Direct mail campaigns still create personal, one-on-one connections that few other channels are able to compete with. The average American household gets 2-3 pieces of direct mail per day, however, and that makes it essential for your mailing campaign to stand out among the others. This means that the size you choose is just as important for lead generation as the layout, design, color and paper stock. Here are the most commonly-used sizes and the purposes for which they work well.
#1: A4 (297 mm x 210 mm) or Letter Size (8.5” x 11”)
While these two sizes are marginally different, they are the accepted size of a business letter and that makes them ideal if you want to send, well—a business letter. Provided you use suitable paper, it’s easy enough to fold the letter into a standard #10 business envelope, which is the usual method of delivery for this type of mailing. It’s also a good finished size for a brochure, which can either be A3 (11” x 17”) folded in half or a flat A4 folded down using a gate- or Z-fold option.
This size mailing is popular because it carries a fair amount of information, and is used for:
- promoting trade shows and conferences
- advertising a range of in-store and retail specials
- member/donor appeal letters
#2: A5 (210 mm x 148.5mm) or 5.5″ x 8.5″ (or 6″x9″)
At half the size of the A4 or letter size paper, A5 is popular for direct mail flyers and leaflets carrying a smaller quantity of information. It’s still big enough to provide a fair amount of detail, especially if you print it on both sides. This size is commonly used for marketing postcards to promote businesses such as home or office services, which require potential customers to contact them for an estimate. It isn’t really practical for printing extensive price lists or multiple special offers at one time.
#3: A6 (148.5 mm x 105 mm) or 4.25″ x 6″
Direct mail campaigns using post-card sized A6 stock are popular because of the lower production costs, which makes it possible to print large quantities at one time at a reduced unit price. They can be inserted into envelopes or packages to support upselling and cross-selling initiatives, distributed via postal services or placed on a display counter for customers to pick up. A6 is most suitable for promoting a single, simple to understand offer. Anything more than that and the content is likely to be too small to be adequately readable. This size is popular for promoting entertainment and leisure events, because they can be carried easily and presented on arrival at the venue.
#4: Sumo or 6″x11″
This size is ideal for direct mail campaigns that require a bit more information alongside your call to action. The format is popular for marketing mailings listing a limited number of items such as a restaurant coupons. This “SUMO” postcard size also affords maximum mail box visibility while retaining standard letter-size postage rates.
Choosing the Right Size
Selecting the right size paper for your direct mail campaign depends largely on two things:
- how much information you need to display on it, and
- the budget available for the mailing
Larger mailers tend to attract more attention, while smaller ones typically have a longer shelf life because they are more portable. You need to decide what sort of response you want from potential customers to get the highest return on your investment, and let that determine your choice. Whatever option you choose, standard sizes are likely to be more economical to produce and carry a lower unit cost, so take this into account before making your final decision.