Direct Mail Campaigns – What to Do and Not Do

Barry Baldwin | New York

A former bus operator for the New York City Transit Authority, Barry Baldwin earned several safety awards and certificates in recognition of his high-quality bus service. Prior to this position, Barry Baldwin worked in the sales and marketing direct mail department at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York for three years and was responsible for preparing mailers for current and prospective clients.

When done properly, direct mail marketing can be a very effective tool to boost sales. Below are several dos and don’ts of direct mail marketing to make sure that the next marketing campaign goes smoothly:

1. Do keep it simple – The purpose of a direct mail campaign is to show your customers how they can save money with the product you are offering in as little text as possible. Too much content deters customers from reading more and makes your direct mailers appear cluttered and unappealing.

2. Don’t forget your audience – As you design your direct mailer, keep your target audience in mind to ensure consistency when choosing the images, contact methods, and the language to use in the campaign. Designing your direct mailer to best suit your target audience increases the chance of customer response.

3. Do proofread – Although it seems obvious, many people have sent out mailers with misspelled URLs, dates, or other content in the past. To avoid this issue, always proofread your mailer twice before sending it out. Then, have another person proofread it again to make sure you didn’t miss any issues.

4. Don’t skip follow-ups – Once you send out direct mailers, you will start to receive a response from people who want to conduct business with you. Always make sure to follow up with these individuals in some way. This can be as simple as sending a thank-you note or adding them to a mailing list that receives announcements and promotions regularly.

Five Proven Benefits of Exercise for Seniors and Aging Adults

A longtime resident of New York, Barry Baldwin spent nearly three decades serving with the NYC Transit Authority as a bus operator. Prior to this role, Barry Baldwin of New York held the position of mailroom machine operator at Chase Manhattan Bank. Mr. Baldwin is a music enthusiast and enjoys staying fit and active by bike riding, walking, and lifting light weights.

Being physically active provides several proven benefits for seniors and aging adults. Some of the key benefits exercise provides to this population according to research studies are described below.

1. Prevents disease. According to research conducted by several institutions such as the Universidade Estadual Paulista and the University of Missouri-Columbia, exercising regularly helps to prevent common diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. It also helps to boost immunity, which is important since elderly people often have reduced immune function.

2. Reduces the risk of falls. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, seniors that participated in exercise programs aimed at preventing falls had a reduced rate of falls requiring medical care and lowered their risk for injuries caused by falling.

3. Enhanced cognitive function. Several studies prove that exercise lowers the risk of dementia. Research conducted at the University of British Columbia determined that regular aerobic exercise helps to increase the size of the hippocampus – loss of cells in the hippocampus is known to occur before the development of Alzheimer’s disease.