Direct Mail Tips and Advice

The other day I was asked via email to provide an estimate for doing some copy writing work on a few direct mail letters. That is, paper letters, not e-mail. However, all I was sent was a brief statement with the draft letters attached. It prompted me to suggest a few things to that prospect to ensure the final letters were suitable for the job - see the key points below.

If you are asking for help from any professional it pays to give them enough information (often called a 'brief') so they can accurately understand what you require.

Tips for Developing Direct Mail Letters

* Have you defined the target audience for each service? (Having an 'ideal profile' helps to focus the writing.)

* Is the list of recipients in this target audience? (Make sure you are reaching to the right people.)

* What else are you mailing with the letter? (Just sending a letter on its own wont get the best result.)

* What can you offer to get some 'action' apart from asking the reader to call a phone number? (A strong and time-sensitive call-to-action is required to get immediate response.)

* Focus the information on one problem or opportunity the recipient may be facing. Don't try and cover 'everything'. (If you give too much info at the same time it can be confusing as you haven't really targeted any one problem/opportunity strongly enough.)

* Have you done this before? If so, what were the results? (Learn from your previous efforts. Or learn from others in a similar field. Test and test again.)

* Do you have a website for the business or product? (Many expensive direct mail letters and 'packs' can stand on their own in terms of delivering information. However for cost-effectiveness reasons, especially for smaller businesses, your website should be an integral part of your direct mail program.)

* What is your timing? (Have you identified the best, or most likely, time you should be mailing?)

And here are 3 tactics to use on the envelope to increase your open rate. Courtesy of Target Marketing.

1. Use a handwritten teaser on the envelope. But don't make it too long.

2. Use a compelling graphic as well as the teaser copy. Integrate the copy with the graphic.

3. Use 2 windows on the envelope - one for the address and one to show the offer.