The Glancer, The Scanner, and The Reader.
They are who is looking at your mail.
And they are everyone.
Your goal is to reach every individual person within your targeted audience of people and persuade and motivate them to take a specific action at a specific time.
How do you do that, when every single person is different?
The United States Postal Service reports that the average household receives 16 pieces of direct mail each week on average. 70% of that mail is opened. 79% is read for at least one minute.
How do you ensure your print advertising falls into the “opened and read” category?
Let’s start with the Glancers.
Start with …
Full Bleed Photos
We can’t say it enough. Good photography makes great mail. Photos are eye-catching and draw the Glancers into the mail piece, just as images stop users scrolling through their social media feeds.
Learn how to take a great photo. Download Part 1 of our photography guide here.
Emphasize the Important
We have talked about the importance of taglines. Combined with the photos, the tagline is the first thing the Glancers will see. This is the opportunity to reel them in with emotion and make an immediate, powerful, and memorable connection.
Create a Sense of Urgency
If you’ve created the immediate emotional connection with your tagline and design, then a strong and clear call to action will give the Glancers a takeaway that can’t be ignored.
Add on …
Good Paper Quality
71% of consumers reported that the paper quality of print advertising affected their decision whether to open and read the piece or not. Good paper quality will help those great photos we talked about print well, too.
Uniqueness
Be willing to pay a few extra cents per piece for unique folds and die-cuts so that your mail stands out in the mailbox and encourages the Glancers to spend a few extra seconds looking at your piece.
Subheads and Captions
The Scanners’ eyes will be drawn to highlighted elements throughout your piece. That includes subheads and photo captions. Don’t miss an opportunity to deliver your message there, and be sure the design emphasizes these bits of text to help capture the scanners’ attention.
Add on …
Keep It Short
With attention spans at just 8 seconds, even the Readers will appreciate short copy. The fewer words, the more mail gets read.
Sourcing
Any time you can source a statement or supporting argument, you should. That includes newspaper articles, quotes, and attacks on your opponent. Sourcing lends credibility to your print advertising and helps create the level of trust people have with direct mail.
Tips for Everyone!
Add on …
Coordinate With Digital
How do you get more mileage out of your direct mail? Pair it with digital. Studies show that combining print advertising – a physical medium – with digital advertising leads to better results. The USPS reported that over 60% of direct mail recipients visited the sender’s website.
Create that seamless experience for your targeted audience – drive people to your website where you can encourage them to fill out an online survey, sign up for emails, or receive a special offer.
Bonus points from our strategists …
“Repetition is key. It’s better to talk about a few subjects a few times than 15 subjects just one time each.”
– Jason McBride, Senior National Strategist
“I have successfully included a call to action that included phoning a 1-800 number the campaign established prior to the mail dropping. When you start getting voicemails, you know mail is hitting and can gauge if there is any sort of delay in different parts of a district.”
– Chris Faulkner, Senior National Strategist
“In states with a lot of absentee and early voters, split mail pieces into 2 separate drops about 7 to 10 days apart: one for absentee/early voters and one for election day voters.”
– Randy Kammerdiener, President and Senior National Strategist
“Use clear tabs for folded pieces instead of solid white. It creates a more professional finish that doesn’t interrupt the art and messaging. Be sure to add ‘Or Current Resident’ on the address, eliminate duplicate addresses, and household the file, too.”
– Brett Buerck, Chief Executive Officer
Don’t go yet! Take a moment today to download and read our “Why Mail?” guide here to learn more about why #MailMatters.