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Almost every business has used direct mail to send sales messages to their prospects. In every campaign, one of the main objectives is getting your prospect to open the package instead of throwing it into the bin. How can you increase the open rate and the success rate of any campaign? Use CDs or DVDs!

For the past two or three years, the consensus is that the Internet is making physical media such as CDs and DVDs obsolete. Yes, internet download speeds are increasing and yes, there has been a steady decline (about 5% per year) in CD sales and DVD rentals and sales. However, the opportunities for businesses to use physical media and incorporate them into their marketing efforts are real and exciting.

Let's consider the case of a hypothetical business called ABC Fitness Machines Ltd selling a piece of fitness equipment. Ordinarily, they would obtain a list of prospects based on demographics such as age, location and income. They might also obtain prospects who have bought similar products in the past or who subscribe to a fitness magazine. After constructing the sales letter, they would include some coupons for a time-limited discount on the machine and attempt to drive the prospect to a web page or store location to use this discount or complete an order form included in the package. Then, they mail out 50,000 or more of the letters and wait for the results. They might receive a 1% response rate or even less and this might be considered a success.

Let's consider another scenario with this same business and same machine. This time, they include a DVD with the sales package. On this DVD, they show how the machine works and include video testimonials from previous clients who have obtained fantastic results. There is also store location information with directions to each location. They have also included an order form for the client to print out and mail or they can make the purchase online by clicking one button.

How many more sales do you think they would receive with this second package? Let's think about it. First, studies have shown that 'bulky' mail could double the chance of your package being opened by your prospect. By including an object that your prospect can feel through the envelope, they are less inclined to throw it away without at least having a peak at the contents. Second, you can have control over what content the prospect sees. For example, if the ABC Fitness Machines Ltd segmented their list, they could send the active subscribers to a fitness magazine to a page on their website featuring a more advanced version of their machine. You can track IP addresses and the paths the users take while on the site so you know how far into the buying process they went. Did they only visit one page of your site or did they get as far as the shopping cart? This additional information is invaluable in shaping the message for your future campaigns.

Finally, the interactivity that multimedia presentations and video allow is far beyond any sales chatter on flat white paper. You can truly engage your prospects and get their attention.

Next time you're thinking of how to increase the effectiveness of your direct mail campaigns, think multimedia, think interactivity and think CD and DVD!