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HOW MANY OF THESE DESIGN MISTAKES KEEP DRAGGING DOWN YOUR DIRECT MAIL RESPONSE?

Written by: Billy Sharma

Article Overview: How to improve your direct marketing performance

Free Download - WHEN ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS OR DONORS MOST RECEPTIVE? By Billy Sharma

HOW MANY OF THESE DESIGN MISTAKES KEEP DRAGGING DOWN YOUR DIRECT MAIL RESPONSE?

Your last dm package looked great, the copy was brilliant and yet the package didn’t quite perform to your expectations...

...Could it be that the art direction let you down?

It has been demonstrated time and time again that one can increase the response of a package by redesigning it without altering a single word. This proves the converse – that art direction could be the real culprit of low returns.
It's true.

Mistake Number 1. Not making it reader friendly!
Art direction is not showing off visual artistry or technical expertise; its sole purpose is to make reading the message effortless and lead the reader to act.

MISTAKE NUMBER 2. Ignoring the fact that readers only look at 25% of any reading material and then read only half of that.

This is more true today then ever before.
So, a designer's job is to entice readers into reading more than just 12.5% of the message.

MISTAKE NUMBER 3. Not grabbing the reader's attention from the start.

There are many ways of doing this. A designer must get the reader's attention to focus on what is important and lead his readers to follow his trail.

This applies not only to direct mail but right across the board to every medium, from Ads to web design.

Two years ago when I interviewed Ted Kicklerfor my column Personal & Direct for Direct Marketing News, he told me that in many cases just by redesigning a package he produced a better response then the control package.

I too have redesigned a package and boosted response by 120% without altering a single word.

Listed above are just three of the most common mistakes designers make. There are many more that can make the big difference in response.

To find out email me at: designersinc@sympatico.ca

After all, the true result is not how beautiful your package looks, it how well it performs.

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About the Author: Billy Sharma
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BILLY SHARMA Billy holds a Bachelor of Science degree and is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of J.J. School of Art (Bombay) and the Hochshüle für Gestaltung (Bauhaus School of Design, Germany). After many years of working for other companies, Billy founded Designers Inc. In 1999 he became Managing Director and Creative Director of Brann Worldwide in Toronto. Under his stewardship the agency grew three-fold in two years when Brann Worldwide was elected the number one direct marketing agency in the world in 2000. Billy has extensive advertising and direct marketing experience gained in many national and international advertising agencies in Europe, U.S. and Canada. This has honed his creative skills to help provide breakthrough creative ideas for his clients.

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