How to Beef Up Your Direct Mail Campaign
It’s a well known fact in business to business circles; direct mail campaigns aren’t pulling in the results they used to. Now more than ever, direct marketers have to figure out more inventive ways to get their envelopes opened.
Prospects spend literally three seconds when they first pick up an envelope to decide whether it’s worth their time to open it. Therefore, direct marketers believe it’s best to push their best features but this does not always work successfully.
The envelope has one role and one role only; to carry the items it contains within it to the person to whom the envelope is addressed. That’s it. The resulting fact has forced copywriters to dream up inventive ways to tease, and entice prospects to open the envelope, and read the sales copy within.
One company decided to test regular envelopes with designed ones to see which ones would entice prospects more so.
These were the results:
If someone gets their mail and doesn’t know what’s inside, they think it’s a legitimately earned offer just for them. This is especially true if it comes from a company that they’ve had experience with and feel they may be entitled to receiving something from. Keeping the surprise intact is also akin to a bad horror movie: sometimes if you can’t see the monster in the previews, you want to go just for those three seconds when you can think smugly from the back row, “I didn’t even have to close my eyes!”
There are some fantastic lessons to be learned here, namely…
Simple is Best
Advertisements are meant to come “in” an envelope, not “on” an envelope. Keep all those fabulous deals to yourself until the recipient has actually opened up your mail. You wouldn’t give a ride to a hitch hiker holding a knife, and no one’s going to open mail that’s already stabbing them in the eyes with neon colors and prices in large fonts.
Make it Personal
You know how you feel when you receive a letter that is addressed, “To the Owner” or “To Whom it May Concern”. If you send similar envelopes to your prospects, you can guess how they’ll feel. Go the extra mile to find out your prospect’s name, title, and make sure both are spelled correctly.
Address their Names by Hand
If you take the time to handwrite their names, then some of your list will take the time to open your envelope, and read what’s inside. Nothing makes a bigger or better impression then handwritten notes, and envelopes. It’s these personal touches that add style, and class to any envelope, and indeed to any company. By deciding to write their names by hand, you put your company at a higher level then the rest, and guarantee long term faithful clients.
Put your Logo on the envelope
If you’re marketing to a list that knows you very well, and is, as far as you know, very happy with your service. Then put your logo on the front top left hand corner of your envelope or discreetly on the back flap. Then, they’re more likely to open your envelope because, like the company in the example, they could be missing out on something great, and want to read about it before making the decision to disregard it.
Finally, don’t be scared of a trial run
Before embarking on any campaign, it’s important to test your envelope, and everything on your envelope until you’re sure you have the right combination that will go a long way to enticing your prospect to open it.
Filed under: Internet Business