Help Your Direct Mail Customer Feel Smart

“Good marketing makes the company look smart. Great marketing makes the customer feel smart.”

I thought about that quote from former HubSpot executive Joe Chernov recently and how it can be applied to direct marketing. The distinction that it makes gets at something that can sometimes get lost in all the talk in mail about messaging, positioning, and creative.

Who is the mail really about?

For a company selling a product or service, the temptation is to make the mailpiece about the company. We’ve all seen this. “We’ve been in business since 1996.” “These are our awards.” “Here are our capabilities.”

And there’s nothing wrong with having any of that. But none of it answers the question the recipient is really asking: “What’s in it for me?”

Whether the piece is a letter, postcard, self-mailer or something more elaborate, its job is to help the recipient see an opportunity to make a smart choice.

Maybe it’s a credit card offer with benefits that fit the way they spend. Car insurance that could save them money. Or a college that offers exactly the program, experience, or career opportunities that they’re looking for.

Sure, the features matter. But the point is what those features allow the recipient to do.

That’s how they’re different from benefits. It’s where great marketing can make the customer feel smart.

So on your mailer, you don’t tell someone, “You’re smart.” Instead, you give them information that helps them recognize a good opportunity and make a confident decision.

Then they’ll think “This makes sense for me, I need to do this.” They’ll be OK with making the right choice.

That’s a very different feeling from simply being told how awesome the company or product is.

And I think the same principle applies to nonprofit fundraising.

In a fundraising appeal, it’s easy for the organization to make itself the star of the story.

We’ve all seen these sentences, too. “Meet our dedicated staff.” “This is the important work we’re doing.” “Check out our programs, our accomplishments, and our plans for the future.”

Again, those things have their place. Donors need to know that an organization is credible and that their money will be put to good use.

But the donor should be the hero.

The organization provides the expertise, people, and programs. The donor makes the work possible.

That changes the way you tell the story.

Instead of simply saying, “This is what we do,” the appeal can show the donor what they can make happen.

“Your gift can help a child.” “Your support can give a dog or cat a second chance.” “Your generosity can protect something you care about.”

The organization does the work. But the donor gets to be part of making the outcome possible.

Great marketing makes the person on the other side of the mailpiece feel smart for paying attention, making a choice and taking action.

For a marketer, that means resisting the urge to make the mail all about yourself.

For a fundraiser, it means remembering that the organization isn’t the hero.

And if you can make them feel smart about the decision they’re about to make, you may have just made your job a whole lot better.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.