The main ingredient of any direct marketing campaign is establishing a strong call to action. A direct marketing campaign should encourage potential consumers to respond or act after reading an incentive-filled and/or enticing advertisement message. In direct mail marketing, establishing this factor is important, since it more or less represents the difference between intriguing a lot of customer conversions—and getting your direct mail thrown right into the trash.

How can we make our direct mail marketing assets stand out? Direct mail design and content is important, since it reaches customers on a purely visual level. The presentation of both essentially determines the level of potential commitment.

Here are some tips to improve your campaign's longevity:

• Keep it simple, yet interesting. Simple headlines relating to your marketing strategy helps consumers understand what you're trying to sell to them. Alternatively, give consumers a reason to respond—as an example, some marketing pamphlets allow potential consumers to request information before committing to a sale/service.

• Make your campaign matter on the outside. A lot of consumers aren't going to take your campaign seriously if your marketing materials don't look professional. Instead of using cheaper materials, invest in using heavier materials and bolder designs. Stick with clean colors and subtle accents for a more professional flair, though.

• Think outside the box. It's best to keep the look of your marketing materials as professional as possible. No one, however, said you shouldn't be bold and/or creative with the actual content. The most unlikely people may actually respond positively to your campaign, so don't be afraid to use bold marketing content if you want.

• Keep your eyes open for ideas. To make your campaign stronger, you always have to look out for ways to improve your work. Take ideas and/or inspiration from different marketing tactics used by other organizations.