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ANATOMY OF A GOOD DIRECT MAIL PACKAGE

Guest post by: Billy Sharma

Article Overview: An analysis of a good direct mail package.

ANATOMY OF A GOOD DIRECT MAIL PACKAGE

How do you ensure people will open and read your DM package?

A few hints:

1. Chunky mailings: Mailings with gifts, promotions or protruding pieces are intriguing and tend to be opened because of curiosity.

2. Odd shapes: Your standard business envelope with a computer-generated address is the least likely to be opened. Odd shapes work better.

3. Intriguing pieces that grab attention: If you want your recipient’s attention, you better grab them by the throat! Tel them something interesting. As David Ogilvy said: “You cannot bore your audience into buying your product or service.”

4. Answer the "What's in it for me?” The first question recipients ask is, "What's in it for me?" You have to answer that starting with the envelope, so offer them benefits that are relevant to them right from the start.

5. Make them take action: Direct marketing is all about ‘call to action’. Get the reader to interact with you; even if they don’t respond to your mailing you want them at least to go to your Web site and check you out.

6. Tell a story: People give to people and what better way of selling or getting people to listen then by telling a story. The most successful packages have done that in spades.

7. Never forget to use a P.S.: It is not only the most likely piece to get read but also your last chance to initiate a call to action. A P.S. can create a sense of urgency to respond. Use it wisely.

8. Take personalization one step further: If you can, hand address the envelope; you’ll have a greater chance of getting your mailing opened. Yes, this may be difficult for large mailings, but it is a great method for smaller ones. Hand addressed envelopes will get opened.

9. Mail your piece only to those who are relevant: Is it any wonder that this business is called ‘Junk Mail’? We create ‘Junk Mail’ when we send it to people who have no relevance to our product or service.

10. Finally, DM packages should be tactile: When you offer your prospects something they can touch, smell, look at, get involved with, turn over, stash away then you have their attention. Simply relying on a mass of words may not be enough.

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