Get Your Mailing Noticed
How much mail do you get every day? Do you read it all, or toss some of it after a cursory glance? How much mail do you think your potential clients get?
When sending mail to clients and potential clients, you can make your mailing stand out from the stacks of “junk mail” they receive. Here are a few easy ways to get their attention.
Hand address the envelope. Pre-printed labels scream mass mailing. Addressing by hand adds a personal touch, and makes it more likely your letter will be opened and read. If the mailing is too large to hand address, consider using a handwriting font to print the addresses directly on the envelopes. One source for a custom font based on your own handwriting is http://www.fontgod.com/.
Put stamps on the envelope, instead of meter postage. Look for stamps with themes that relate to your business. There are commemorative stamps with just about any theme you can imagine. Even better, use old stamps. Your local stamp shop or show may have unused sheets of old stamps available at face value or below.
Include “teaser copy” on the envelope. Get recipients to open and read your mail by promising startling news, an exciting offer, or other enticement. Then, deliver on your promise.
Target your message to the audience. If segments of your market have differing needs, the mailings to each market should have different teaser copy, emphasizing the most important benefit to that market segment.
Send a post card instead of a sales letter. With all of the copy right there in front of them, recipients will have to read it. Of course, you can not get as much copy on a post card as you can in a sales letter, so this is best for offers that can be explained simply. Or, you may use a post card to direct customers to your Web site for more information.
Use a bright post card or envelope to stand out from all the white envelopes. You can print four post cards on one sheet of brightly-colored card stock, such as Astrobright.
Use die cuts to make your mailing look different from all of the rectangular mail your customers receive. For example, a realtor could send a post card that is cut in the shape of a house, a car dealer or repair service could use one shaped like a car, etc.
Enclose a gift, such as a pen, package of flower seeds, or other small item that will make the envelope bulkier and arouse curiosity. Check with the post office for any special packaging requirements.
Keep a consistent look for repeat mailings. Your audience should recognize your mailings, catalogs, newsletters, post cards or other communications on sight. To make it easy, use color, your logo, a format or other recognizable characteristics in your mailings.
Some people believe that e-mail has made “snail mail” communications obsolete, but that is certainly not true. Make your mailings interesting and attractive (and target the right audience), and you will discover how effective mail can be.
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