Determined to increase direct marketing success in 2006? Here's a list of changes to put at the top of your "to do" list for the new year:

1. Plan better.

Lack of planning is a sure harbinger of poor results. Campaigns that lack sufficient time to properly plan and design are often short on detail, bereft of a compelling offer, and prone to dull creative that fails to motivate even the ideal prospect. Time to plan means time to think through the underlying strategic decisions - offer, audience, media - that can spell success or failure.

2. Balance your efforts.

Constant demand for last-minute, tactical programs ("we're short of quota; quick - more e-mail!") can be lessened by programs designed to generate a consistent stream of inquiries or inbound traffic. Strive to balance your strategy between targeted, broadcast programs like direct mail and e-mail, with "always on" programs like paid search, content syndication, and online sponsorships. These more passive programs - what some might call "air cover" - can help maintain a steady flow of leads for the sales force, and also are easier to project, meaning it's less likely you'll be making up the difference at the end of the quarter.

3. Put offer first.

Offer is the second most important ingredient in a successful campaign (the first being audience), yet selecting an offer is too often an afterthought. Have offer drive strategy for once. Instead of planning an entire campaign around your upcoming Version 8.3.4.1 launch, plan a campaign around the new white paper that's due next month, or the case study being approved by your largest customer.

4. Don't be short-sighted about offline.

There's at least one leading technology company in Silicon Valley where offline marketing is strictly off-limits, this despite a precipitous decline in e-mail response rates over the last 12-18 months. Sure, direct mail is more expensive (and about to be more so, thanks to another postage increase). For high-level, non-technical, "line of business" prospects, however, particularly within large companies, that investment could well be worth it. Direct mail is poised for a comeback. Don't be left on the sidelines.

5. Measure success.

What's the old saying? "If you don't know where you're going, you'll never get there." Measuring a campaign's success by how well your boss liked the creative, or even by raw inquiries, just doesn't cut it. Not when there's sophisticated CRM systems and other technology that can enable even companies with long, complex sales cycles to achieve the direct marketer's holy grail: campaign ROI. Don't quite have those resources in place? Then at least measure response subjectively. Even a sky-high response rate doesn't mean anything if the leads are rubbish. Determine simple, quantifiable criteria for what makes a "good" lead, and then measure each campaign or list or online venue by how cheaply it generates those quality inquiries.