New Year, New Leads: Why Direct Mail Still Works in 2026

A new year is the perfect time to optimize your marketing strategy. And yes, we’re here to remind you that direct mail is still a powerhouse for lead generation when done right. At Local Fare Marketing Group, we’ve spent over two decades proving that print isn’t old-school. It’s smart, strategic, and incredibly effective when done correctly.

What Makes Local Fare Magazine Unique

Local Fare Magazine isn’t just another coupon book, and it’s definitely not a franchise. We’re locally owned and operated, established right here in Chattanooga in 2003, and built specifically to serve small businesses like yours. Our magazine blends lifestyle content with offers your customers actually want to use; creating something they keep, read, and act on.

Seasonal Content That Locals Love

We design every issue with the community in mind. From summer camps and family activities to features like “Where Locals Play,” our seasonal content keeps the magazine relevant year-round. This means your ad isn’t sitting next to filler, it’s surrounded by content that your ideal customer is already interested in.

Community Events & Customer Spotlights

We also highlight local events and real customer spotlights, giving readers an authentic connection to the businesses they see inside our pages. When your brand appears alongside trusted local stories, it builds credibility and familiarity, two things that drive leads long before someone ever picks up the phone.

Where Lifestyle Meets Savings

Here’s the sweet spot: Local Fare Magazine is where lifestyle meets coupon book. About 48% of our ads include coupons, while 47% of our pages are content-driven. That balance keeps readers engaged without overwhelming them with constant sales messaging, and makes your offer feel like a helpful bonus, not an interruption.

Lead Generation You Can Track

Print works even better when you can track it. That’s why we offer call tracking and QR codes for our advertisers, so you can see exactly how your ad is performing. Leads, calls, scans; it’s all measurable, and it all helps you make smarter marketing decisions moving forward.

Our 90-Day Guarantee

We stand behind what we do. That’s why we offer a 90-day guarantee, because confidence matters, and trust is everything. We guarantee a return on your marketing investment. If you follow our strategy and don’t see measurable results within 90 days, you may cancel your campaign – no questions asked.

Local, Proven, and Proud of It

We’ll be honest, when we started, we were told this model would never work. In fact, we say a special thank you to the Small Business Development Center counselor who said it couldn’t be done. To that, we said, “Challenge accepted.” So what made us successful 23 years later? Our core focus: helping our clients fulfill their dreams of growing their business. We’ve grown because our clients have grown, and that’s always been the goal.

As we head into the new year, if lead generation and real results are on your 2026 vision board, we’d love to help. Here’s to growing local, together.