Guest post by: Sheila Dillon
Gone are the days when direct mail was seen as the distant cousin of more common advertising or promotional platforms, like print and broadcast media. Direct marketing experts have done a great job of professionalizing the industry, removing clutter and misleading pieces from the equation. But here’s the thing: you can make their direct mail marketing success your own, not only through tested tools like digging through social demographics, but also with these simple tips and techniques.
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What works and what doesn’t. Examine your own mailbox, looking at what’s currently there. What mail catches your attention and makes you move? How do you know if it’s junk mail and therefore a no-no? It’s also a good idea to know your competition, because from them and your old campaigns you can devise new ideas for a successful campaign.
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Veer away from the cheesy, along with visual clichés. Overemphasis like all caps, bold-with-italic, and multiple exclamation marks just don’t cut it anymore – they scream “junk mail,” and you don’t want to turn your prospects off with them. Avoid insulting taglines, too, like the worn-out and uninspired “Free Money.”
These are usually categorized as see-and-say visuals, and you can veer away from them by focusing on this goal: trigger thinking in your potential customer. Help them create interesting stories in their heads on how your product or service solves their problems and make their lives better.
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Don’t assume that your target knows everything. Your headline should attract your reader to your body copy, which contains the most powerful selling message. Put all the necessary information out there, like your website and phone number. Be direct and to-the-point, sincere, and accurate in the proposition you lay down before your prospects.
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Be familiar with your market. Consider age, gender, income and job position, and zip code demographics to have the best possible mailing list. Imagine their needs, problems, source of joy, and what makes them tick, because the more you know what they want, the better your response rates will be.
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Tell the truth. While yours could truly be “one amazing offer,” it’s best to create a relationship based on trust and honesty, not empty promises. Make claims that precisely describe your product or service, and incite believability. This way, your potential customers can set expectations – positive ones, of course.
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Use your call to action (CTA). Your direct mail piece loses its overall sense without this CTA, which encourages a buying decision. Make sure you have a phone number, website, and other information for the recipient to get in touch with you and finally make a favorable purchasing move. Make these contact details easy to access and read, too.
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Know what medium to use. Brochures work excellently for product visuals, while postcards are generally effective for most products (the envelope, after all, remains a barrier between your prospects and your message). The letter form, though, is still most useful for proposing high-dollar sales and services.
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Consider every direct mail element.High-quality paper says something that cheap paper doesn’t. But if your products are sold in bulk or are discounted, the type of paper doesn’t make much of a difference. Think carefully about these things and how they can potentially make your response rates soar.
Remember that too many colors aren’t always the best thing, because they may cause confusion and clutter that you wouldn’t want in your direct mail campaign. Choose what’s best for your direct mail piece; if black and white can communicate the message most effectively, go for it.
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Personalize. Use the potential customer’s first and last name, because this will create a sense of familiarity. You may also print his or her name on the actual postcard or letter’s graphic area. Consider your budget when deciding on personalization.
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Go for the best postage option. Think of the time sensitivity of your message: should you use first-class postage, or will presort stamps do?
More than mastering knowledge of your targets’ demographics – by zip code, age, residence, and civil status, among others – you should think about personalization, sincerity in your message, and accuracy from the biggest to smallest details of your direct mail piece.
Sheila Dillon is an entrepreneur/blogger who writes about direct marketing tips and trends. She highly recommends using zip code demographics services to help you target specific markets.
Related Direct Mail Topics
10 Costly Mistakes Direct Mail Marketers Make and How to Avoid Them
How to Circumvent Resistance and Stay Out of the Trash Bin
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