Stamps Doodle

Discover the Secrets to Getting Your Direct Mail Opened—Guaranteed!

With direct mail often delivering a 1-3% response rate or even less, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that you’re using a targeted mailing list and have a well-written, attractive letter. Without these things, you’re in for a disappointing campaign and maybe even losses rather than profits.

 

There are other steps you can take, however, to increase the rate at which your envelopes are opened and read therefore increasing the number of people who will respond. With direct mail, your first impression is the appearance of the envelope. When an envelope looks unusual and is personalized, the recipient is more likely to take a second look. Also, you want to make sure that it stands out – consumers have seen it all before from the pre-approved credit card applications to bland postcards.

 

From my experience, working with clients from many different industries, there are five tried and true rules that I follow with each campaign.

 

1)    Use a Live Stamp

 

Postage meters may be the easiest way to prepare your mail for delivery, but it is not going to get you the best response. Spending a little extra time to actually stamp each and every envelope will make it look like you aren’t mass-producing direct mailers or ‘junk mail’. It will seem as though you drove all the way to the post office to pick up the stamps and then spent a while focusing on each envelope and the impression you were making.

 

2)    Never use an inkjet printer

 

Many high volume mailers use high-speed inkjet printers to spit out their direct mail quickly and reliably. But the key problem here is that many high volume mailers use it! People have seen it before and can tell the difference when you use a nice quality printer that may take a little more time.

 

3)    Personalized Return Address Labels

 

Again, it may take time or a few extra cents to stick these on each envelope, but the recipient will appreciate it. Taking time for each customer makes it appear as though you are thankful for their business. Also – think about it – how many direct mail pieces you have received lately that had a personalized return address label? Not many. Most have their name printed in the upper left hand corner, a Pitney Bowes stamp in the upper right hand corner, and a little clear hole in the middle where your address is. They couldn’t even take the time to print your address on the envelope! If you are using your business return address, try putting an individual name instead of the business name.  This really makes the piece look more personal.

 

4)    Use an outrageous, individualized design on the envelope

 

The days of the plain white envelopes are over as are the days of a little logo in the corner. You have got to go crazy, be outrageously creative, get someone to notice your envelope. Make your envelope the first thing the recipient notices when they open the mailbox. How do you do it? Use a wild color, draw some ‘unplanned’ doodles on the outside, and make it known that you’re not the average company and this is not the average piece of direct mail. Check out the product Doodleopes® for some examples of what I’m talking about.

 

5)    Use a handwriting font to write the recipient’s address

 

How many times do I have to say it? Personalize the envelope! Make it look like you spent a lot of time! Find a believable (not fake-looking) hand-written font so it appears as though you handwrote their address on the front of the envelope. This way, your direct mail piece will look like it came from a friend. If you’ve followed the rest of my tips, the recipient will be so curious as to which company spent so much time personalizing the letter for them that they’ll be excited to open it. And if they don’t need the service right now, you’ll have made such an impact that they may just save your direct mail piece on their refrigerator for next time.

 

About the Author

Andrea Ratajczak is co-founder of PDA Marketing and developer of Doodleopes®, hand-drawn doodles and outrageous envelopes that are sure to increase your response rates. Visit us at http:///www.pdamarketing.net.

Are you still a fan of "The Rock?"?

As I was watching Monday Night Raw last night, I was doodling through the wwe.com site and noticed that The Rock's profile was no longer there. It had been on the website, even after 2 and a half years since his last ring performance. I then went to wikipedia, and it had confirmed that his profile was taken off the wwe.com site. It then continued to say that he said that he was "done with wrestling." I can't say I didn't see all this coming, but it was just a stamp on realizing that I'll no longer see him in a ring again.
Now that he has no ties to WWE, I feel that Dwayne Johnson (I think he should drop his moniker now that he's a straight actor) is just an ordinary actor, and there is no reason why anyone should be a huge fan of his. He'd be nothing without WWE. The only reason I'd watch his movies was because I was a fan of his in the ring. Now that he's gone, what's there to like about him? So, back to my question, are you still a fan of Dwayne Johnson? Me, I don't know.

The rock hurt alot of peoples feeling when he left. Including mine. Alot of people call him a trader. That is just horrible. Yes I loved watching him every week on raw as did everyone else. However, what alot of people do not realize is that he has been in wrestling longer than what most of you think. You only get to live your life one time. If the rock is more happy in his life being an actor then thats his decision. I support him. He is by the way one heck of an actor. His movies are awsome. My favorite is walking tall he kicks some serious but in that movie, if you have not seen it go check it out. Guys understand that maybee he did not want to be the next rick flair who will wrestle untill he is 80. The rock is a very talented guy and has other things to contribute to this world besides being a pro wrestler. Besides that I dont care what anyone says. He will step into the ring again, its just a matter of when. Right now in his life he could care less about wrestling, but one night hes going to wake up in the middle of a deep sleep and realize man I miss being a wrestler. Guys its in his blood, trust me the great one will return some day, and if not He has left plenty of memories for everyone. My opinion is everyone is a critic, but I say to the rock go on with your bad self keep making those movies and that money.

Good luck to you and If you decide to come back I will for sure set me vcr to record it.

Michael

Using Digi Doodle Shop Stamps

Tags: digital, doodle, doodle pantry stamps, doodle pro stamps, doodle stamps, magna doodle stamps, stamps, tools, web2.0, whimsie doodles stamps

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 1:32 pm and is filed under scrapbooking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.