5 Ways to Keep Your Direct Mail Campaign Effective

One of the more common goals we hear from clients is “We want people to read our mailing. We don’t want people to throw it away without reading it." To be honest, it can be a challenge if you don’t know some of the helpful advice to keep consumers reading your mail. 

Direct mail often ends up in the garbage because it fails to draw the attention of the consumer. We have compiled a list of the top 5 things marketers can do to draw in the attention of the receiver using direct mail. Direct mail trends can come and go with technology so it is important to stay on top of the new strategies

1. Add Color

Color is a simple way to attract the attention of the reader in a direct mail campaign. Most postcards or letters have a white canvas that blends in with all of the other mail. Adding bright beautiful color ink to your envelope, postcard or letter will help grab someone's attention. Instead of white paper stock, try dark paper or envelopes to help your piece stand out.

Does direct mail work? YES! But you have to put in some work to get people to read your mail. Color is one of the easiest things to do to increase your read rate. Work with a commercial printer who specializes in printing accurate color, and has experience printing color pieces for direct mail campaigns. 

2. Personalization

Customize the mail piece with the recipient’s name, address, and other information. You can add a personalized note to the piece like “Hi John, come visit our new showroom on Suchandsuch Lane” Adding personalized or custom data to the piece will help keep the recipient’s attention.

3. Great Design

One of the best ways to keep your direct mail out of the trash is to spend the time and energy to have it professionally designed. Creating creative graphic design is an art. Use high-quality images, artwork, and colors to help your mail stand out.

Is direct mail effective? Absolutely -  but you have to invest in quality professional design services when creating your direct mail campaign. If you don’t have a seasoned design person, we can help.  We have a full team of designers who are happy to assist you. Our team excels at understanding you and what goals your mail is hoping to achieve.

4. Use QR Codes

At Hatteras, we can create QR codes and help you track your recipients. QR codes are surprisingly easy to use and are a powerful tool to help you market to your target audience. You will be able to see how many people scanned your QR code to help you measure your response rate.

QR codes can encourage recipient engagement by making your direct mail interactive. The recipient can read your mail piece and then scan your QR code to learn more about your product or service or it can send them to a custom-made website personalized just for them… And yes, we can do all of this at Hatteras Printing for direct mail. 

5. Communicate

Make sure to clearly communicate your offer or value proposition. Highlight the benefits of your product or service and explain how it will solve the recipient's problem or fulfill their needs. Also, include a call to action in your direct mail. Ask them to visit your website or social media pages, or to come into your store or location. 

Ready to Make Your Direct Mail Campaign More Effective?

Each of these strategies can help keep your direct mailing and print communications out of the recipient's trash can. Hatteras offers many unique ways of designing and printing direct mail to help your printed piece stand out.

We can help you create something that showcases your most critical and relevant information. Contact us to learn more about how we can help with your next direct mail campaign.