Marketers know direct mail is a powerful channel to reach their customers and prospects. The DMA reports that direct mail response rates outperform all digital channels and continue to climb year over year. In their latest Response Rate Report, the DMA found the direct mail response rate was 4.9% for prospect lists and 9% for house lists in 2018. This is significantly higher than the previous year and the highest since the report started in 2003.

The start of a new year is a great reason to declutter and reorganize all aspects of your life, from your closet to your career. One of Netflix's hottest new shows is "Tidying Up" where Marie Kondo, the New York Times best selling author of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, helps people part with their clutter and find joy in their belongings.

When people enter the front door of your business, what impression do they get about your brand? Based on your lobby appearance you could seem "boring and bland" or "polished and professional." Your lobby should set the tone for your overall brand customer experience. It can also help with employee recruitment and morale. Here are four ways you can improve your lobby's aesthetic appeal with indoor business signage and custom graphics:

Since paper can be up to half of the costs associated with a printing project, choice of paper is a important consideration when planning any marketing campaign. The paper you choose can affect how your digital designs translate to the real world, but many marketers do not receive training about how to evaluate paper options. Here is a short guide for paper novices:

Business cards are small, but they are mighty. In fact, they may be the most overlooked piece of marketing material at your disposal. But this small item is the one thing that represents you at your first introduction to a new potential prospect, partner or employee. What impression does it give of you and your company?

The pocket folder. It's a classic piece of marketing collateral that almost every company uses for representing their brand and distributing materials. But it can also be an overlooked area for differentiation for your business. Here are eight ideas for your next pocket folder design:

With the release of Bucky on Parade this month I've been inspired by 85 colorful badgers strategically placed around Madison. It's made me contemplate: "What is it about this animal that can inspire greatness in all of us, including marketers?" So if you want to be a badger, just come along with me... Here's five ways you can improve your marketing skills by thinking like a badger:

Trade shows and conferences are a still a key strategy in most business-to-business marketing plans, and they take up a large portion of the marketing budget because they have the highest cost per lead of any marketing activity.

Marketing today is all about personalization. Immense amounts of data is collected every day about people and their lifestyles, habits and purchases. You can use this data to market to an individual so specifically it may be downright creepy.

The first day on a new job is always stressful. Employers can make it easier on new recruits by providing them with the tools they need to get up to speed quickly and feel like a member of the team from the moment they walk in the door. Here are six best practices for employee onboarding that help communicate your company culture: