Another reason your mailpiece may not reach its destination is an unrecognized addressee designator on "occupant" or "resident" type addresses when your mail moves through postal automation.

Nearly 37 million address changes were processed by the US Postal Service last year. About 16 million of them were done online.

The single most important element of your direct mail marketing piece is the request for a response. Here's where you tell prospects what you want them to do, whether it's placing an order, using a coupon or requesting information.

Direct mail fundraising plays a key role in donor retention; after all, it costs about five times more to acquire one donor than it does to retain one! Direct mail works best when it is integrated with digital channels because it gives advocates more ways to engage, donate, promote and support the organization. 

As a small fish in a big, competitive pond, you need proven strategies for growing your customer base and keeping existing customers coming back for more.