Back to Basics - Direct Marketing

Lots of buzz in the office, on different blogs, in the trade papers on getting ready for the DMA Non Profit Conference in a few weeks.  Am excited to attend and see what is happening out there.  It did make stop and think - its time to get back to the basics and make sure that decisions we are making for our DM programs are grounded in some rules.  I started digging around and pulling out things to remember (thank you to those who contributed!).   Here are a few items to get started with - more to come as I continue to dig -  

• Know your audience. Creative development, selection, and segmentation cannot begin without knowing basic demographic and/or behavioral data.
• Remember the 80/20 rule. In direct marketing, 80 percent of your results come from 20 percent of your customers. Finding that 20 percent is critical to your campaign's success. 
• Focus on quality over quantity. Successful new acquisition requires targeting the most profitable prospects. Model existing donors so that you can acquire more that look like them. 
• Keep it simple. Modeling should include less than 10 to 12 key attributes. At the same time, make sure that the attributes selected are targeting the appropriate desired results -- conversion should be considered in addition to response.
• Set realistic goals. Your desired metrics should drive your mail plan, not visa versa. For example, your forecasted budget and number of prospects should help you determine your mail quantity and response requirements.