Direct Mail Design and Messaging Double Check
Direct Mail marketing has many mailing piece options. From postcards to letters to brochures and flyers, these mailers can have a huge impact on your business. Double checking your direct mail pieces before they hit the mailbox is a must do and is an excellent idea for several reasons. First, you want to double check the spelling and grammar. Then, you want to double check your message that it is clear and distinct. And finally, you want to check your art, colors and layouts. You will always want to make sure that the best practices for direct mail design is being met and that what’s being used is as focused as possible and ready for success. The flow of the piece should be smooth and the call to action is prominent.
When you are going through the final double check process, you should look at the direct mail piece the same way someone who is receiving it and will be pulling it out of the mailbox. Open it like someone would at home and see where your eyes go first. Ask yourself if you see the message and the call to action. Consider the tone of the words and how the piece immediately holds your attention. Does it make you want to look further than the front panel? Does it sell your service or your product?
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Other questions to ask on the double check are do you see the key benefits of your product or service and is the offer prominent? Does the recipient see how they can respond? Make sure that there is no problem with the layout, design or copy. The following are a few ways that you can do a double check and avoid the problems that may arise. You want all of your pieces to be working to the best of their ability.
Punch them in the eyeball from the first moment! When the recipient pulls the piece out of the mailbox, the first thing they should see is what you are transacting and how they can get it. Don’t be subtle! You have a flash of a moment to get their attention. You do not want your message buried in some long letter with hints along the way. Let your audience know right away what you are offering and why it is so wonderful that they need it now.
Use words well and sparingly. Writing copy for a direct mailing piece needs an editor’s red pen. Too many words or too much copy makes the message disappear and the receiver falls asleep. They don’t want to read an encyclopedia to get to your point. Make paragraphs short with pictures between. Use subheadings and bullet points to break up the copy. Make your copy as smooth as possible with your message as the centerpiece.
Your message and the key points should be repeated several times in several locations on the piece. People look at mail in different ways and you want your message to get to them no matter what way they look at it! Headlines should stand out as the loudest voice and include a P.S. at the bottom of the letter. Often, people only look at the P.S. and they count on it for the basic information.
Your direct mail design should be very simple. Too much color, too much art, too many fonts can spoil the message and the call to action. Definitely use an eye catching piece of art and a strong headline so that the receiver’s attention is caught. Then let that move their eye through the piece in the order that you want them to read the message. And again, double check the design through the eyes of the receiver.Make sure that you are drawn to your piece as much as you want your audience to respond.
Direct Mail Marketing is one of the best advertising strategies you or your business could utilize to reach customers and prospective clients. It is cost-effective, versatile, highly customizable, quick and easy to set up, reliable and helps you stand out from the typical marketing routines of your competitors. The advantages of direct mail marketing are limitless! Also, the results of your marketing efforts can be measured and tracked easily when using direct mail – no more complicated analytics or time wasted wondering what works and what doesn’t. Using highly-target mailing lists, coupled with unique letters and envelopes, direct mail campaigns ensure your potential customers heed your message by putting your advertisements directly into their hands. In the spam-riddled world of today’s online marketing, using direct mail to publicize yourself makes every cent of your marketing budget count with a high chance for a strong return on your investment. At Everest Direct Mail and Marketing, our experienced designers will work with you to make sure each piece of direct mail reflects your products, services, and anything else you’d like to include.
