Use what you know.

If you know your customers inside and out, by all means, use that information in your mail piece. Meeting your potential customers where they are is a great way to attain trust quickly. Become familiar with your market so you can be specific about your mailing list. Consider demographics like gender, age, income, climate, leisure activities and more when deciding where to mail each piece. The more you use information that's been hard-earned in years past, the better your response rates will be.

5. "You Won't Believe This Amazing Offer!" At least that part's true, when it comes to your prospects — people are much more skeptical these days. So do something completely unusual with your direct mail piece: Tell the truth. Exposing your weaknesses make your strengths seem even greater, and (yes, believe it) creates a sense of honesty and trust. Consider this example: A flooring company boasts «the best styles at the best prices.» While the claim sounds attractive, it doesn't have the same believability (thus response-eliciting) factor as a piece that claims «the same styles at the best prices.» Creating a trustworthy message allows consumers to set positive expectations, rather than refuting any false ones they might be reading. And when potential customers set expectations, you can bet they're ready to take a risk on your business.

6. Ask and you shall receive. Know exactly what action you want your mail piece to elicit, and then ask for it. Then ask again. This is known as the call-to-action in the world of direct mail, and it's the consumers' cue for getting what they want. If there's no call-to-action, your direct mail piece is just creating brand recognition. Is there a number to call? Don't just list the number — ask them to make the call. Is there a website to visit? A response mail required? Ask, suggest and entice your audience to respond to your piece. Make the information accessible, easy to read and effective — which may mean making some changes in the office, whether that's a designated phone line or a more memorable web address.

7. Consider the medium. What will your message be delivered on? Postcards are an effective medium for most products, because they cut down a barrier (the envelope) between the consumer and the message. However, some direct mail is more appropriate when crafted as a letter, especially those that involve high-dollar sales and financial services.

Think carefully about your product and your message before making a decision about the medium. No matter what format you choose, consider the paper your message will be printed on. Inexpensive paper communicates something very different from high-quality paper. If you're selling anything that's considered expensive, high-quality or nice paper will communicate that message much more effectively than something inexpensive. On the other hand, the type of paper you choose makes little difference when you're selling items that are inexpensive, sold at bulk rates or discounted.

8. Use color wisely. Color will always catch more attention than black and white, but when it comes to color, more is not necessarily better. Additional colors may cost more money to produce — and too many colors can create a piece that's confusing and cluttered — so it's important to find what's best for your project.

Begin by choosing one or two main colors and one or two supporting colors based on the feelings they elicit:

Warm colors are exciting and energizing; cool colors are relaxing and refreshing. Bright colors speak loudly; dull colors suggest quietly. Think about your product, corporate image and your audience when choosing color. Metallic colors are a great option for one- or two-color jobs.

And check with your printer to see what's available that might make your piece stand out for a small or no increase in price. Consider colored paper, as well as using a color as a field (covering a large shape area) and reversing out the text (that means showing white text on a colored background). These techniques will help you make the most of your budget and color choices for maximum impact.

9. Personalize your pieces. You've seen them: "[your name here], you've got to check out this deal!" Personalization can enhance a consumer's inclination to read your direct mail piece by creating a sense of familiarity. It also emphasizes their importance to your business. For example, are you more likely to open an envelope that says "Current Resident" or "[Your Name]"? Most likely, you'll feel important to the second business and choose to open that mail first.

When it comes to personalizing a direct mail piece, there are a lot of options, ranging from addressing it to a specific consumer or including their name in the letter portion to printing their name in the art area on the actual postcard or letter. Some of these options can get pricey, so if you think it's appropriate for your mailer, talk with your printer about your personalization options so you'll know what options fit your budget.

10. Determine the best way to mail it. When it comes to mailing your direct mail pieces, you have options regarding the postage you purchase. Think about your customers and the value of your product, as well as time sensitivity. Do your potential customers care about first-class postage or not? And don't forget to consider the type of postage for your direct mail piece. You can choose to use first-class or presort stamps, or you can print the first-class or presort postage directly on the mail pieces (this is known as the indicia). In pieces that are highly personalized and official-looking, a stamp can enhance response rates because consumers infer a human touch. On postcards, indicias work just as well as stamps and don't cost anything to apply to the mail piece.

By Mark Risley

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30