MAR
2013
Direct Mail has nowadays gained more relevance and become worthwhile. It is an era of marketers heavily invested in lightning fast emails, thousands of graphically alluring websites and a range of online social media sites competing for reader/ prospect/ customer attention. But is everybody accessing the Internet? Is your business losing out on prospects that are not net savvy and still do things the old-fashioned way? Many people are also skeptical about Internet security, sharing of personal data online or parting with credit card information or net banking details. Let us agree that phishing is still a huge concern.
Direct Mails have a tangible attribute which strikes an emotional chord with the receiver hence, increasing the chances of conversion.
Many of us have been recipients of Direct Mail from magazines or charitable organizations tempting or appealing us to take an action and complete the sale or donation.
The receiver DIRECTLY gets an envelope (that is visually appealing) in her hand to touch, see ones name on it, and the opportunity to open and read the enclosed mail. The attention is usually intact in course of the duration of examining the mail. The interaction is one – to – one which tells the prospect about you, your offer and how to take an Action. And Direct Mail is reasonably secure.
The biggest test of a Direct Mail though is to get the reader to open and read the mail and take the desired action.
What does a Direct Mail do?
A Direct Mail is capable of achieving multiple objectives.
• It communicates a strong Sales Message to the reader
• It connects one – to – one
• It creates Leads and increases Response Rates
• It allows the reader to complete a Purchase Process
• It brings traffic to the company website
Points to REMEMBER for a Successful Direct Mail Campaign
1. As the name suggests each copy of a Direct Mail is DIRECTED towards one reader at a time. It is vital that the tone of mail is personal and conversational. It should stir emotions and motivate a positive response to the Call to Action.
2. Always write the mail addressing the reader as “You”. Remember again it is one – to – one. Direct Mails are meant to SELL to the prospect/ reader.
3. People in general with their fickle attention span do not like to read reams of paper unless their professional commitment forces them to. Keep the message absolutely to the point, exuding confidence and clarity, discussing specifically the benefits to the reader and staying away from non-value added eloquence.
4. The message of the Direct Mail is the heart of the campaign. Ensure that the layout, graphics and color do not create a distraction, rather strengthen the quality of the message. Keep the Call to Action EASY and SIMPLE. Explain clearly what to do and how to do it. PERIOD.
5. Write short paragraphs, simple sentences (consider that the receiver is a layman), bullet points wherever possible, highlight important words. Create sub headings if there are multiple points to be discussed.
6. The tone of the message should be calm, friendly, encouraging, informative sharing the vision and the objectives of the company in an indirect manner without trying to be overt or blatant.
7. The physical attributes of the Direct Mail are also critical. Font should be serif as it is friendly to the eye. Size of the font is another factor. Formatting should be left justified and indented paragraphs. Intelligent use of colors, underline, bold or italics add to the copy’s strength.
8. Design of the envelope is of prime importance. The layout should include proper placement of Address, Return Address, Postage and the Teaser Message. Siegfriend Vögele’s “Prof. Vögele Method” based on eye tracking states that the first few seconds determine the success or failure of a Direct Mail. A part of these few seconds are spent on the envelope.
9. People like to receive discounts and freebies. They want assurance for their purchase, a guarantee for the quality of product offered. Build your message around these lines. Let the reader see the value for money in the offer. Build a sense of Urgency for the reader to act immediately. Make limited period offer to push people to buy immediately.
10. Who is sending me the mail? Is the sender capable of accomplishing the offer? A genuine signature preferably with blue ink (to differentiate from the usually black color of the text) adds authenticity and seriousness of the offer to the customer.
11. Post script is a MUST in a Direct Mail. It should be short limited to a couple of lines restating the offer and persuading the reader to perform the desired action.
12. A Direct Mail should start with date, Name and Address of the recipient, Salutation, body of the mail ending with a Post Script. Make the offer in the first page itself if the letter is more than one page long. End the letter with assurance and reiterate the Call to Action.
13. The response form and return envelope should be kept separate from the Direct Mail. Do not burden the reader to find a return envelope, write the address and pay for the postage.
14. Testing is an important component of a successful Direct Mail campaign. It helps to run the copy through random people to gather their opinion. Testing will indicate what might improve response rates. In the testing phase, check what works better for the particular product or service offer – freebies or discounts? It is advisable to test the broader items and write a proper report stating the details like number of mails, the responses and the income and expenditure to realize the same. Keep testing and tweak the features to improve its effectiveness. Get the Process Right. Test ? Result ? Action and Correction ? Test ? Result continue in a loop.
15. A key component for successful testing is the Mailing List. It tells us about your customer profile. The Siegfriend Vögele’s “Prof. Vögele Method” suggests that it is crucial that the right message is conveyed to the right audience for maximum positive outcome. Response is the main benchmark of determining the performance of a Direct Mail. A correct mailing list guarantees favorable response.
Design a flawless Direct Mail copy and get maximum response. Email us to get more free information and consultation on Direct Mail Copywriting
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