All advertising venues are not created equal. And you can be sure that this is one area where “you get what you pay for” does not necessarily apply. As a matter of fact some of the tactics that yield the biggest returns can cost little to no money at all!
WHAT NOT TO DO AND WHY
If any of you out there has invested in ValPak, Money Mailer or any of the other shared coupon mailers, I’d like to hear how that has been working out for you. I’ve participated in numerous shared coupon mailer tests and the results have been dismal. The return rate that we experienced on average was about 0.25 – 0.50%. And this was with a national brand! So if your brand is not yet a household name I would be curious to see what your results are. I have a feeling that they’re probably worse than those stated above. If you don’t know, then that’s a whole other blog post…
If you are trying to drive trial (get new customers) and you cannot afford to invest in a direct mail campaign, a shared mail campaign, or a Free Standing Insert I still do not suggest using ValPak. It’s too easy for consumers to toss the whole thing into the recycle bin.
Don’t design your marketing collateral yourself, or have some other novice at your organization do it. It’s amazing to me that everyone with a computer believes that Microsoft Publisher, some pictures and text = a great advertisement. If 
you cannot afford to hire a designer, go to the local college or community college and ask the graphic designer professor for a student willing to do an a non-paid internship in exchange for building their resume and portfolio. Check out this or other blogs to help coach your intern.
WHAT TO DO AND WHY
If you’ve already committed to a shared coupon mailer campaign then be sure to have a compelling offer. 10% off is NOT compelling and unless you’re talking about a big-ticket item – don’t use percentages at all. (except 50% off – everyone can do that math in their heads) 1/2 off still works better. For restaurant marketing, a free drink with the purchase of an entree is NOT compelling. Buy one get one free is compelling and will drive what ever traffic happens to open those dreary coupon mailers.
Consider giving your kids, nieces and nephews a few bucks to put out door hangers. Again, have your door hangers created by a designer or use the templates that are offered on some printing sites. GotPrint.com is a online print shop that offers great quality and great prices. Through GotPrint you can get 1000 color doorhangers for under $100.00! Pay 
a few kids $25 bucks to help you hand them out and you have an inexpensive advertising vehicle. Moreover, my tests have shown that with the right offers the return rate on doorhangers can be 10-20%. A lot better returns than 0.25%!
As with any promotional activity, be sure to track your results, repeat what works and toss what does not. If you want to try ValPak or any of the others do not let them lock you into a 6-12 month contract. If their results are as good as they say, they should be willing to let you try 1 time at a great rate.
