Direct Mail Best Practices – What to Include in a Direct Mail Piece?
In direct mail marketing, you have many options to make your direct mail successful. Include a personal greeting, a call to action, and your contact information. A handwritten note is even better. However, there are some general rules you should follow to make your mail stand out from the competition. Listed below are a few of these best practices. Read on to learn more.
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Including a greeting
Include a greeting at the beginning of your direct mail piece. People are prone to skim a piece and skip the greeting if it does not convey the right message. Most consumers read their direct mail on the day it is delivered. Moreover, women make up 80% of mail sorters. Moreover, they are the main shopper in the house and make financial decisions. Even so, 78% of them think that direct mail is effective. Although the response rate is very low, direct mail still has a 4.4% response rate, which is very high compared to email and other forms of advertising.
Including a call to action
Whether you’re sending direct mail to your customers or promoting your business, including a call to action is crucial. If your mailing piece contains information that can help the recipient, such as a special offer, including a call to action can increase response rates. For example, a charity may give out bracelets to people who donate to their cause. Including a benefit to the recipient will encourage the recipient to make a purchase or contact the charity.
When designing a call to action, keep the copy brief and direct. The CTA should summarize the desired action. You don’t want to include too much information or use ambiguous language. Think of your CTA as an exclamation point directing the audience to take action. It is also best if the CTA is prominently placed. The larger the CTA, the more likely the reader will click on it.
Including contact information
There are several important steps to take when composing a direct mail piece. The most important is to create a compelling offer that spells out the benefits of the action you are asking the prospect to take. The offer needs to be so valuable that the prospect simply cannot refuse it. Moreover, it should be written excitingly, with words that get the reader excited. Here are a few of those steps:
Including a handwritten note
Adding a handwritten note to your direct mail can improve your business’s response rates. Research shows that 56% of Americans say they get personal mail in the mail. This kind of mail creates a visceral response. Moreover, the average American household receives 10 pieces of personal mail and 43,800 emails per year. Using a handwritten note will help you cut through the clutter and create anticipation.
The benefits of including a handwritten note are many. Aside from making the recipient feel special, customers who receive a handwritten note are more likely to buy from a business again. These customers also remain loyal to a company for a longer period. In addition, sending a handwritten note is a cost-effective way to make your customers feel important and appreciated. A handwritten note, regardless of its size, can help you improve customer retention. One study showed that a handwritten note reduced product returns by 33 percent and increased average monthly spending among customers.
