Secrets For Your Next Direct Mail Campaign

stamp-143799_640 Our boss said that it was okay to share with you the secrets we use for direct mail. These tips are highly tested and have proven to work again and again. We hope you can use these in your next mailer with the same proven results!

Use the right list. An inferior mail campaign sent to a good list can make money, but even brilliant mail sent to a bad list will fail every time. Lists of your own current and past customers, called house or in-house lists, generate the highest response rates.
Update your mailing list. Utilize our mail update service. The National Change of Address (NCOA Link) that is maintained by the US Postal Service shows at least 15% of the average mailing list will become outdated every year.
Use a call to action with an offer. One of biggest mistakes is burying (or not including) a call to action. Use this call to action to tell your customer what you want them to do and what the outcome will be. This is the optimal place for a coupon or discount offer.
Be tried and true. Consumers rarely get multiple pieces from a business. By offering your customer different communications about the same thing- or with different products with the same look or feel- shows your persistence and adds credibility to your brand.
Measure and test the results. Change the strategy of your design and measure the results of all your mailings. Vary the message and determine which produced the best results. Make this message the standard to beat for all future mailings. After poor list choice, the second-biggest mistake most direct mail campaigns make is failing to track results.
Include your return address. A return address ensures you’ll get returned mail from the post office and sends a message that you’re an established professional.
Go bold. Choose a clear, bold headline and a color that pops for maximum notice. The headline must instantly communicate what you’re selling and be large enough to be seen at first glance.
Contact information. Always supply your name, phone number and website directly following the call to action. Keep in mind that over 85% of people will visit your website first, so make sure it’s prominent on the card.
Smile! Use a happy photo of you or your staff to make the communication personal.
Use your logo wisely. This is important, but your logo shouldn’t overpower your offer. Customers care most about what you can do for them.
Simple and Complementary Graphic The graphic should be supportive of the message and not distract from it. It should complement the headline. And it doesn‚Äôt always have to be a graphic‚Ä¶.remember the ‚ÄúGot Milk?‚Äù campaign?
Consider involvement devices. Stickers, tokens, stamps, coins, scratch-offs, lift-up tabs, attached notes, seals and other widgets can be used to good effect if you have the budget, if they can boost response enough to justify the added cost, and if they fit with the feel of your message.
Targeting a business? Most business-to-business mail is intercepted by a secretary, assistant, or mail room. If it looks too much like advertising, it may get trashed. You stand a better chance of reaching your prospect if your envelope looks personal, important, and businesslike. Less is also more for offers that may meet some resistance at first glance and need more selling, which is best done in a letter.

Want us to look at your mail and check your list? We can certainly give you some tips. Heck, we might even be able to give you a cheaper price than what you’ve been paying!