You will hear it over and over again, direct mail isn’t the way to go. But every time I open my mailbox and receive an invite or offer with eye catching graphics or a color scheme, I open it to see how this could be beneficial for me. That alone is enough to justify that direct mail is not dead and can benefit you in ways you didn’t imagine. If done the right way, of course. According to a national survey conducted by ICOM, “Direct mail surprisingly transcends the age demographic, with younger consumers (the 18- to 34-year-old demographic) preferring to learn about marketing offers via postal mail rather than online sources.” Here are a few ways to help you maximize your results!
Stand tall and proud –
Your company name and logo should be prominent on the envelope. Don’t fear that this will deter people from opening your envelope. If the addressee is a previous customer, they will be interested in what you have to say, especially if you have provided exceptional service in the past. They will be curious to see what you have to offer!
That special touch –
Embellish your envelopes and add prestige by using foil stamping or embossing to feature an anniversary or warranty seal.
Eye catching phrase –
Include a compelling hook message or teaser promotion with attention-grabbing phrases or keywords that increase curiosity or urgency and entice readers to open your envelope. You can place the teaser on the front of the envelope. If you are contacting your viewers for a promotional deal you are about to announce, put a glimpse of that on the cover to grab their attention.
Keep it simple –
Sometimes overwhelming graphics and fonts are enough for your viewer to put down your mail and pay no attention to it. Because it’s too much, all at once. You want to keep it to the point, be sure your offer is clear for them to view, showcase what you are offering them, and validate why they would need the service or product.
Fold your way to their hearts –
Create some special folds in your mail. There are a variety of folds that could entice your recipient to open your package. This not only makes things more interesting, but it is such a great way to stand out. One we really like is the endless fold. These are folds that just keep going, from panel to panel. They are really interesting, and most people flip through them at least twice, prompting more opportunities to read your messages.
Steer away from the ordinary –
Break away from the norm. Experiment and test different envelope looks. Take a look at your options, there are a wide variety of shapes and sizes, colors, and textures (linen, cockle, matte, coated, glossy, or metallic). Make your envelope stand out from the other envelopes they receive on daily basis.
Get crafty –
Consider creating an envelope with a peek-through window to a colorful photograph of your product, a membership card, or contest entry form.
Where technology and direct mail meet –
You must be scratching your head wondering what we’re talking about. This is definitely a thing and let us begin by saying this will definitely catch your recipient’s attention. You could consider adding sound bites to your mailer so that when prospects or customers open it, they get to hear your message. Augmented reality is a great way to get prospects and customers to interact with their phones. And a video screen can even be activated right inside the mailer when opened. However, this is not (yet!) a very popular approach to take as it can get quite costly to produce. Make sure this is a good fit for your company, and fits into your budget!
Advertise yourself –
Encourage addressees to visit your website by adding a link to a discount coupon, or an advertisement for special offers. Remember it takes about three times for someone to see your advertisement before they take notice. Also, fortify your direct mail marketing initiatives with the use of email marketing, social media and other marketing. Always make sure though, that you are not bombarding your audience with too many advertisements.
Seal the deal –
Include a clear call-to-action on the back flap. Entice addressees to open your envelope by finding a clever way of asking them.
The competition might seem impossible to beat, but if you follow these tips above you will stand out, without a doubt! Using all of these tips will help create a campaign that really speaks to your customers on a personal level. It will also make you more memorable and create many returning and happy customers. Choose Mail-O-Matic as a part of your next direct mail success story, contact us for a quote!