The downside of direct mail
Without fail, it seems to follow you everywhere, even when you move. It is never long before junk mail finds you, taking up space in your mailbox, in your recycle bin (hopefully), in that building pile on your desk. Like Uncle Sam or Santa Clause, it will find you.

Haven't you ever wondered about the costs of producing junk, or if we are being polite, direct mail? You might find the numbers shocking. It is usually somewhere around 41 pounds of direct mail per year, per adult, according to a dandy of an article in the Washington Post. (Hartman, 2008) The United States alone downs about 100 million trees a year to produce this stuff, and, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), roughly 44% goes to landfills unopened. What a waste, literally.

So, we've established two important facts: direct mail is both annoying and way too costly. It gets everywhere and consumes too many resources, and we've not even discussed the costs of burning fossil fuels. Direct mail doesn't transport itself.

But, the resource that matters most to consumers is nearly incalculable: time. In fact, time is one's most valuable commodity. It is in limited supply, and, once it's gone, it's gone for good. It is no wonder that so many people turn to the Internet for their shopping needs.

In our increasingly time, cost, and environmental conscious world, businesses that don't jump into the expanding online advertisement market stand to miss out on loads of potential revenue. Still, one of the best parts of the Internet craze is that it can substantially cut advertising costs. Small business owners, and probably all, are constantly looking for ways to cut costs both to keep prices down and to bring in more profits.

But wait, direct email or spam can exact an even greater cost of consumers' time, because many end up sorting through endless lists of spam while at work. So, more and more business owners are turning to website advertisement and online promotions, such as online coupon promotions and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEO is the effort to expertly word your advertisements, so as to make them and/or your advertisement site appear at the top of the lists generated by search engines.

Online coupon promotions, however, can be specifically targeted to a particular customer base, to effectively match your product or services with those who are most likely to purchase it or them. In either case, you will encounter a win/win situation. You will greatly cut your advertisement costs, while your customers save their valuable time. And, depending on your product or service, they may be able to have it sent right to their doorstep.