I just got two beautifully done advertisements for landscaping and foundation repair. I mention beautiful because local businesses often send poor quality mailers and advertisements but these two feature graphics that easily allow the recipient to understand their services, a clear call to action and strong value propositions.

The problem is both are going into the recycling bin because I live in an apartment. All of the time and effort that went into creating what are in my opinion some very effective mailers has been wasted because the company doing the targeting got it all wrong.

Direct mail is still a powerful marketing tool but if your business is considering a direct mail campaign, make sure your provider doesn’t waste your money on recipients who have no use for your services. It seems like a simple item that would be resolved in the initial campaign setup but as this example points out, some providers still struggle with the basics.