What’s in Your Mailbox?

I admit I am very interested in direct mail. So, I like to look to my mailbox both at work and at home to see what others are mailing. As a printer I am sure you do too. As a seasoned printer and direct mailer, I am critical of what I receive.

Every year there seems to be less and less that really stands out to me. Since that is the case, I thought it would be a good idea to share a couple of examples of direct mail I received that I really liked. You can do this too. What is in your mailbox? What works on you? Keep samples at your office of good direct mail so that you can emulate what they are doing.

Clients love it when we are able to share ideas with them! The first example is actually pretty old. I received it in the early 2000s. However, I have kept part of it all these years because it was a great idea.

Mail piece #1:

• 6 x 9 envelope
• In the envelope was a letter and a strange shaped object.

It was made of card stock paper but I was not sure what it was. I of course did not read the letter, first I wanted to know what that thing was. As soon as I lifted it out of the envelope, it popped out of my hand and landed on the desk in the form of a box. It startled me and I jumped! (Probably not a good idea to send to seniors.)

Each of the four sides of the box had different messaging in bold. On top it read: think outside the box, another panel read: fulfillment is more than packaging, another read: easy orders mean easy money and finally the last panel said: your increased success is one phone call away.

I did read the letter because by now I was curious about what they were selling. It was fulfillment software with inventory and store front controls. I did end up buying the software and is has worked great. This popup type of mailing can be very versatile. The best part about it is that it is unexpected and breeds curiosity. They can be created in many different shapes, so get creative and pop up your ROI.

Now, for the second mail piece that caught my eye.

Mail piece #2:

• 6 x 10 mailer with a 3 panel roll fold, fugitive glued closed

The first thing I noticed was that it was not tabbed. I prefer the look of fugitive glue. As I flipped it over I noticed it was personalized. They included my name in the tagline. When I opened the mailer I realized it was fully personalized. My name was again on the inside note. The best part was it had coupons for things that I buy.

They knew what I was interested in and only offered me coupons for those items. Did I use them? Of course I did! The true advantage to personalization is that the mailer will appeal directly to the needs or wants of the recipient. This becomes a valuable piece of mail to them.

If there are only two things you take away from this I hope that they are:

1. Direct mail needs to stand out.
2. Direct mail needs to be relevant to the recipient.

If you create direct mail campaigns that address these two concepts, your customer’s ROI will show it. Direct mail can also be a great way to introduce your customers to new prospects who are not familiar with them. Direct mail is not viewed as intrusive and can be held onto for a period of time without the issue of being forgotten.

It does still require vetting lists to mail to only prospects who are interested in what your customer is offering. When purchasing a list of prospects, this can be done with demographics, psychographics and so much more. So, what is in your mailbox or print samples that can help your customers sell more?