The first section of this instructional guide explains why open learning needs marketing and what steps go into preparing a marketing campaign, including marketing the college and tutor time, service definition, service delivery, and communications. Changes in education that have affected open learning in recent years are addressed in the second section, including targeting the campaign. The following section focuses on identifying competitors and preparing a strategy to compete with them, using the technique of SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis. Specific benefits of using direct mail as a method of promotion are considered in the fourth section, including low cost and targeting specific groups; and sample calculations of cost effectiveness are presented. The next section describes the impact of computers on marketing work and identifies necessary software; and the organization of a direct mail campaign is examined in the sixth section, with emphasis on targeting. The concluding section addresses several topics, including target groups for open learning, preparing a direct mail database, preparing literature, writing copy, production costs, follow up, timing, and sources of funding. A checklist of questions to provide the basis for an open learning marketing campaign is included. Statistics from a 1987 survey of open learning in Bedfordshire County (England) are used as examples throughout; and answers to the exercises given in the guide are provided at the end. (ALF)