When it comes to getting national recognition, social media, especially Instagram, has given us the best return. But to reach out to local customers in my neighborhood in a cool way, I decided to try USPS direct mail. To promote our new wine list, I had a local artist create a six-panel cartoon and a local rap musician write the copy. The art and message are printed on cards that I can mail for 17.5 cents apiece. Sending out 1,000 cards will cost me $1,750 and I expect a 10 percent hike in customer counts. That can add up to a lot of money in dinner checks. The same direct mail piece is doubling as an insert for our new wine list at the restaurant.