. Provide a multi-touch campaign to tell [would-be clients] you can tighten their deadlines, cut costs, and reduce the number of vendors they have to work with." Often, PSPs will find themselves in situations in which their potential customers have no prior knowledge or experience with cross- media marketing, Berlin said. And in order to sell such personalized direct mail services, it's crucial for PSPs to demonstrate direct mail's benefits in advance. "LithEx- cel, a PSP/MSP based in New Mexico, proactively secured a new client—a Native American casino and vacation resort—by educat- ing the client and implementing a holistic personalized marketing campaign," she said, adding these initiatives were key factors in the incredible success of an ongoing campaign that boosted hotel occupancy from 33 percent to 89 percent in just two years. Sweeney concurs with the notion that educa- tion is essential. The best way to build confidence and trust with prospects is to show the success you have had with the direct mail campaign promoting your own company. "If you do a direct mail campaign to your prospective customers, integrating in other channels such as digital, that's a very effective way to market and grow your business," she said. She cites Pittsburgh- area AlphaGraphics shops, which produced a multi-wave self- promotion campaign featuring both digital and direct mail. Entitled "Use Your Coconut," it concluded with a direct mail package containing . . . a coconut. The campaign garnered a 46 percent response rate. "What they were trying to do is get executives to come in and attend an executive marketing session to show how these campaigns work, and [see] the powerful business results they can generate," Sweeney said. Best Practices Those successful building direct mail business gain a thor- ough grasp of how to collect, mine, and use robust data in campaigns, Berlin said. Only by targeting the correct prospects, learning their preferred communications channels and brand relationships, and offering them something that is personally relevant to them can a campaign succeed. "As marketers learn more about their customers and prospects, and are able to utilize that information effectively throughout each communication 14 Q U I C K P R I N T I N G / J u l y 2 0 1 4 w w w. M y P R I N T R e s o u r c e . c o m Salem College of North Carolina used Keiger Direct's 1:1 cross-media cam- paign to boost enrollment by 11 percent. The Xerox "Best of the Best" winner employed email, PURLs, QR codes, and, of course, print. UK digital print firm IOS helped Mercedes-Benz achieve an astounding 53:1 ROI. The campaign was a Xerox "Best of the Best" winner. QP_12-15_0714_DirectMail.indd 14 6/16/14 4:01 PM