hWhen do people usually see direct mail pieces? On the way from the mailbox to the front door, the kitchen or home office space when they come home after a long day of work. So, how do you capture their attention with your direct mail?

Keep it straightforward. When you send direct mail to potential customers, don't try and fool them. They know that you want to sell them something. What prospects want to know is - what's in it for them? A lower price, better service, a better product, something new that will improve their lives? Spell it out for them.

Keep it simple. Direct mail pieces that are too wordy or hard to understand are usually trashed. Distill your message into a couple of well-thought-out sentences and some bullet points. Remember that prospects are very selfish (and understandably so!); they want to benefit in some way from what you are selling.

Make your headlines stand out with a clear font and punchy colors. Keep your message strong and easy to follow. Yes, you can be witty and clever, but make sure that you survey several people (outside of your business) ahead of time to determine that you aren't being too clever and thus go over people's heads.

Personalize it. You can't get much more direct than including personalized messages. The more personal you can make your direct mail piece, the better your ROI will be.

Include a call to action. So many direct mail pieces leave this out. Lead your prospects to what you want them to do in order to bring them into the sales funnel.

Repeat. Like most marketing tactics, direct mail is not a "one and done" endeavor. Part of being direct with prospects is checking back with them multiple times. Good lists should net good results after multiple "touches" (and we can help with building a great list!).

Do you have any direct mail tips to share? If you have questions about developing a successful direct mail campaign, please contact us. We also have a handy calculator that can help you determine the costs of direct mail.