Direct Mail Design is more than coming up with a visually pleasing piece, a piece that looks “pretty.” 

Good direct mail design needs to be successful in addressing three key components in order to be successful.

First, it must meet postal regulations for height, length, and thickness for the intended class of mail.  In addition, address and indicia placement in the design must be accurate in order to receive the postage rate for which you have budgeted.  If these basic guidelines are not met, your direct mail campaign will fail for the simple reason that you will have exceeded your allotted investment amount.

Second, good design will guide the reader through the piece.  They will naturally start where you need them to start in order to understand your message.  Poor design leaves the prospect befuddled as to how the piece works and how they should interact with it.  This leads to a quick trip to the garbage can.

Third, good direct mail design is emotional.  The images used, along with the copy, create an emotional connection with the recipient that moves them to action and gives them a reason to look for factual support for a positive decision they now want to make in your favor.  For these three reasons, direct mail design should not be relegated to your niece or nephew or your next door neighbor who received Photo Shop for Christmas.

Direct mail copy, an integral part of the design of your direct mail piece, is of critical importance.  It needs to:

  1. Uncover a need that the prospect may not be aware that they had,
  2. Give them the information they need (or direct them as to where they can find it) in order to make a qualified decision,
  3. Position the product or service offering in the mind of the prospect,
  4. Give potential criteria by which the prospect can make a decision, and
  5. Clearly direct the prospect in how to take purchase steps (or donation steps, or whatever steps you need them to take).

This is a tall order.  And, not only must it fulfill the five steps just listed, it must also emotionally connect with the prospect as well; prospects convert to customers based on emotion and justify with facts.  Thus, direct mail copy is best left to a professional skilled in this area.

If you’d like to discuss your specific project with our project managers, click on their photo below:

Steve

 

ryan-allen-1

Ryan

 

john-conner

John