There is a growing belief that somehow email will do away with direct mail. But if we take a look at the infographic from the Royal Mail market research we can see that readers like to receive both. Not only do they want to receive both, but a well designed direct mail piece will cause readers to follow up online to either learn more or complete purchases. According to this study, 86% have connected with a business after receiving direct mail from that business, and 54% have engaged with the brand on social media after receiving direct mail from the brand. A total of 43% of direct mail recipients have downloaded something offered by the brand sender after reading the mailer, and 57% believe that mail makes them feel more valued than email does. 
Next time you want a better response from your email newsletter also consider using direct mail. http://www.sydneybrandingservices.com.au/email-newsletters.html

For many social media looked like the free ride to marketing. Speak directly to your target audience. Engage with them and then channel them into a sales pipeline. But nothing in this world is free, and business has found that social media is fickle and rarely free. And it takes time. A lot of time. many are beginning to wonder if it will supply a ROI. Read about some of those who are stepping away from social media.
http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/startup/the-death-of-social-media-20130623-2o_q89.html

1. It's all about the subject line, says marketing strategist Fran Iseli-Hall. “Your newsletter subject line makes a huge difference in the opening rate and it can make or break a campaign,” she adds.
So, “split-test” subject lines - measure which your target market prefers. Most customer relationship management systems (CRMs) enable split-tests and reveal opening rates and bounce rates, Iseli-Hall says, and points to MailChimp, Sendpepper, AWeber, and Constant Contact. Whichever you use, remember to put the recipient's first name in the subject line to boost the opening rate, she says.

2. Keep the newsletter short and sweet, Iseli-Hall says. Her reason: long newsletters often get filed for “later reading”, destined for oblivion. Be brief and your audience will get used to your message and open it because it takes minutes to read.

3. Never lead with your branding. “This one is huge,” Iseli-Hall says. Even design agencies get this wrong, she adds.
If you put your branding at the top or all over your newsletter, it will look “super-salesy”: a no-no.
“Most people don't care about your brand - they care about what's in it for them,” Iseli-Hall says. Branding should go at the bottom with your contact details.

4. Make your newsletter personal, Iseli-Hall says. Speak to your recipients as if addressing one person instead of 1000. So, rather than saying, “Hi everyone, how is everyone?” say “Hi <first name>, I trust you are well...”
Also personalise your newsletter by giving contacts a reason to “connect”. People want to know what you have been doing. So, include a sentence that shows you are human. If, say, you are learning to surf, mention that.

5. Convey valuable knowledge, Iseli-Hall says. “Make sure your newsletters are stacked with valuable information.” Skip blatant selling or people will opt out of your database. Instead, in the bottom of your email, feature a client testimonial. That tells your prospects and clients that others are getting results and might need your product or services.

6. Conduct target market research, says business advisor Alex Pirouz. Find out how many newsletters customers actually want to receive. Most people bungle by sending too many or not enough. Ask up to 300 clients how often they want to be communicated with each week. Then, listen to the market and follow that structure.

7. Segment your database, says Pirouz. Filter your contacts into categories to ensure the content they get strikes a chord.

8. Avoid attachments, says Pirouz. Attachments may mean that your marketing emails are automatically treated as spam. Embed a link instead.

9. Before hitting your whole database perform at least three vital “dry runs”, Pirouz says. Each test group you target should contain 100 contacts, minimum. Assess the feedback you get.

10. Ensure your newsletter comes from a reputable domain name. Remember: many spammers send e-newsletters from personal accounts such as Hotmail, Gmail and Yahoo.
Fail to send your newsletter from your business domain name and it may be marked as spam and never reach that crowded inbox.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/smallbiz-marketing/get-your-newsletter-read-10-hot-tips-20120124-1qf70.html#ixzz2Lyq3eqZF

A good breakdown of email vs direct mail marketing showing that traditional direct mail still has a place in marketing communication.

Direct mail or non-digital media are sometimes written off as old fashioned and ineffective, but OgilvyOne shows that done well, it still has the ability to cut through and generate results.

The objective of the ‘Sally’s First Show’ campaign developed by OgilvyOne Melbourne was to increase donations by about 23% on the previous year, while mailing to a smaller audience.

Seeing a live performance can change the course of a child’s life and career. But if you live far away from a theatre – or you don’t have much money – it’s hard to get the opportunity to see a show.

To give as many Victorian primary and secondary students access to as many live performances as possible, Arts Centre Melbourne set up the First Call Fund. Since 2008, the First Call Fund has enabled over 15,000 Victorian students (and their 1520 teachers) to experience the performing arts at Arts Centre Melbourne, many for the first time. This inspiring program is funded through the generosity of donors.
Read the full article here.