In this economy, it came as no surprise that many businesses, both small and large, altered their marketing and advertising budgets last year. In an effort to pinch some pennies, many chose to reduce or eliminate direct mail from their advertising media plans entirely. This Wall Street Journal article highlights several entrepreneurs who found that eliminating old fashioned direct mail was a costly mistake.

While the affordability of utilizing local internet marketing, along with the boom of social media prompted many small companies to slash their traditional direct mail budget (according to Mintel Comperemedia, a research firm that tracks direct-mail. Marketing, U.S. consumers received 27% less direct mail in the third quarter of 2009) many businesses are recouping and preparing to return to direct mail after having experienced firsthand, that while costly, the resulting ROI made the campaign worth the cost. After all a nearly "free" email campaign that fails to result in any additional traffic, sales or interest could very well be MORE costly (time, resources) than a successful $3,000 direct mail campaign.

According to the United States Postal Service, the average U.S. consumer is exposed to approximately 5,980 marketing messages daily. On average, they notice 52 and pay mind to only 4. So, as a local advertiser with a small budget, how do you go about ensuring that your message is one of the 4? Consider your overall message, your specific offer, your target audience and your history with direct mail. And while it is true that sometimes “you get what you pay for”, it is also true that one size doesn't fit all. What media mix works best for your local advertising will depend on your product or service, your location and your target audience.