Direct mail is a great way to get your message across. But how can you make it stand out from the rest of the pile? In this blog post, we will explore 7 ways that you can increase your direct mail marketing conversion rates by designing an eye-catching piece.

How To Get Your Mail Piece Noticed

QR Codes

First on our list are QR Codes. These codes lead recipients to a landing page where they can not only get more information about your offer but give you their contact information. Interacting with a QR code has never been easier. If you have a smartphone, simply point your camera app at the code (no need to snap a photo, just point the camera) and the app will produce a pop-up URL for you to tap on. Then you end up where the code creator intended. Personally, I often lay mail aside and think, I’ll call this company tomorrow. Then I forget and the time has passed. Most everyone always has their cell phone nearby, so this is an easy way to solve that problem. I know I can’t be the only one! These codes are an efficient and simple method for tracking conversions. If you are looking for ideas on how to use QR codes, check out this blog post on our website.

Infographics

Infographics are a great way to increase your direct mail response rates. Infographics are visual and engaging! You can provide a quick overview of a topic, create a guided step-by-step to a complex subject, compare and contrast data, and more. There are many different templates and ways to incorporate them. You can learn more about that and see loads of examples in this post from Adobe. The more visually appealing you make your infographic, the more likely it is that someone will spend time reading it. My favorite free website/app for making creative infographics from a template is Canva.

Distinctive Envelopes

If you are sending a letter or piece of mail that will be inside an envelope, use one that will make it stand out. It is the first thing the recipient will see and touch, so this is your chance to get their attention. You could do an embossed envelope, one with texture, a brightly colored one, or a black one. Check out sites like Envelopes to see all of the unique options available. Anything you choose to make your direct mail piece stand out from the rest will help increase the chances of it getting opened.

A Little Something Special

Sending mailings is a tried-and-true way of getting your message across, but it’s not always enough. Include an extra touch with something special! A handwritten thank you note, a free sample, or coupon, are popular and simple add-ons. You could go a step further and add branded stickers or magnets to make your mailing stand out from the competition. Have fun and get creative, your customers will appreciate not receiving yet another faceless package.

Features Tell, Benefits Sell

When creating your direct mail piece, try focusing on the benefits and not the features of what you are selling. Rather than trying to tell your audience how amazing your product is, try showing them how it will help them! Features and benefits often go hand in glove, but it’s important to think of them separately. A feature is something your product has while a benefit refers to the result when customers use your product. Features are technical whereas emotions and decisions are often based on anticipated benefits. One brand that does this well is Casper. They could talk about how soft and cooling their mattresses are. But instead, this is their tagline – Casper: The Best Bed for Better Sleep. The focus is on better sleep, not their product features. And who doesn’t want better sleep?

Call-To-Action

When you really want prospects to act on your offer, you can’t be shy. This is when you need to create urgency with your call to action. One way to do this is by using time-sensitive language in your call to action. For example, you could say “Act now!” or “This offer expires in 24 hours!” Another approach is to create a sense of scarcity. You could try something like “Only 10 spots left!” or “This offer is going to expire soon!” Both of these tactics can be effective in motivating prospects to take action. However, you need to make sure that your call to action is clear and easy to understand. If it’s not, your efforts will be wasted.

Make Them Laugh

This last tip probably isn’t for everyone, so proceed with caution! I am talking about adding humor to your direct marketing campaign. Humor is subjective and that means you can’t please everyone. Even if your intention was to make them laugh, some people might find it offensive instead. Actually, it’s inevitable that at least one person will be offended. It all depends on factors such as age and obviously, their sense of humor. So before you put together your copy and image package you need an idea of who exactly these funny flyers are targeted towards so they don’t fall flat.

Finally, test, test, test! Try different things with your design and see what works best for you. You won’t know until you try it out so experiment a bit and see what gets the best response rate.