Past Tense

It’s a known fact that direct mail campaigns have not been working as efficiently as they should be. So direct marketers need to become more creative in order to catch the attention of others.

When a prospect picks up your envelope, together with his other post, he spends less than three seconds assessing whether or not to open it. Naturally, this problem means that direct marketers are tempted to “spill the beans” on the envelope; pushing their features and benefits, even the offer. This is a big mistake.

The envelope is merely there to carry the contents inside it but this has pushed marketers to think of creative ways to design them even more so.

This has all been tested, too. There’s an actual company out there that collected statistics- they took the time to record the rate of opening for envelopes covered with bells and whistles, and those merely with a stamp and return address on the outside.

These were the results:

They found that when readers weren’t sure what was inside, they were more inclined to open the envelope. They wanted to know what the offer was and not the name of the company since this can lead to conclusions with certain reputations.

There are some fantastic lessons to be learned here, namely…

Don’t overdo it

No copy on the envelope. You may not be a big brand name but it’s never a good idea to spell out your offer to a list who doesn’t know you – yet. It’s like asking a girl to marry you on your first date. You’d never do that. Timing is everything in relationships. It’s no different in direct mail. When building that all important long term relationship – easy does it, is key.

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.

Add a personal touch

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

If you’re not sure if your mailing is going to work out, then go ahead and do a small sampling to work out the kinks. Send out a couple of versions to smaller mailing lists and see how many responses you get for each version. Research can be costly, but marketing without it is really just building a bonfire to empty your moneybags into.