Month: May 2022

You might think that web design is entirely different from direct mail marketing.

But there are many things web and offline print marketing designers can learn from one another.

7 Top Design Decisions Direct Marketing and Web Designers Share

1. Create a compelling message.

According to David Ogilvy, five times more people read the headline than the body copy. It’s essential to use a powerful, bold headline telling your story and describing your offer or service.

2. Be clear and concise.

Avoid jargon in the body text or on the webpage. Remember that being transparent and avoiding jargon doesn’t necessarily mean talking down to your audience. 

Be sure that the product or service is appropriate and compelling to your target audience.

3. Utilize data.

In the world of marketing, and mainly B2B marketing, the correct use of data can be transformative.

Understand who is in your audience – what are the demographics of the new homeowners? This information may influence your design.

4. Branding, branding, branding.

A brand is more than just a logo on your direct mail piece or website.

It involves your online experience, your retail or workplace environment, the tone of your copy, and everything that relates to the “personality” of your business.

Use your logo consistently on every online and offline component you create.

5. Focus on fonts

Typography plays a crucial role in the success of a new design.

Use a strong sans-serif font like the Helvetica or Frutiger families for your headlines and a softer serif font like Times, Goudy, or Palatino for your body text.

It’s best not to mix two sans serif typefaces, or two serif faces on one piece. Go for the contrast between sans serif and serif.

6. Make a unique masthead.

The designs that work or catch your eye will have a point of difference by instantly communicating their tone and mood from their masthead, cover line typography, and image choices.

7. Follow a style guide

Comprehensive style guides define the company image from a visual and editorial perspective to ensure a unified brand. Style guides define the company image from a visual and editorial perspective to ensure a unified brand.

Make sure you have a style guide to keep things consistent.

Great design, especially for direct mail marketing pieces, can put you ahead of your competition and in front of new customers.  

We’re here to help you get there. Check us out today!

You know direct mail works and has worked for decades. But now the question is: How can you save money on mailing your next project?

Here are some tips to make it more cost-effective to mail.

First, make sure you don’t have duplicate or wrong addresses. Scrub lists on import for invalid addresses, zip codes, and state codes. Next, run every mailing through the CASS™ program and NCOALink database from the United States Postal Service.

Mail advertising boasts a much higher response rate than social media, email marketing, and other digital channels. It’s also more memorable and, in some cases, beautiful enough to make people keep it for decades. Think of an old holiday postcard that was saved.

Direct mail might seem expensive, but it’s worth it.

Here are some things to consider when creating a direct mail piece. You can do some of these things in-house, while others will need professionals to care for them.

• Design services
• Copywriting cost
• Size and volume of a mail piece
• Mailing list volume
• List selection (purchased from third parties or custom-built)
• Printing quality (paper, ink, equipment, etc.)
• Personalization
• Chosen mail postage rate (standard and first-class mailing costs significantly differ.)
• Before you buy or rent a list, consider using free lists. Then, if you have a digital platform, use the lists from this to start your direct mail campaign.

Finally, try tracking your success by using specific URLs or coupons.

5 Ways to Make Your Direct Mail Lists Deliver

1. Determine demographics.

Lists determined by geography and demographics are typically less expensive than those that break it down to interests and hobbies.

2. Plan ahead.

Give yourself time to edit. For example, mistakes might mean you have to send out two copies to customers instead of just one. This, of course, raises your cost to mail.

3. Clear messaging.

Reduce brand confusion by keeping your marketing message clear and consistent. For example, suppose you have two different looks and statements online and offline. In that case, people get frustrated, and you could lose business, which wastes money.

4. Choose your paper wisely.

By using thinner paper and smaller sizes, you can save money. But make sure you aren’t sacrificing your standard. For example, if people have a particular image of your company, keep it consistent.

Maybe you need a thicker postcard or larger envelope to make a statement about the quality.  

5. Allow people to unsubscribe.

Even though you want people to receive your mail, cutting out those who don’t want your marketing will save you time and money.

There are several ways to save money on direct mail. Reach out today to learn more!