Hello to all illustrators!!

I've been discussing with my cartographer colleagues old vs. new marketing
techniques.

There are obviously many new ways to promote your services; the internet,
teaching seminars, creative directories, etc.. The reading I've done lately
has put forth the notion that direct mailing of brochures, postcards, etc. is
old fashioned and a waste of money--clients rarely respond to a "cold" direct
mailing of materials sent to them.  Do any of you find this to be true?  I
would agree that flooding a data base of clients with marketing materials
without having a personal connection seems, well, kind of like a shot in the
dark; but is it still an accepted technique, or a complete waste of time and
money. And if it is no longer the norm, what has replaced it as a technique
for making an immediate presence in a targeted client base.

I await your learned opinions.

Amelia Janes
Midwest Educational Graphics
Madison, WI