Spending time on the basic building blocks of a direct mail campaign is crucial to success, especially when it is going to run across borders.

Digital technology has given businesses a range of new channels through which to reach their customers. And yet, through it all, direct mail has retained its status as one of the most effective marketing tools available. In fact, the average response rate for direct mail is 30 times higher than it is for email.

Watch now: the 5 direct mail questions that are always worth asking...