Before beginning any meaningful discussion on how to make your direct mail marketing more successful, we must first agree on a definition of the process in question.

Just what is direct mail marketing, and why is it so important?

Direct mail marketing is:

• A stealth marketing tool that can go unnoticed by your competition, giving you the upper hand
• Great for sending coupons and samples
• An excellent direct response medium
• A powerful tool for surveys
• Fitting for sales literature that requires lengthy or technical copy
• Still the most targetable and precision medium available
• Very trackable and accountable
• A trackable, tangible and portable ad medium
• Flexible in terms of cost, size and contents of piece, target audience size, timing of piece, etc
• Powerful in its ability to be fully personalized or customized for each recipient using modern variable data printing technology

Whatever form direct mail takes – whether letters or video tapes, DVD’s or CD’s, postcards, catalogs or newsletters, and so on – the key to its success is found in your ability to understand the needs and wants of the target audience, and then effectively and quickly communicate how your product offers the best solution and the greatest satisfaction.

Crafting An Effective Direct Mail Campaign In The Midst Of Confusion And Misunderstanding
All advertising, including direct mail, must be created in conjunction with a clear understanding of the art of communication, which encompasses all aspects of language, including written, and symbolic (colors, logos, art, real and abstract images, etc.).

Since most cultures, subcultures, and individuals use language differently, the challenge for any advertising endeavor is to determine not only to whom the message will be directed, but how the message will be perceived.
The gap between audiences’ perception patterns can be measured – even predicted – by first determining key information such as demographics: occupation, income level, educational experience, family size, age bracket, and so on. As well as psychographics: interests, hobbies, political and religious persuasions, magazine subscriptions, club and organizational memberships, etc. Past purchasing behavior and lifestyles information is also very important. In unrestricted states, vehicle registration data can also be added to the database.

Each new level of information added to a database is called a “layer.” And the more layers of pertinant information you can add, the more finitely you can target your mailings with laser precision. Obtaining deeper layers of information can be done through such companies as Neo Data in Denver Colorado.

The lists and layers of information are obtained through list brokers and research companies. The basic premise is, that you supply a basic mailing list of your customers or prospects to a qualified list processor, and have them overlay your existing data with additional demographic and psychographic data or layers to your target audience.

This additional data, allows you to discover what types of people are buying from you, or who have expressed interest in buying from you. Now you can purchase additional names of those people who match the demographic, geographic, psychographic and lifestyles data of your best customers.

It’s at this point that marketing professionals recognize that a background in psychology, sociology, research, and the study of communications can be very helpful.

Marketing communications designers must also understand the proper use of graphics, fonts, spatial relationships, balance, and colors, and how each visual cue can stir certain emotional responses.

Additional considerations unique to direct mail marketing must also come into the decision making process. These factors include postal service requirements for size, weight, shape, dimensional, tabbing, and folding. These issues will effect postal rates. Other considerations are various cost options for design, printing, list procurement and management, tracking results, testing, and copy writing.

So, now that you understand the challenge you face in creating a successful direct mail campaign, how can you avoid the pitfalls that plague your competition? Well please, read on and learn. It gets easier.

The Solution To Your Direct Mail Marketing Challenges
Most companies realize only a fraction of their advertising potential because they invest marketing dollars in programs or media that don’t pay off due to a lack of understanding how that medium works, and how best to utilize the intrinsic values of the medium..

The problem of wasted marketing dollars is typically a result of one or more – possibly all – of the following marketing mistakes:
1. Poor market research
2. Poor planning
3. Poor implementation:

• Design
• Production
• Offer
• Placement
• Target audience
4. Poor follow through
5. Lack of commitment to the campaign
6. Insufficient frequency
7. Lack of a motivating message

Not even the most sophisticated company is totally immune to these challenges.
Complacency, atrophy, tunnel vision and the same old ideas coming from the same people are all contributing factors to the declining impact of all forms of advertising. This is one of the primary reasons large companies change advertising agencies every few years.

The only way to ensure continuing success is to invest in an ongoing program of market research and analysis. This process will provide you with a reliable understanding of your audience’s needs, wants, concerns and hot buttons, and how to effectively address them.

Planning and implementing a successful direct mail campaign is only possible when you first understand the intricate details of your target market.

Once you’ve met this criteria, you can begin to address the challenges of continually coming up with fresh new ideas for copy, design, and offers, that will keep your customers coming back.

An Overview of “35 Tips For Successful Direct Mail Marketing”

A final note before you begin. It is not mandatory that every one of the 35 tips be utilized in every mailing. I personally have cut corners on many of them, and realized incredible results. Certain elements are obviously more critical than others, and the more mail campaigns you do, the more you understand where you can cheat.

35 Tips for Successful Direct Mail Marketing
A Quick Reference List of the 35 Tips:
1. Internalize a direct mail attitude
2. Grab attention, and fire your biggest gun first
3. Integrate the mail piece with the rest of your media campaign (unless it is a stealth message)
4. Use color, and use it correctly
5. Start with a clean list
6. Use post cards where appropriate
7. Use proper design techniques and graphics
2. Create an image of quality
3. Fully personalize every letter
4. Maximize the visual appeal of your mail package
5. Always appeal to your readers’ emotions
6. Tell a story to maximize reader attention
7. Use testimonials from satisfied customers
8. Make your mailing memorable
9. Make your mailing unique
10. Use “you” as often as possible
11. Use short, punchy sentences to get to the point
12. Make your message long enough to tell your story, but short enough to keep readers’ interest
13. Always use a call-to-action
14. Include a guarantee
15. Make a good offer
16. Be friendly
17. Avoid using mailing labels
18. Use first class postage whenever possible
19. Walk in your customers’ shoes (In other words, research, research, research)
20. Conduct sufficient tests before a full rollout
21. Target your audience precisely
22. Repeat, repeat, repeat your mailings
23. Always include a response device
24. Include a discount coupon for better tracking and response
25. Include a free sample whenever possible
26. Include graphics, illustrations, or pictures of your product or main benefit
27. Use “word pictures”
28. Use a post script
29. Include a lift letter to highlight a specific point
30. Take advantage of the clustering effect
31. Leverage the 80/20 rule
32. Use bullets and indented paragraphs to draw attention
33. Use power-packed words
34. Use effective timing
35. Make your list the very best it can be

HOW TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL
DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGN

1. Internalize A Direct Mail Attitude
To make direct mail work, you need to begin with the understanding that it will take several test mailings, and several repetitive mailings to the same recipients before you begin to realize the full potential of your market.

You typically need to send three to five mailings to each prospect after the initial test mailings to realize the maximum results. And each of the repetitive mailings should be slightly different than the others. Different enough to look new, but similar enough to generate a name and brand awareness, or equity in the mind of the recipients. Repetition builds comfort with your name, familiarity with your offer, and leads to top-of-mind-awareness in your product or service category.

To successfully test each element of your direct mail campaign, using an A-B split run test (send ½ of the test run to one group, and ½ to another, and compare the results), you should send 2,000 pieces to test your list, another 2,000 to test your offer, and another 2,000 to test your copy. In this scenario, you vary the list profile in one test, the offer in another, and the copy in the third test. You now know which list, offer and copy are best. You can also test graphics, design, envelopes, seasonal timing, etc.

Believe it or not, most people who do direct mail never test. They work off hunches and personal likes and dislikes.

There is a short cut to testing though. You can conduct a telemarketing survey to determine what people want to know about your company, your product, and your offer. You can also survey what type of premium they may want in order to motivate them to action.

In the end, a successful direct mail campaign will generate a response rate of between 2–3%. That’s right, we know it sounds pretty meager, but before you worry about receiving only a 2–3% response rate, consider the alternative.

To use an actual example, a client in the financial planning business spent $1,700 on four newspaper ads to reach 224,000 subscribers over a two week period. The response was 22 prospects, which equates to a .00098% response rate. Each prospect from newspaper advertising cost the company $77.27.

The same client also did a direct mail promotion consisting of 3,000 highly personalized letters to a targeted market, which yielded 57 prospects, or 1.9% response rate, at a total cost of $1,650 – that’s only $28.94 per prospect – and each lead from the highly targeted direct mail list was pre-qualified!

Because they were specifically targeted based on meeting our qualifying criteria, the mail responders were more than twice as likely to buy over the newspaper responders.
On a separate occasion, we did another direct mail promotion for the same company consisting of only 1,000 pieces, and then followed up with a personal phone call to 100 of the recipients. The yield on this program was 33 prospects, or a 3.3% response rate. Following up with a telephone call will dramatically improve your results. Actually, the very best campaign you can run is a phone call to announce that your mailing is coming, then the receipt of the mailing, followed by a call to remind them they got it, and the offer expires soon. This is referred to as a call-mail-call campaign.

I have actually experienced a response rate of 16.8% on a survey for a computer software training company, and a 17% and a 19% response rate for a car dealership.

The survey for the software training company was so successful because it was sent only to computer users or owners. And second, it offered a free video training tape (a $29.95 value) for completing an extensive survey and mailing or Faxing it back.

The car dealership mailing received such tremendous response rates because of the nature of the offer, the research, the timing, and the list.

The offer that generated a 19% response rate was based on the results of a phone survey, that asked people in the market area, what they would prefer to win from a list of choices. It turned out, that the survey respondents were split between a NASCAR dream vacation, and a Golf dream vacation. The piece was mailed in June, the peak season for both sports in that region. The list was very hot, because it was all past customers. Past customers are the most likely to respond to an offer from a company they know and trust.

The offer that generated a 17% response rate offered two free round trip airline tickets to anywhere U.S. Air flies, with color photographs of warm, tropical places, beaches, golf, etc. The offer and timing was perfect, because the mailing was sent to residents in the Northeast, in late November, just when they are thinking of holiday or vacation travel to a warmer climate. Again, the offer was sent to past customers.

2. Create An Image of Quality
Never settle for a marketing attitude that says “just get it out the door.” Your direct mail pieces should look as if you have pride in your company, and that you are a total professional, no matter what you do. If your mail pieces look like junk, they will be treated accordingly.

In direct mail marketing almost more than any other form of communication, perception is reality. And the total image of your company is critical to your sales success. Remember, with direct mail marketing, your mail piece is your only opportunity to create a positive image of your company. It must paint a picture of a solid and reliable organization committed to its customers’ satisfaction.

Your quality image is dependent on many elements of your overall promotion, including the paper you use, the way your package is designed, and what every word says. It is always worth the investment to pay a little more up front for better paper, a professional designer, and a talented direct mail copy writer.

It is more important to look at the cost per sale generated, rather than the cost per mail piece generated.

3. Fully Personalize Every Letter
There is no excuse for failing to personalize letters, whether they are to customers or prospects. Modern list management technology has made it surprisingly simple to include names, addresses, and other specific information in a mass-produced mailing.

If you want to convey the message that you provide quality personal service, start with personalized mail. Remember, everyone’s favorite name is their own, and they love to hear it and read it.

Whenever possible, incorporate the recipient’s name and other personal information into the body of the letter, but only if it is the same type style as the rest of the letter. Avoid the temptation to pre-print a letter and then place the recipient’s name into it on a laser or dot-matrix printer. The result is usually a loss of credibility because in most cases the reader can tell the letter isn’t actually personalized, just merged.

However, done properly, and with attention to detail, you can pre-print the body of the letter, and merge the name and address with a laser printer, and still have a high quality piece.

4. Maximize The Visual Appeal Of Your Mail Package
To get opened, your mail piece must be interesting and appealing on the outside, and to get read it must be interesting and appealing on the inside. For maximum results, use color, full color if appropriate, and include two, three, or even four separate pieces in the envelope.

Always include a personalized cover letter on professionally designed and offset printed letterhead. To complete your package offer, you may also include one ore more of many proven-effective mailing pieces, such as:
• a brochure • a business card
• a coupon • a product sample
• a testimonial letter • a map
• a response card • a price sheet
• a ticket to a convention, trade show or seminar
• a reprint from an article about your service, product or company

The idea behind including multiple pieces in your direct mail package is to:
1. Get the reader involved
2. Support and document your claims
3. Impress upon the customer that you know the market and the product, and you are an authority on the subject
The psychology behind giving something of value for free is that the recipient feels compelled to respond to your offer, or at least think of your company favorably. This is the law of reciprocity.
A word of caution: never fall prey to those do-it-yourself laser printed business cards and brochures. While this may appear to be an attractive alternative from a cost perspective, it will make a very negative impression on your readers. Homemade business documents are rarely read and your company’s image will suffer greatly from them. Make the investment to do it right, or save your money and don’t do it at all. In advertising, image is everything.

5. Always Appeal To Your Readers’ Emotions
As any experienced sales person knows, the most effective way to persuade a new customer to purchase your product is by appealing to his or her emotions. The vast majority of consumers would rather know that your product will make them happy than know how it’s made.

An emotional appeal can be applied to any feature you choose to emphasize – whether it’s a 5-year warranty or a new and improved flavor.

The most important point to remember when crafting your emotional appeal is that customers buy benefits, not features. A 5-year warranty is nice, but customers are really buying the confidence it inspires. A new formula is positive, but it’s the better flavor your reader cares about.

Your mailing must grab the reader within one or two sentences. A clear and substantial benefit to the reader must stand right up front or it will never be noticed. Whenever possible, extend the emotional appeal throughout your direct mail package by positioning your product as the intelligent, logical choice of the well informed and discriminating buyer.

6. Tell A Story To Maximize Reader Attention
In typical advertising a company has very little time to develop a complex selling message. Most television ads are only 30 seconds long, and most viewers won’t even pay attention to that much information. Newspaper ads are buried among literally hundreds of competing ads, and the most you can normally communicate is a headline.

But once you grab a reader’s attention with a direct mail piece, you can convince them to spend some time contemplating your offer.

The more time a reader spends with your package, the more likely he or she is to buy your product.
To maximize the time your readers give you, develop a clear and involving story line. Describe how you solved another customer’s problem, and how much better off they are now. Or tell a story of someone who did not respond, and how things turned out poorly for them. People love stories about other people, and they bring real life into your message.

The famous sales trainer, speaker, and author, Zig Ziglar, is famous for his stories. His message is much the same as other motivational speakers – in fact, some speakers provide significantly more data than Mr. Ziglar does.

But it’s Mr. Ziglar who commands the respect (and financial support) of CEOs from major corporations throughout the world. And his success is directly attributable to the personality of the stories he tells and the way he makes a message seem more palatable than a typical sales pitch.

7. Use Testimonials From Satisfied Customers
A testimonial suggests credibility for your offer because it comes from an impartial third party. Everything you say directly to a customer will be filtered as a sales pitch. But a testimonial comes across as a non-threatening opinion and readers are more likely to believe them.

The best testimonials come from well-known people or companies, on their company letterhead, signed by the author, dated (no more than one year old), and specifically mentioning you or your company.
If you can’t include the entire letter (most common software packages allow you to import a picture of a letter to save space) and are forced to use selected sentences or a paragraph, identify the author and company completely (no initials) and use only real people. Another very effective tactic is to use a picture or an authentic signature.

Always be sure to get permission and signed release for any testimonial you wish to use.
NOTE: Never, ever, ever fabricate a testimonial. Not only is it not nice to fool your customers, but if they ever find out, your credibility will be virtually impossible to repair. (Not to mention the possibilities of a fine and/or jail time.)

8. Make Your Mailing Memorable
>From the envelope to the insert you should make the piece fun, colorful and dynamic from a graphics and imagery standpoint. And from a copy perspective, your piece should be interesting, informative, evocative and enticing to read. Only then will it be read and remembered.

When your mail piece looks like every other mail piece a reader receives, chances are it will wind up in the trash without even being opened. Instead of following the same old formula for what a piece of mail ought to look like, shake things up a bit. Try different colors, sizes, and types of paper. (Consult with your local post office before doing anything too radically different. Some changes may cost you money in postage increases.) Try to write copy that makes a surprising statement. Just try to get remembered.

9. Make Your Mailing Unique
Anyone can send a letter and a brochure. In fact, sometimes it seems like everyone does. But your mailing will be much more successful if you send something just a little different.

Use props, gadgets, games, toys, puzzles, riddles, contests, or anything creative to get noticed, to get the reader involved, and to get your message across.

10. Use “You” As Often As Possible
“You” is a powerful word in direct mail. Because your message is – most often – not requested by the customer, you must convince the reader the message is important.

The most effective way to involve your readers in your message is to create a “you attitude.” In other words, use “you” (referring to the reader) as often as possible, without overdoing it.
Talk directly to and about the customer. Address them and their needs, not yours. Talk about what the reader wants to hear. Only after you have done these things can you successfully close a sale. This is true in many forms of selling beyond direct mail.

No customer will respond to a salesperson who continually refers to his or her own needs. Imagine visiting a store where the salesperson began a conversation by saying, “Let’s try to hurry this up. I still need to sell four more products to meet my quota or I’ll lose my bonus.” Always use “you” to refer specifically to the reader.

11. Use Short, Punchy Sentences To Get To The Point
Despite what your high school English teacher may have told you, a sentence can have one or two words. You have no need to use dozens of words when only a few will suffice. Always use the KIS method (Keep It Simple). It is typically better to impress your readers with high quality paper, graphics and photographs than with complicated sentences and uncommonly used words.

The general rule of thumb for mass marketing is that you should write for a seventh grade reading level.
This reading level may not apply in every case for certain sophisticated products marketed to high income audiences. But as a general rule, use short sentences (7–10 words) and small words (one or two syllables, never four syllables unless you absolutely have to).

12. Make Your Message Long Enough To Tell Your Story, But Short Enough To Keep Readers’ Interest
It used to be said that if a letter was more than one page it would not get read. Today, we find that three, four and even five pages can be very effective if the material is well written, very interesting, intriguing and informative.

Hey, if you’re interested in a topic, you’ll read a book about it, right! So don’t be afraid to tell your story.

If you really have a dynamic story to tell, tell it. But if your message is simple and brief, keep it to one page. Many times you’ll find that a message you think absolutely can’t be shortened to one page can – if you stick to the core of your offer.

As a rule of thumb, if a sentence or paragraph is not essential to selling your product, leave it out. You’ll have plenty of time to communicate additional information (like your company profile, etc.) after the reader becomes a customer.

13. Always Use A Call-To-Action
What do you want your readers to do? Call for more information? Fill out a survey? Send in their credit card information?

Be very specific about exactly what you want the reader to do or they will not do it. Spell out exactly what steps the reader must take in order to take advantage of your offer or to participate in a promotion, etc.

If the call-to-action is not clear and simple your readers will not respond. You must make every effort to simplify the response process and carefully explain it to every reader.

14. Include A Guarantee
Customers today want to be reassured that you will stand behind what you sell with a solid and hassle-free guarantee. Long gone are the days when customers will sit idly by while unscrupulous direct marketers fail to deliver on claims they’ve made. So if you want business, you must make your guarantee clear up front.

A guarantee lubricates the gears of your marketing machine by lowering readers’ built-in resistance barriers. You will have plenty of other issues to overcome – quality, price, delivery, selection, etc. – so satisfy the issue of trust at the very first. Once your guarantee of service and satisfaction is clear, the rest of your message will be more readily received and believed.

15. Make A Good Offer
There must be a clear and direct offer that is meaningful and significant to readers in order to move them to action.

Ask yourself, “Why are we sending this direct mail package?” If the answer is related to your needs (to increase sales, etc.), then you should carefully rethink your strategy before anything goes in the mail.
If your answer is customer-oriented (to promote a special discount price or new product), then you can expect customers to respond.

A good offer will provide both emotional and logical reasons to respond. Generally, people make a decision to purchase a product based on emotions (it looks good or makes them feel good), but they justify all purchases based on logic (the price was right or the quality superior).

Always include in your offer an incentive or reason to respond now, rather than later. The more compelling the reason to respond now, the higher your response rate will be.

People can be motivated to act because you are offering a desirable product or service that fills a real need at a competitive price. But they must also be moved to act NOW to justify your investment in a marketing campaign.

Craft your offer so customers can get an even better deal by responding within a few days. Limited introductory offers, limited quantities, and special seasonal discounts are all good motivators for customers to respond now.

16. Be Friendly
Don’t use cold or impersonal language. Be warm, personal, and friendly. You don’t have to be cold to be professional. People like to do business with people, not corporations or machines.

Your copy should read like a conversation the customer might have with a good friend. And remember that for the most part everything you write should be directed at a seventh grade reading level.

17. Avoid Using Mailing Labels
With current technology, there is no reason you should be using mailing labels. Each envelope should be laser or ink-jet printed (300 DPI minimum) with the customer’s name and address. If you’re using a window envelope, the address that shows through should be laser printed only.

A mailing label is a dead giveaway that your pieces were mass produced and machine prepared – the height of impersonal corporate marketing. Instead, use a direct printing process to increase the level of perceived personal attention.

18. Use First Class Postage Whenever Possible
An individual first class postage stamp gives the most personal impression. Studies have found that using two stamps is better than one, and using brightly colored stamps is better than drab ones.
There are other studies that have found little difference in the positive effect of an actual stamp between third-class and first-class.

The general rule is that when marketing to consumers it is best to use first-class if possible, and when marketing to businesses third-class is acceptable. In any case, it is always better to use a stamp (third or first class) over a metered imprint.

19. Walk In Your Customers’ Shoes (In Other Words, Research, Research, Research)
It is a well known fact in the world of sales that in order to sell to someone effectively, you must first understand that person. You must get inside his or her head and learn to understand their needs, wants, fears, motivational forces, interpretations and expectations of quality, service, value, prestige, etc.
This process takes time and effort, but the alternative is an educated guess at best. The only way to reasonably insure the success of your campaign is to know that your customers are interested before you ever put a brochure in the mail.

If you’re interested in a more complete discussion of this topic, please seek out one of the hundreds of books written on the subject of marketing research. For now, it’s sufficient to say that you cannot sell to a customer you don’t know and understand.
20. Conduct Sufficient Tests Before A Full Rollout
Before you make the substantial investment of printing, folding, stuffing, sorting and mailing 130,000 pieces of direct mail, it is always wise to roll out a test sample of 2,000–3,000 pieces to see how your offer will perform.

To increase your success rate, many aspects of your direct mail campaign should be tested – but never more than one at a time. Otherwise you won’t know which element being tested made the difference.
To achieve the most reliable results, separately test your mailing list, your opening statement used to grab readers’ attention, your offer, your price, your design of the piece, your copy, your postage class, and your post script statement (a critical element of successful direct mail).

Of course the more research you conduct at the front end of your campaign, the less testing you’ll need to develop a successful piece.

21. Target Your Prospects Precisely
The more narrowly you can define your potential market or audience, the more your piece can be tailored to meet your prospects’ specific needs. And the more specific your message is to your audience’s needs, the more successful your campaign will be.

Most small- to medium-sized businesses probably don’t have the budget to freely send mail to unqualified and vaguely defined prospects, merely hoping the law of averages can convert this unknown entity into a sale.

Instead you must focus your dollars and attention on those people who can most likely become a customer. Again, this is where proper market research pays off in savings and profits.

Newcomers to the field of direct mail marketing might be overwhelmed by the number of different characteristics by which you can define a mailing list.

Most established list companies provide their customers with options such as demographics (age, gender, income, etc.), psychographics (beliefs, values, etc.), behaviors (purchasing patterns, response rates, etc.), and more.

Your challenge is to pick the most descriptive characteristics and find a list that directly matches your audience makeup.

22. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
Most people fail at direct mail because they try it once or twice, without taking into account the above tips, and then quit.

One of the keys to success in direct mail is simple repetition. You have to be there when someone is ready to buy, or you have to catch them in the right frame of mind. This requires sending numerous pieces to the same people, time after time.

The other reason is that you have to establish your company name in your prospects’ minds as a stable, reputable business. People want to know that you have staying power in the marketplace before they will buy your product.

As a general rule, a successful direct mail marketing campaign will involve four to six repeat mailings to each list. By this time you can be reasonably sure that you’ve converted as many prospects to customers as you can.

Does Pepsi-Cola spend over one billion dollars per year on advertising because people don’t know who they are? No, of course not, everyone in the civilized world knows exactly who Pepsi is, what they sell and where they can buy it.

The reason they spend so much on media (including a good deal of direct mail) is to remind people, to entrench their name so deeply in the audience’s subconscious mind that when they reach for a cola drink, their arm automatically reaches for a Pepsi.

Never underestimate the raw power of repetition, for it is the driving force behind the success of all advertising. The top ten advertisers in the nation collectively spend over $13,850,000,000.00 annually on advertising alone. It’s no coincidence, then, that these are also some of the largest and most financially successful corporations in the world.

Don’t think that just because yours is a small company you can’t possibly become a household name. You can create solid name recognition for yourself in a smaller targeted market, and then expand that market as your business grows. Remember, all large companies began as small companies.

23. Always Include A Response Device
Successful direct mail marketing always makes an attractive offer with a clear call-to-action. But it’s also essential to make it very simple for customers to respond. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to include a response card.

When mailing to businesses, you may enclose a standard response form or order form, a FAX-back form, or a Courtesy Response Form.

A Courtesy Response Form does not have pre-paid postage on it like a typical response device. You can get away with this because it is so easy for a business person to run it through the postage meter along with all the other outgoing mail for the day.

But if you are mailing to households, you should include a postage-paid Business Reply Card. Typical residential consumers are reluctant to respond if they must also go to the trouble of putting a stamp on your response card.

Whenever possible, pre-print the name and address of the recipient right on the response form. This has three positive effects. First, it makes it much easier for the customer to respond (just make a simple check-mark and drop it in the mail); second, it assumes the customer actually will respond, which has a positive psychological effect on them; and third, it makes the piece much more personal.

Always provide a phone-in option as well, because many people prefer to respond immediately and receive instant service. It is best to have a 24-hour operator to take orders or handle inquiries, especially if you are mailing all over the country. Of course, an “800” number is almost mandatory these days for any company that expects its customers to call long distance.

As home computers become more common, you should also consider an on-line computer ordering system through which customers can use a modem to access your company.
This option can easily be provided 24-hours a day, without the cost of live operators. Since the information is already in digital format in your computer, this also saves the time and eliminates the additional cost of entering data from a mail or FAX response.

24. Include A Discount Coupon
Nothing motivates customers to respond more than a discount. But to make the discount real or tangible, you need to provide an actual coupon for them to send in.

To maximize the effectiveness of coupons, give each coupon an actual dollar value, not a percentage discount. Customers relate to dollars instantly, but may not understand how good a deal your percentage offer is.

Number your coupons in a series, and give them an expiration date that arrives within 30 days of receipt. This will further encourage your prospects to respond right away.

25. Include A Free Sample Whenever Possible
The best way to convince your prospects that they need your product is to give them a free sample. Let your customers touch, taste, feel, see, hear, or otherwise experience your product first hand. When your customers have a direct personal experience with a product they can persuade themselves to purchase it.

You can include an entire product where possible (such as a packaged food item or a packet of shampoo, etc.), or just a material or color sample. Tangible items always speak louder than words.
If you are selling a service instead of a product, samples of your past work are always effective. But if you simply can’t put your service or product in a direct mail package, use testimonials from satisfied customers. The impartial opinion of a third party works almost as well as a sample.

26. Include Graphics, Illustrations, Or Pictures Of Your Product
A picture really is worth a thousand words, and many people need to see something to understand it, especially if they have poor reading skills or do not have the time to read your literature.

Actual photographs are the best option, especially if they show your products in use. If photos are not available, then a realistic illustration or computer graphic can work almost as well.

The key is to let your customers see your product and begin to imagine how they would use it in their own lives. Be sure to use realistic photos or graphics that indicate the actual size or dimensions of your product – never use misleading photos.

27. Use “Word Pictures”
It has been said by a very successful direct mail marketing company, that “a picture is worth a thousand words, but a word picture built up in the reader’s mind by your words is worth a thousand pictures, because the reader colors that picture with his own imagination, which is more potent than all the brushes of all the world’s artists.”

Herein lies the value of a professional direct mail copy writer. Sure, just about anyone can put a few words down on paper and communicate the basic elements of a direct mail message.
But to be successful you need a trained and talented writer who can carefully craft words into a mental picture that communicates with emotion and logic. Direct mail copy writing is different from other types of advertising writing. It requires an ability to communicate complex issues in a small space without appearing rushed.

Be careful when hiring a copy writer and make sure you find someone who has successful direct mail experience. If you’re going to do it yourself, make the investment in several “How-To” direct mail copy writing book and read them thoroughly.

28. Use a Post Script
Studies have shown, that people will typically read the opening sentence or headline of a direct mail letter first, and then jump directly to the post script. If they like these two elements, they are much more likely to read the rest of the material.

An effective post script statement should summarize the main benefits of your offer and restate the call-to-action.

The post script should also be italicized or printed in a different font to draw attention to it. Always include a post script statement in every letter as a standard element. Some personal letters don’t need a post script because everything has already been said. But every direct mail letter will be significantly more effective with one because of the nature of repetition.

29. Include A Lift Letter To Highlight A Specific Point
The key to success with direct mail is to carefully point your readers’ attention to the precise points they need to see, when they need to see them.

Many times it is beneficial to use a pre-printed “Post-it note” or other temporary device on your letter or brochure. This technique is used to add a post-post script (PPS), or to highlight a particularly notable point.

30. Take Advantage Of The Clustering Effect
Research has revealed that in direct marketing, as with many other walks of life, birds of a feather tend to flock together. Customers who have similar incomes, educational backgrounds, experiences, interests, needs, etc. are likely to live near each other.

Thus, if you begin to notice a trend in your mailing list for prospects to live in certain ZIP code clusters you can logically assume that other addresses in those ZIP codes will also be good prospects – even if they don’t appear on your list.

To take advantage of the clustering effect, determine which ZIP codes have a high concentration of your targeted prospects, then send an additional mailing to those specific codes. Be sure to merge/purge your list to eliminate duplicate mailings and wasted dollars.

31. Leverage The 80/20 Rule
In most any business, you will find that 20% of your customers are responsible for 80% of your profits. Therefore, you should prospect for customers where there is a known source first, and then explore other opportunities.

If you find a particular list that works better than others, use it. If you find an offer or discount that draws higher response rates, use it. You will find that you have unlimited options for unique messages you can communicate through the mail. But if you try to use too many at one time you will dilute the effectiveness of all the messages.

Test a single message, refine it until it works, and follow through.
Another tactic is to study the marketing efforts of your competitors. Look at other companies selling similar products and mimic their target marketing campaigns. Many people think of this as unoriginal or ineffective. But the truth is, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel when you can simply use the wheel somebody else created. If their campaign is working, follow their lead and get your share of the market.

32. Use Bullets And Indented Paragraphs To Draw Attention
Most of your direct mail prospects are also prospects for other companies. As a result, the typical direct mail reader is buried with offers and messages. Your job is to make your message stand out and make it easy to remember.

To make this happen, create a visual map that leads your readers through your message. Use subheads, bullets, indented paragraphs, and other attention-getting devices to draw your reader’s eye to key points.
This makes it easier for the busy reader to scan the material for the “good stuff.” It also breaks up what could be a visually mundane letter and makes it more attractive to casual readers.

Doesn’t this particular paragraph demand attention. Simply by using a double indent,
your eye is attracted to this area.

A Bold font can also demand attention. But use them sparingly, as they were on the eye and brain.

An italicized font is another, more subtle option. Or try an italicized bold font. Underlining is generally less preferable as it becomes harder to read. Visually, underlining ties the words together, and plays tricks on the mind. If you can use designs and fonts that allow the eye to effortlessly scan the text, you are ahead of the game.

A good font is one that has a serif. Like the one you are reading. A sans-serif font looks like this. And studies show that people find it more difficult to read and comprehend. It may look nice from a design standpoint, but it doesn’t help the reader.

Another rule of thumb, is to never use more than three font styles in any one piece. It looks rather silly when you mix and match too many styles. It is also the sure sign of a young, new, inexperienced designer. Fonts can be a friend or a foe.

33. Use Power-Packed Words
Power-packed words such as “free,” “discount,” “guaranteed,” “two for one,” “trial offer,” “limited edition,” “limited quantity,” and “no obligation” generate immediate interest with readers.
Powerful words are a tried and proven staple of all successful forms of advertising. Studies show that products can generate measurable increases in sales by simply including a word on the label such as “new” or “improved,” (if they truly are).

Whatever you say however, stand behind it 100%. Never make false claims or promises you don’t intend to follow through with. Always maintain the highest standard of ethics and integrity, and it will pay off in dividends.

34. Use Effective Timing
Just as with any form of marketing, your success will depend in large part on when your message is delivered. You should account for yearly, monthly, and weekly variations in customer purchasing patterns to maximize the effectiveness of every mailing you send.

As regular as clockwork, November through February are the worst months to mail, unless your mailing is directly related to the holidays or the winter weather. Conversely, Spring and Summer are the best selling seasons for most businesses.

On a monthly level, direct mail campaigns are more successful when received nearer to the beginning of the month than the end. Most families experience a cash crunch at the end of the month and are not likely to respond to your offer, no matter how good.

Whenever possible, time your piece to be delivered to your prospects on any day except Monday. Because the postal system does not take the weekend off, Mondays are typically the heaviest day for mail delivery. Your mailing will likely be lost among many other pieces and lose its effectiveness. Further, most recipients – businesses and consumers alike – have more tasks to perform on Monday and thus less attention to pay to your piece.

35. Make Your List The Very Best It Can Be
Your mailing list is the kingpin to your success. Most companies that are new to direct mail put approximately 10% of their time and resources into obtaining a mailing list, about 40% into the copy, and the remaining 50% into the graphics.

Though copy and graphics are critical to the success of your campaign, if your list targets the wrong people, or only marginally qualified people, all the best copy and graphics in the world cannot save your campaign.

Never try to save money by acquiring a “bargain” list. Our experience is that you get what you pay for, and any savings realized from a low-price list are quickly lost to lower response rates, and increased overall printing and postage costs.

In the United States alone you can choose from nearly 30,000 lists available for sale or rent. The general rule of thumb is that the ones for sale are of a lower grade. The best lists are typically for rent, and only for a specified period of time. Avoid purchasing lists on printed labels at all costs. These labels are usually of the lowest grade dot-matrix variety, and they give your piece a poor image.

The cost for a list can range from .05–.25 per name. There is usually a shipping charge and a flat fee for the disk as well. You can also expect a minimum order requirement of 1,000–3,000 names. Most lists are rented for a one year period with unlimited use. Some lists have use restrictions during the rental period.

There are numerous considerations when talking about lists, such as how is it compiled, who compiled it, how often it is updated, what information is captured, how is it formatted, how is it sorted, what were the compiling criteria, who has purchased the list in the past, how many companies have purchased it, etc. The bottom line is to do your homework and – as when buying a home – buy the very best you can afford.

Wow, Free Tips!

Database / List Cleansing
People move, a lot. In fact, statistics tell us that on average, 20% of your population base will move every year. In the rural areas a little less, and in the big urban areas a little more. This means that you must keep your own house list of customers and prospects fresh. The very best way to do this is two-fold. First, have your list cleansed and updated by a certified United States Postal Service National Change of Address (NCOA) vendor. Also, have your list CASS Certified, De-Duped, and Address Corrected. This process will delete all the undeliverable addresses, update the addresses for those people who have moved within the last year, add the zip plus four code, arrange your addresses by zip code and carrier route order, and delete any duplicate names and addresses.

By going through this database cleansing process, you will have a far more deliverable list, and you will have fewer address errors and duplicate mail pieces sent to the same person.

When you have your list de-duped, have it done by:
• Same name same address
• Same phone number
• Similar name similar address
• Same name similar address

The final step, is to send your first piece by Pre-Sorted First Class Mail (for best postal rates, about 26.5¢ at the time of this writing). Or send it with a First Class Postage Stamp (for maximum impact and personalization). On the envelope or mail piece, have printed right under your return address in big type “Address Correction Requested.” This will ensure that any piece that slipped through the cleansing process, or was un-cleanable, will be returned to you, so that you may delete or amend the address yourself.

Post Cards And Self-Mailers
Post cards can be very effective, and lower in cost to produce than a typical mail piece with envelope, letter, brochure, and response card. However, due to their size limitations, you may not have the space to adequately convey your message. If you are making a single announcement, sale, or event, a post card may be just the ticket.

I love a good post card campaign that consists of three or more cards sent to the same database, with at least one being sent each month. Frequency is always a key factor in advertising success, and post cards allow you to stay in front of your target audience.

Another thing I like about post cards, and self-mailers ( a mail piece that does not require an envelope) in general, is that the recipient does not have to open the envelope to see the headline or offer. They have to see it just to throw it away. In fact, the very best response rates I have ever experienced, were from self-mailers.

Color
Here are some interesting statistics from a study by the University of Minnesota, the University of British Columbia, and the 3M Corporation:
• 70% of people with multicolor reports obtained an optimum decision compared to only 33% of people with black and white reports
• Color increases the chances of seeing the ad by 40%
• Color enhances prospective buyers tendency to act by 26%
• When color is used in the ad, the product is perceived as being greater in value, but not in cost
• Color increases the positive feeling toward the product by 22%

Other studies have found that color can:
• Improve comprehension of the message
• Improve retention of the message

So why would you want to skimp when it comes to color?

Design
Resist the temptation to over-use design, colors and graphics. Using type over art work and photographs can get too busy and difficult to read. Black type on white paper is the easiest copy to read. Ultra creative artistic designs may win awards, but they never excel in sales.

Be exciting and provocative, without being confusing. When choosing a designer, make sure they are someone you can work with, communicate with, and who will take your ideas and transfer them to print. Many designers don’t take the suggestions of clients very well, so avoid them. Use a designer that has a solid background in creating effective direct mail.

Reverse type, white on a colored background, is only readable if it is used with a headline, or a small amount of type. Never lay-out an entire page in reverse-type. It looks striking, but too much is difficult to read.

Evry design element must serve a purpose. It must help the communication process. The design, photographs, etc. must support the text, the selling proposition, the benefit, or the product.
As with every rule, there are always exceptions, depending on your audience, topic, subject matter, and objectives. There are times when one or more rules can be broken, and you will more than meet your objectives.

A classic layout, consists of a photograph of your product or service, a headline under the photograph that quickly and succinctly explains the primary benefit or message, and a sub-head in smaller type underneath that supports the headline. Text follows with support documentation, facts, testimonials, research data, additional benefits, and a call to action. The photograph must clearly depict the product and/or benefit such that anyone can easily understand what the message is.