Direct mail on its own is a powerful thing, but it can be an even stronger addition to a direct marketing initiative when it is combined with other channels. Creating a message and distributing it through several forms of communication -- including email, physical mail, social media, print and online ads -- can create a wider-reaching and potentially more effective campaign.

"Single-channel campaigns are the marketing equivalent of putting all of your eggs in one basket," David Lowndes writes for Target Marketing magazine. "The smart money's moving to integrated, multichannel campaigns because multiple channels produce better returns."

Lowndes offers several tips for how businesses can run more successful campaigns. He suggests that instead of sending out a blanket mailing to everyone on your list, you should divide the prospects according to lifestyle, needs and "other meaningful variables."

It's also important to make sure you're sending your messages to contacts via their preferred channels. While some may favor an email, other consumers still like to have a physical piece of mail in their hands. Pointing to an earlier report in the magazine, Lowndes notes that half of American consumers think people pay greater attention to direct mail than email.