Although it is often overlooked, direct mail marketing is still a very effective marketing tool today. Not only is direct mail great at creating new leads and bringing back old customers, it also creates brand awareness and is one of the most effective ways to dramatically increase sales. However, what makes a great direct mail campaign? There are many key components to a successful campaign: a top-quality mailing list, well-written copy, a compelling offer, and of course, the design. It’s easy to say your mail piece should “create urgency”, but what does that mean in practice? We recently received a direct mail piece from XpressEnvelopes.com that caught our attention. Everything about this campaign’s design is clever and effective. Here’s why.
Take a look at this direct mail campaign. What do you notice about it? Can you see why it works?
XpressEnvelopes.com direct mail campaign – Front
XpressEnvelopes.com direct mail campaign – Back
Eye-Catching Colors and Fonts
Colors usually catch more attention than black and white. However, when it comes to color, it’s important to choose the right ones. Color is one of the most powerful elements of design. According to an article by Entrepreneur, research has shown that color increases brand identity, assists in memory, increases a reader’s participation in ads, and improves readership, learning, and comprehension. As you can see, XpressEnvelopes.com’s direct mail campaign uses red and yellow as their main colors. Both colors are warm and bright colors. According to an article by Pitney Bowes, the color red suggests excitement and strong emotions. It is a color easily recognized by the eye, so it’s great for getting attention. Yellow is generally regarded as a warm and cheerful color. The article also notes that black font on a yellow background provides a great contrast for brief, high-impact messages. XpressEnvelopes.com does just that. Not only do they use an effective color combination, they bring attention to their messages by making them easy to read.
Urgent Messages
When it comes to making decisions, we often hesitate. It Even when it comes to simple things such as deciding what to eat for lunch, or which party to go to Friday night, we debate and delay the decision-making process. Oftentimes, if we delay making a decision, we forget about it altogether. So, how do you get people to take action quickly with your direct mail piece? You eliminate any potential procrastinating. How? By creating a sense of urgency in your direct mail campaign.
This direct mail piece does just that. The first proof of this tactic is the big, bold, black letters that spell out “URGENT LETTER” on the front. XpressEnvelope.com designed their direct mail campaign to look like an urgent and important piece of mail that needs the receiver’s immediate attention. Another tactic used to grab attention is the campaign’s medium – the large envelope. The use of an envelope like this makes the mail piece look like an official piece of mail. On the back of the envelope, they added an “Important” note, saying that the mail contains time-sensitive information. Every message written on this direct mail campaign has a sense of urgency, which makes readers believe that whatever is in the envelope needs to be seen right now. Of course, as you read the mailer in detail, you realize that it’s just a direct mail campaign that is advertising XpressEnvelope.com’s products and services. However, by the time you realize it’s an ad, it doesn’t matter; you’ve already read it. The direct mail campaign has already enticed you to open it and look at its contents. Clever.
First impressions are everything. From the time a prospect sees your direct mail campaign, you have 3 seconds or less to get their attention. The direct mail campaign design is what will determine whether or not your mail piece is read and saved, or tossed. So if you’re thinking about utilizing direct mail marketing, make sure to put in time and effort into the design. If you have the budget, consider hiring a professional for the creative work. Did we miss any other design elements that makes this mail piece effective? Let us know in the comments below!
If you would like to start your own direct mail campaign, please call US Data Corporation at (888) 578-3232. We would love to help you out!