Direct Mail Touch Quantity vs. Contact Quantity

[Brian Armstrong]

I'm starting my first direct mail campaign this month. I'm working on a limited starting budget and I'm handling the mailing myself until I get a deal and can afford to outsource it. As I'm working on getting a mailing list together, I started to wonder is it better to send fewer people more pieces of mail or better to send more people fewer pieces of mail? For example, is it better to send 500 people a mail piece 6 times or 1000 people a piece 3 times.

I have heard most of direct mail folks on the podcast talking about more touches increasing the response rate, but it also seems to be a volume game to touch as many people as possible.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.