Pushing the Envelope

Marketers thoughtfully develop the inside components of a direct mail package. But the best letter, brimming with features and benefits and a measurable call to action, is worthless if it’s never read. The envelope is the key tool that determines whether your direct mail gets opened or tossed.

A poorly designed envelope that fails to motivate the recipient to open it is like mailing money out the door. Carefully consider every element, including physical dimensions, copy, layout, and design.

Anything outside of the standard #10 envelope, either larger or smaller, will set you apart. Make sure the envelope is at least ¼” larger than your largest insert. Steer clear of window envelopes unless it’s the only way to achieve personalization. Smooth, heavier stocks show off your color designs, while textured stocks, such as linen or laid, offer high-end feel. Explore the myriad of options now available.

Technology has advanced to the point that you can place dynamic messaging on the front, back, and even the inside of the envelope. Your copy should provoke curiosity, but not give everything away. The goal is to pique interest so the recipient looks inside, but there should be something more – new information, a special offer – as a reward for opening it.

The envelope should be clean and well-designed, but that means different things to different marketers. Some, concerned that documents with too much visual flair will be dismissed as “junk mail,” choose plain white envelopes imprinted with the corporate logo to lend credibility and seriousness. The other extreme is the marketer who uses starbursts and call-outs that shout, “Open Now!” The best strategy is somewhere in between – a mix of bright colors, interesting textures, vivid imagery and bold messaging to grab attention quickly. While it’s important to keep the design cohesive with your other printed materials, using the same envelope design for multiple mailings may work against you. Even a friendly prospect might assume he’s already heard the message inside.

Personalization increases response rates, whether it’s through variable-data messaging, using a legible script font, or actual handwriting. Postage stamps add another personal touch. An envelope has the best chance of being open if it’s delivered on Tuesday or Wednesday, the lightest postal delivery days. Six weeks seems to be a good interval between mailings – you want to stay fresh in your prospect’s mind without becoming a nuisance.

It is really important to not assume what will work best for your business and test, test, test to be certain. The abundance of creative options makes envelopes a versatile vehicle for presenting your message. Give these precious communication-carriers a try as you plan your next direct mail campaign.

Five Good Reasons to Tap into Print Opportunities

Print versus e-marketing isn’t an either/or choice. Much of what we print is also available electronically. One isn’t wrong and the other right, some information just needs to pace of print. Thanks to innovations in print technology, it has never been easier or less expensive to get high-quality printed materials in the hands of your target audience. Here are five compelling reasons to tap into print opportunities:

1. Cut through the clutter. Remember the days when you opened your mailbox and catalogs, brochures, newsletters and postcards tumbled out? Today there is simply less postal mail, so your printed pieces get noticed. Let the competition fight it out in the Inbox; your will have the prospect’s attention as he interacts with your printed collateral.

2. Add credibility. In a time of economic uncertainty, print collateral tells the reader that your company plans to be around for the long term. Your message is so important it deserves to be preserved in a physical form rather than simply being posted on the vaporous Internet. The consumer trusts that if you put it in print you’re going to stand by your word.

3. Stay connected. Customer retention was the reason targeted mailings, such as custom magazines and newsletters, were developed in the first place. More and more, people are tiring of 24/7 electronic connectivity; so make sure the prospect has your information at his fingertips when he unplugs from digital devices. Print never runs out of power.

4. Print makes sense. You can see and hear electronic messages at the same time; it’s like getting two exposures for the price of one. But what about the other senses? Print is the clear winner in the categories of touch, smell and taste. We like to feel special papers and finishes, and cut out things of special interest and save them or pass them along. Smell, which is handled by the same part of the brain that handles memories and emotions, has been used to create a brand impression for years. Who can pass a scratch-and-sniff insert without scratching and sniffing? And there is no better way to get prospects to taste your product than by mailing a sample to try at their leisure.

5. You can’t hide from print. The same developers who introduced the electronic platforms that have revolutionized the way we deliver our messages are developing technologies to empower consumers to avoid these same messages. Think TiVo and spam filters. The mail carrier, on the other hand, has to deliver your mail. High quality, creative print pieces will capture your target audience’s interest.

Direct Mail Goes Digital

What was old is new again thanks to thinking inside the box. Add a QR code to any printed marketing piece, such as direct mail, and you’ve opened your marketing to a multiplatform experience for your customers and prospects.

What is a QR code? You’ve probably seen them cropping up in magazines and other printed materials over the past few months as smart phone technology continues to reach more hands in the U.S. In essence, a QR code is a relatively new type of two-dimensional barcode box that, when scanned by an app on a smart phone’s camera, generates information that causes a smart phone to take a desired action.

Those actions range from opening a website browser with specific information, providing a phone number to be dialed or triggering a text message to be sent. Here are some ways you can capitalize on using printed material in concert with other digital marketing channels.

Direct mail. QR codes are still relatively new to many smart phone users, and so are their phones. That means many are anxious to see where a QR code will take them. Add them to your direct mail to send prospects to your website, a landing page on your website for a coupon or drive them to your social media pages like Facebook or Twitter.

Brochures, menus and catalogs. Imagine having customers peruse your catalog or menu and giving them a QR code to go directly to a detailed information page where they can order online instantly. Maybe your brochure has a QR code that gives them instant access to a video demonstration of how your product works.

Business cards. We’ve all had to enter contact information into our little black books. Now with a quick scan, your contact information can be uploaded to your customer’s address book.

With this new technology, all of the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. To get started, give the print-to-mail experts at Professional Print & Mail a call at 559/237-7468 or email us at info@PrintFresno.com. We can help you with your new integrated marketing campaign.

The 5-Step Plan to Win Business

STEP 1 – Put together a mailing list.

If you don’t already have an existing customer list, this is not hard. All you need to do is give people a reason to give you their names and addresses. This could be as easy as a notebook on your counter or a form on your website that invites customers to “Join our mailing list.” Or a fishbowl that says “Enter a drawing.”

STEP 2 – Devise an offer.

Once you have a list of names and addresses, you need to give the people/businesses on that list a reason to do business with you. Or better yet, a reason to do business with you now.

Discounts and sales are among the most common offers because they steer business your way that might otherwise go to competitors. But anyone can have a sale. Make it a private sale only for people on your mailing list, your valued customers, and you gain loyalty and sales.

STEP 3 – Create the offer, print it, and mail it.

Now it’s time to present your offer to the list.

STEP 4 – Review your results.

One of the benefits of direct mail is that it’s measurable. You know right away if it’s working or not. By testing different offers and mailing formats you can discover what works best for your business.

STEP 5 – Repeat.

A successful direct mail program is just that, a Program. To be successful, you need to mail consistently and frequently.

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.