Category: Direct Mail

Everyone wants to save money. But we also wish for success. So how do we achieve both?

Self-mailers are the answer. It’s a tried-and-true method of marketing that gets readership and results.

Research shows that mail is one of the most effective ways to connect with customers personally. The options are endless, and they are read more often than an email.

When physical mail goes into your mailbox, you know it’s intended for you, and you take notice. One benefit of a self-mailer over a traditional envelope is that a self-mailer can be creatively designed with attention-grabbing text and images.

Direct mail achieves a 3.7% response rate with a house list and a 1.0% response rate with a prospect list. Compare that to: Mobile 0.2%; Email 0.1% for a Prospect list and 0.1% for House/Total list; Social Media 0.1%; Paid Search 0.1%; Display Advertising 0.02%.

5 Self-Mailers That Help You Stretch Your Budget

1. Newsletters

Newsletters hold essential information about your business and how you can help your clients. In addition, it allows space for articles on several things.

Make your newsletter monthly, and people look forward to seeing it in the mail and reading it.

Keep your reader in mind, however. Don’t just tell what is new at your business. Instead, show them how important it is to do business with you. And include a call-to-action, so they know how to get a hold of you.

Also, incorporate your logo, pictures, graphics, and white space. But don’t pack it too full.

2. Postcards

These clever little items let you transfer a thought or solution to your customers. Use it as a teaser, announcing that something big is coming. Or use it to promote a new item.

Show a picture of how it helps your customer, rather than just a shiny item. Use a standard size or extra-large postcard.

Either way, it’s a quick read and will capture your client’s attention.

3. Brochures

Use these comprehensive pieces in the mail, around town, or wherever you do business. They are perfect for trade shows as well. These are easy to take with and affordable to mail.

People look at brochures containing pertinent information, attractive pictures, and graphics. The text is usually broken up by panel and allows for an easy read.

Always include your logo and a call-to-action so that guests will contact you.

4. Tri-Fold Mailer

Try a tri-fold mailer to get optimal results while saving money. These are typically six panels that open up to be an oversized postcard about 6″ X 11.”

These are great for promoting sales, adding coupons, and a tear-off business card.

5. 6-Fold Mailer

These are similar to the tri-fold but with a little more space. Again, you can use these mailers vertically or horizontally.

Self-mailers are creative and get noticed. 

We’re here to help you create your next budget-friendly, eye-catching self-mailer. Contact us today to get started!

Ready to open doors and grab leads for your business?

Direct mail brochures are a great piece of any marketing plan and are especially useful in building consumer confidence. According to the Direct Mail Association, 56 percent of consumers consider print marketing the most trustworthy form of advertising, and 65 percent of consumers have bought something from a direct-mail piece.

When considering your next direct mail campaign, here are some reasons brochures might be best:

Clear Comprehension

The human brain is designed to understand more when something looks “real.”

As a time-tested commodity, brochures offer an easy-to-follow layout that builds instant connections with all types of people. Brochures also connect well with memory because they engage people’s spatial memory networks.

Increased Brain Response

In this busy age of low attention spans, physical materials increase the brain response of every viewer.

There’s something blissful in physical opening print pieces: the smell of the ink, the texture of a product. And that sensory stimulation has big benefits – people continue reading longer from a physical page and retain information better from print than from digital media.  

Enduring Presence

Direct mail brochures are ideal for customers who weigh a decision because people can read them many times or store them for future reference.

Brochures offer an attractive, compact option to get your advertising read or handed around to others. Every time someone new picks up your brochure, your message makes an impression. And brochures are far more likely to be saved or filed when someone needs more time to consider.

Bring Your Message to Life

When you’re building a concept for your next direct mail brochure, here are a few schematic options to consider:

1. Product/Benefit Layout

When you want to share more information about your business or its benefits, brochures provide a clean, logical layout.

Your brochure panels might tout your firm’s professional capabilities, your product’s unique selling points, or the practical advantages of your services.

2. Testimonial Brochure

Personal endorsements are extremely valuable, as prospects value others’ opinions more than any direct claims you make.

Use your brochure panels to feature pull quotes, before and after success stories, or reviews from real people (featuring names, photos, or dates). Best fit customers are influencers that prompt your readers to think, “I can relate to this person, and I trust their opinion.”

3. Question/Answer Format

Similar to a testimonial design, the Q/A format is very versatile.

Use it to address target customers’ felt needs, disarm suspicion, or present interviews with key company executives. Answering questions reduces buyer tension and creates an immediate bond with readers.

4. Fold-over Mailer with Postcard

Want to double your impact?

Try a fold-over mailer with a postcard inside. Fold-over mailers serve as both a brochure and a mini-poster and allow for heightened reader engagement as postcards are removed. Either piece can be passed to others or posted for later reference, allowing flexibility in concept and design.

Hook, Story, Offer

No matter what format you use, every direct mail piece needs a strong hook.

Most people will scan your external copy looking for a reason to read (or toss!) your brochure. State significant benefits upfront, or ask a question that must be answered. Start headlines with active verbs and keep this big question central: “What’s in it for me?”

Lead with this perspective, and you’ll entice them every time!

When email marketing began around 1978, its low cost, speedy delivery, and great response rates made marketers wonder if direct mail would disappear forever.

Today, that couldn’t be further from the truth. An overload of digital messages has caused open and click-through rates to decline substantially, and many spam filters and firewalls block emails altogether.

At the same time, a volume decrease in traditional mail has allowed direct mail marketing to rise to the top of the mailbox, being noticed, read, and responded to more frequently.

Need proof? Here are some stats to consider:

• According to the Direct Marketing Association’s 2017 Response Rate Report, direct mail offered a 5.1 percent response to house lists and a 2.9 percent response to rented lists across all direct mail formats. (In comparison, the 2017 response rate for all digital channels combined was 2 percent.)
• Eighty-five percent of consumers will open a piece of mail that catches their attention, and more than 40 percent of recipients read the entire piece.
• Ninety-two percent of Millennials are persuaded to make a purchase decision based on direct mail as opposed to 78 percent who are influenced to purchase through email marketing. Sixty-three percent of these direct mail responders said they had made a purchase in the last three months.
• Consumers of all ages are 22 percent more likely to purchase products promoted through direct mail than they are products advertised through email.
• Eighty-two percent of Millennials say they read direct mail they get from retail brands, and 54 percent said they enjoy looking through print catalogs they receive in the mail.
• Forty-nine percent of Millennials use print coupons at retail stores, with three out of four making use of grocery inserts found in direct mail or the newspaper.
• Branded products, on average, get a 1,300 percent ROI from direct mail.
• Direct-mail packages generate 78 percent of all donations made to nonprofits.

Direct Mail’s Superior Advantage 

If digital marketing is easy and inexpensive, why does print marketing continue to dominate?

Studies show that the physicality of print creates a “deeper footprint” in the brain: an enduring emotional connection for those who connect with it. In fact, MRI imaging showed a higher rate of brain stimulation for those reading content on paper, which shows our minds automatically perceive physical materials to be more genuine. One advertising study found that consumers recalled print ads better than digital ads and had more emotional responses to print as well. Heightened emotion leads to higher perceived values, increased product desirability, and greater follow through when it comes to inquiries and purchases.

Are you ready to craft the right message, for the right people, at just the right time? When you want to make strong connections with your prospects, an ink-on-paper sales letter or direct-mail package will help you spark interest, generate leads, and boost response rates.

Streamline the Process

Maybe you want to try direct mail but you’re not sure where to start. When you’re ready to move ahead, we’ll help you create stunning pieces that make your message shine. From initial formatting and to final ordering and delivery, we’ll do the heavy lifting and streamline the entire process.

Overcome barriers today with memorable, actionable mailings!