Kick Butt Direct Mail Envelopes
Kick Butt Direct Mail Envelopes
When you send a direct mail campaign and your letter arrives in your prospect's mail box it's first challenge is to get noticed among the pile of other mail that's vying for your prospect's attention.
There are a number of ways to do this. Instead of giving you a long lecture on what works and what doesn't, I'm going to SHOW YOU some of the very best envelopes that I've received over the past year.
You'll get to see exactly what they look like, why they caught my attention and why I took the time to open the envelope.
IMPORTANT: All of the envelope examples were scanned into pdf files. You might need to copy and paste the link into your browser to see the file (instead of just clicking on the link).
At the end of this newsletter, I've concluded with a few of my thoughts on why most of these envelopes worked.
The "Ready for a Shock" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c55dp
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope caught my eye, not because of the huge eye staring at you, but because of the copy that said that "Jack Welch was WRONG" and other controversial statements.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I opened it because it made me really want to know why they were saying what they were saying.
The "Penny in a Window" envelope:
___________________________________
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c3853
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
The penny immediately caught my attention. It was very unusual. It reminded me of the extremely successful Readers Digest sales letter that showed a penny in the window (this envelope was probably modeled after that one).
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I opened it because it made me really want to know why they were saying what they were saying and if there was any truth to their controversial statements.
______________________________________________________
The "America Writers and Artists Institute" envelope:
______________________________________________________
Here's the link to see the envelope:
Front of the envelope:
http://tinyurl.com/6jj35
Back of the envelope:
http://tinyurl.com/56wjm
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope is arguably one of the most persuasive "biz op" envelopes that I have ever received. It starts with a story about a person who just went through a bitter divorce but still made over $100K. It held my attention.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I had to know how this person could make a $100K working only part-time. And I really wanted to know the "rest of the story" about the divorcee.
NOTE: If you want to learn more about the AWAI copywriting program visit http://www.awaionline.com
The "Barf Bag" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
Back of Envelope:
http://url123.com/c2hdp
Front of Envelope:
http://url123.com/c2uk7
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
The envelope was a barf bag that you would see on an airplane. It was extremely unusual...and it was from AMEX.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I wanted to see if the letter was as good at the envelope. (The letter was terrible. It didn't even mention the barf bag or being sick. A waste.)
The "Fluorescent Yellow" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c5xa3
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
Who could miss this letter. It's an 8.5' x 11' envelope that is a fluorescent yellow. It screams at you.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
The 9 free bonuses that it offered made me curious. I opened the envelope to see what the bonuses were.
The "AT&T" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c22a5
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
The envelope was see through and the letter was round. It almost looked like a CD. It was very unique.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
Well....I didn't open it. I could see that it was from AT&T and I wasn't interested in a telephone deal. Maybe it was too revealing.
The "Bank Bag" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c2d4p
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
It's not every day that you get a bank bag in the mail! It was the biggest thing in the mailbox and...well...it was a bank bag.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
Who could resist not opening a bank bag. Let's just say that when you mail a bank bag you can probably expect to get a 100% open rate.
The "Free Gift" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c37up
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope caught my attention for two reasons. I knew the mailer and the offer for a free gift (the copy used 58 point fonts) was hard not to notice.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I wanted to know what the free gift was.
The "Transparent" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c43wp
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
The contents of the envelope was completely visible because the envelope was totally transparent. It was odd to receive a clear plastic bag as an envelope.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I didn't open it (much like the AT&T envelope). I didn't need to because I could read the beginning of the sales letter without opening the envelope.
The "Testimonial" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c5bk5
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope had pictures of real people holding checks in their hand. Also, the photos of the people on the envelope perfectly supported the headline on the envelope.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
To be honest, I wanted to know what these guys were doing to make their money. Plus, the copy on the envelope referred to an "information kit" inside, which intrigued me.
The "Shiny Silver" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c4spp
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope was a shiny metallic silver color (although you can't see that in the scanned photo). If you opened it up in the light, the glare alone from the metallic shine pierced your eyes.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I didn't open the envelope...my wife did, because she wanted the free sample pantyhose. :-)
The "Priority Direct" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c3w8p
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope looks very official...as though it's a USPS priority mail envelope. All the official marketing on the backside of the envelope and the stunning eagle graphic on the front side caught my attention.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I opened it because I wanted to know what was so urgent that someone would send me something via priority mail.
NOTE: If you want more information on this type of envelope visit http://www.ResponseMail.com
The "Personal" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c3mrp
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope looked like a personal letter to me. In fact, I thought it was a letter from a friend of mine.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I opened it simply because I thought the letter was a personal note to me.
Conclusion
The most powerful envelopes that came though my mail box were the ones that...
1. Had markings that were relevant to my interests.
2. Looked like it came from someone I knew or a friend.
3. Have something free inside.
4. Created a compelling curiosity.
Remember these lessons when sending your next direct mail piece to your prospects and watch your response rate take a dramatic increase.
Kick Butt Direct Mail Envelopes - To learn more about this author, visit David Frey's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
If you do any type of direct mail campaigns or are just interested in direct mail strategy you'll absolutely LOVE today's newsletter. This ones a keeper!
When you send a direct mail campaign and your letter arrives in your prospect's mail box it's first challenge is to get noticed among the pile of other mail that's vying for your prospect's attention.
There are a number of ways to do this. Instead of giving you a long lecture on what works and what doesn't, I'm going to SHOW YOU some of the very best envelopes that I've received over the past year.
You'll get to see exactly what they look like, why they caught my attention and why I took the time to open the envelope.
IMPORTANT: All of the envelope examples were scanned into pdf files. You might need to copy and paste the link into your browser to see the file (instead of just clicking on the link).
At the end of this newsletter, I've concluded with a few of my thoughts on why most of these envelopes worked.
The "Ready for a Shock" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c55dp
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope caught my eye, not because of the huge eye staring at you, but because of the copy that said that "Jack Welch was WRONG" and other controversial statements.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I opened it because it made me really want to know why they were saying what they were saying.
The "Penny in a Window" envelope:
___________________________________
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c3853
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
The penny immediately caught my attention. It was very unusual. It reminded me of the extremely successful Readers Digest sales letter that showed a penny in the window (this envelope was probably modeled after that one).
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I opened it because it made me really want to know why they were saying what they were saying and if there was any truth to their controversial statements.
______________________________________________________
The "America Writers and Artists Institute" envelope:
______________________________________________________
Here's the link to see the envelope:
Front of the envelope:
http://tinyurl.com/6jj35
Back of the envelope:
http://tinyurl.com/56wjm
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope is arguably one of the most persuasive "biz op" envelopes that I have ever received. It starts with a story about a person who just went through a bitter divorce but still made over $100K. It held my attention.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I had to know how this person could make a $100K working only part-time. And I really wanted to know the "rest of the story" about the divorcee.
NOTE: If you want to learn more about the AWAI copywriting program visit http://www.awaionline.com
The "Barf Bag" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
Back of Envelope:
http://url123.com/c2hdp
Front of Envelope:
http://url123.com/c2uk7
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
The envelope was a barf bag that you would see on an airplane. It was extremely unusual...and it was from AMEX.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I wanted to see if the letter was as good at the envelope. (The letter was terrible. It didn't even mention the barf bag or being sick. A waste.)
The "Fluorescent Yellow" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c5xa3
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
Who could miss this letter. It's an 8.5' x 11' envelope that is a fluorescent yellow. It screams at you.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
The 9 free bonuses that it offered made me curious. I opened the envelope to see what the bonuses were.
The "AT&T" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c22a5
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
The envelope was see through and the letter was round. It almost looked like a CD. It was very unique.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
Well....I didn't open it. I could see that it was from AT&T and I wasn't interested in a telephone deal. Maybe it was too revealing.
The "Bank Bag" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c2d4p
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
It's not every day that you get a bank bag in the mail! It was the biggest thing in the mailbox and...well...it was a bank bag.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
Who could resist not opening a bank bag. Let's just say that when you mail a bank bag you can probably expect to get a 100% open rate.
The "Free Gift" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c37up
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope caught my attention for two reasons. I knew the mailer and the offer for a free gift (the copy used 58 point fonts) was hard not to notice.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I wanted to know what the free gift was.
The "Transparent" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c43wp
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
The contents of the envelope was completely visible because the envelope was totally transparent. It was odd to receive a clear plastic bag as an envelope.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I didn't open it (much like the AT&T envelope). I didn't need to because I could read the beginning of the sales letter without opening the envelope.
The "Testimonial" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c5bk5
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope had pictures of real people holding checks in their hand. Also, the photos of the people on the envelope perfectly supported the headline on the envelope.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
To be honest, I wanted to know what these guys were doing to make their money. Plus, the copy on the envelope referred to an "information kit" inside, which intrigued me.
The "Shiny Silver" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c4spp
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope was a shiny metallic silver color (although you can't see that in the scanned photo). If you opened it up in the light, the glare alone from the metallic shine pierced your eyes.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I didn't open the envelope...my wife did, because she wanted the free sample pantyhose. :-)
The "Priority Direct" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c3w8p
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope looks very official...as though it's a USPS priority mail envelope. All the official marketing on the backside of the envelope and the stunning eagle graphic on the front side caught my attention.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I opened it because I wanted to know what was so urgent that someone would send me something via priority mail.
NOTE: If you want more information on this type of envelope visit http://www.ResponseMail.com
The "Personal" envelope:
Here's the link to see the envelope:
http://url123.com/c3mrp
Why did this envelope catch my attention?
This envelope looked like a personal letter to me. In fact, I thought it was a letter from a friend of mine.
Why did I decide to open the envelope?
I opened it simply because I thought the letter was a personal note to me.
Conclusion
The most powerful envelopes that came though my mail box were the ones that...
1. Had markings that were relevant to my interests.
2. Looked like it came from someone I knew or a friend.
3. Have something free inside.
4. Created a compelling curiosity.
Remember these lessons when sending your next direct mail piece to your prospects and watch your response rate take a dramatic increase.
Kick Butt Direct Mail Envelopes - To learn more about this author, visit David Frey's Website.
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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