5 W’s of Getting Your Message Out

Who should you mail to? Mail to people with whom you do business. Mail to people with whom you would like to do business. Buy a list of potential customers and mail to them. Don’t be shy – you’re trying to let the world (or at least your corner of it) know your great offer.

What should you mail? Direct mail is flexible. Send letters, postcards, self-mailing brochures – whatever you think fits your business, your product or service, and your offer.

When should you mail? Anytime you have news or an event. The key is to mail frequently and consistently – this will build brand recognition.

Where do you send mail? Again, send your mail to everyone who can do business with you. Take a look at your existing customers and find others who are just like them.

Why send mail? Direct mail is personal – it’s measurable – and if done correctly, it works!

3 Simple Facts about Direct Mail & Growing Your Business

Almost every day, every customer you have and want goes to the mailbox. They look for bills that have to be paid, letters from kids at school, and news & information. Additionally, people want products, services and ideas that can make their lives better. Direct Mail can actually help them decide to get those products, services and ideas from you.

1. Direct Mail can help any kind of business grow. If you can write a letter, you can build your business. You can drive traffic to your store, find clients for a service, get people excited about a new product, and even make your existing customers more loyal – all through the use of direct mail.
2. Direct Mail is Flexible. There is practically no limit to how direct mail can be used. You can send a simple postcard, letter or brochure. Or you can add unusual promotional items or samples to an envelope for more impact. The mail lets you control the timing of your message. Mail also allows you to address a customer’s specific needs.
3. Direct Mail Works. With direct mail you can create a highly personalized, relevant presentation for your customers using Variable Data or even a fully integrated campaign. Better yet, you can measure the results of every mailing you send out. As you develop a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t for your business, you can make adjustments to future mailings.

6 Features of Graphic Design that Sell

The design of your direct mail piece has two jobs to do. One, it has to get attention for your primary offer. Two, it has to help the reader absorb the information that’s presented. Every well-designed piece has the following 6 features in common:

1. One thing dominates the page. When you look at a well-designed page, there is usually one dominant feature to catch your eye. It could be the headline or the photo/graphic, but not both. Something has to dominate. Though it might be tempting to throw in a starburst that says “Free Trial,” be careful how you use it. When you emphasize everything, you emphasize nothing.

2. Typeface variety is minimal. Your computer may come with hundreds of fonts, but that doesn’t mean you have to use every one of them. The best designers stick with one, maybe two fonts per piece – plus the logo.

3. White space. Don’t feel compelled to fill every inch of space with copy or pictures. A dense blob of type and pictures can look unattractive and turn readers away. An open airy design is inviting and friendly.

4. The text is easy to read. Equally important as the overall design of the page, is the design of specific text blocks. If the type is too small or condensed, if the columns are too wide, if the paragraphs are too long, it becomes too much work to read and people won’t. Break up the page by interspersing short paragraphs with long ones, indenting paragraphs, using bullet points or bold subheads.

5. Relevant illustrations. The purpose of the illustration is to help draw attention to or dramatize your message. That’s not to say that a plumber has to show faucets in his direct mail piece or that a dentist has to show teeth. That plumber could, for instance, show Niagara Falls.

6. Clear, visible logo and a call-to-action. You captured the readers’ attention and guided them through the information. You aroused their interest and desire. Now you have to let your readers know what you want them to do. Don’t confuse a clear, visible call-to-action with a big, oversized name, address and phone number.

4 Ingredients of Direct Mail that Sell

When asked what he thought was the greatest slogan he’d ever seen, an advertising expert responded, “Farm-Fresh Eggs Sold Here.”

Cutting through the serenity of a backcountry road, the sign demands your attention. If your favorite breakfasts come in sunny-side-up and scrambled varieties, “farm-fresh eggs” provokes your interest and fills you with desire. Meanwhile, the words “sold-here” command you to stop the car and take action.

In five short words, ”farm-fresh eggs sold here,” captures the four-part formula for letters, flyers and brochures that sell.

1. Attention
2. Interest
3. Desire
4. Action

Attention – If you know what your customers want, it’s not hard to get their attention. Just think about the biggest benefit your product or service can provide and dramatize it.

Interest – Now that you’ve got your customer’s attention, don’t disappoint. Hold their interest with important, relevant details about what you’re selling. Short, simple sentences keep a reader’s interest best. So does believable, everyday language.

Desire – This is where you really excite the customer for what you’re selling. It’s giving your customer an opportunity to imagine what it’s like to own and use your product. The key to building desire is to focus on benefits, not features. A feature tells you what the product has. Benefits, on the other hand, tell you how that feature improves your life.

Action – Now that you’ve got people’s attention, interest, and desire, don’t forget to ask for the order. It isn’t enough to say, “Buy now.” Give a compelling reason to visit your store or call your company immediately