Designing Direct Mail That Sells

If it sells, it is creative. This, in essence, is the first rule of direct mail design, according to legendary designer and author, David Ogilvy. But what sells? Here are a few tips to keep in mind when designing your next direct mail marketing piece:

The basics are in your mailbox.
When you need inspiration, just go to your own personal direct mail idea vault... your mailbox! You probably receive tons of good direct mail each year. Set aside packages that catch your eye. The companies mailing these have spent thousands of dollars researching the best methods. Why not learn from their research?

Always try to beat your previous response rate.
Play around with the design before sending the mailing out again. See if minor changes make a significant difference in the response rate. Send out different versions of your design to similar groups in your database, and test to see which one results in the most responses. Whatever you do, test it, and then test it again!

Use words that grab the reader's attention.
Here is a recent list of "Words that Grab Attention," produced by Starch INRA Hooper Research Worldwide:
Announcing / Discover / Easy / Exclusive / Free / Guarantee / Health / Help / Immediately / Introducing / Know / Learn / Love / Money / New / Now / Powerful / Profits / Protect / Proven / Results / Safe / Save / Secret(s) / Today / Trust / Understand / You

As you design the mailer, remember... have fun!

Comments

Poster Design Tips

At its best, poster design is the territory of the truly creative, and it has been used in the past as a public display of individual talent. When you are designing in this graphic form, the poster's purpose and application should be your first considerations. The poster will normally be on display in a public area, where it will have to compete both with its surroundings and with other posters. Poster Design Checklist: Establish the information to be conveyed. Decide on the size, proportion, and shape. Research the locations for your poster. Simplify the information to be communicated. Produce scaled-down versions of the design. Consider the space and its effects very carefully. Select the typefaces that work for your design. Make sure the message is conveyed clearly and dynamically. Present a number of alternative designs. When you are designing a poster, the first decision to make is the size and shape of the design area. This may be governed by the displa...

Marketing Fact Sheet

While brochures, flyers, and other marketing materials are great ways to offer elaborate details about your business history or products, a marketing fact sheet is a helpful way to summarize details about your business profile, such as your date of incorporation, employee stats, office locations, executive contacts, etc. While fact sheets are a popular addition to any packet of marketing information, they should also be capable of standing alone. Think of your marketing fact sheet as your company's resume. Brief fact sheets (one or two pages max) are a convenient way to offer a professional introduction to your business and answer key questions for business relationships. Fact sheets are also ideal to submit with press releases and other news items. Or perhaps you want to join a new vendor list and the organization asks for a brief overview about your business. Fact sheets also ensure your company information is portrayed correctly. When creating a ...

Four Foolproof Ways to Create a Great Company Logo

Have you taken a close look at your company logo lately? Does it look like it came straight out of the 1980s, or have you kept it up-to-date? An outdated logo can make you look stagnant and stale in the minds of prospective customers. To combat this effect, many companies redesign their logos every few years to keep them fresh. If your company is considering a logo update, here are some tips to help: Choose a logo that looks good large or small. This will allow for more variety in your ads and other printed materials. Keep it simple. Your logo doesn't have to look fancy to grab attention. Just look at IBM and Apple. Their logos are simple but memorable. Limit yourself to two colors of ink. Having too many ink colors in your company's logo will put an unnecessary strain on your printing budget - and might actually look distracting, rather than distinctive. A nice-looking, two-color logo will give you the professional look you want at a reasonable price. ...

Solid Impressions

Search This Blog