Sending an offer by mail can cost anywhere from 50 cents to $150 for each prospect, depending on the different components of the campaign. For the most part, direct mail is more expensive than advertising by e-mail or on the web, but it can also be much more effective in the long run.

How do you get the most out of the money you invest in your direct mailings, whether you handle them in-house or hire an outside firm? Here are seven approaches to incorporate into your marketing strategies:

1. Save the postcards for vacation
2. Impose a deadline
3. Emphasize your product’s benefits, not just its features.
4. Outdo the competition
5. Use real people
6. Rent the right list
7. Get personal

Tips by Lois K. Geller, president of Mason and Geller Direct Marketing. For tips from her latest book, Sold!: Direct Marketing for the Real Estate Pro, go to loisgeller.com/dmtips.