Posts Tagged ‘direct mail readership’
When you get down to basics, a direct mail letter is a conversation between the letter signer and its recipient.
A successful direct mail letter is one that motivates the reader to take a specific action. And to motivate the reader, you’ve got to get them to read your letter.
Yet too often, we receive direct mail letters that are offensive to the eye. Big blocks of text crowd the page. Narrow left and right margins choke the life from the words. And small sans serif type printed over a colored background makes the copy difficult to read.
At best, these letters are uninviting – even intimidating – to read. And with only a few seconds to capture the reader’s attention, any distraction to the reader’s eye flow can doom the mailing.
But by applying a few proven techniques to your letter’s layout, you can get the prospect to read further along in your letter. And the more time they spend with your letter, the greater the likelihood of persuading the reader to take the desired action.
Few people – even those who respond – will read the complete letter but you can increase readership of your direct mail letter and achieve a more profitable mailing campaign by following these 11 simple steps. (more…)
Tags: direct mail design, direct mail fundamentals, direct mail readership, how increase readership, increase direct mail response, layout of direct mail letter
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The purpose of a direct mail letter is to motivate the recipient to take a specific course of action. But to persuade the reader to take action, we must first get him or her to read our letter—or at least its key parts.
Readers typically start at the top of a direct mail letter by reading their name in the address and salutation. From here, they go to the end of the letter to see who signed the letter. After the signature, readers typically go to the P.S.
Let’s see how we can use this reading pattern to increase response.
Addressing your letter
Your direct mail letter is a one-to-one conversation between the letter’s signer and the recipient, and nothing assures the recipient that your message is intended for him better than seeing his name at the beginning of the letter.
People love to see their name, and today’s technology makes it cost-effective to personalize your mailing. But when you do personalize, use title codes—Mr., Mrs., Rev., etc.—in the salutation. There’s nothing less personal than a letter beginning with “Dear Hugh Chewning.” Without a title code, the attempt to personalize seems insincere and (more…)
Tags: direct mail copywriting, direct mail design, direct mail graphics, direct mail readership, direct mail response, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, how increase readership, How people read direct mail, increase direct mail response, read direct mail
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Too often, we receive direct mail that’s offensive to the eye.
Big blocks of text crowd the page. Narrow left and right margins choke the life from the words. And small sans serif type makes the copy difficult to read.
Visually, these letters are uninviting.
Tips to Increase Readership
Graphic designers may love the look of grey-colored type, but readers need text printed with high contrast. Illustrations and graphics can enhance a mailing, but when overused they pull the reader’s eye in so many directions that it’s virtually impossible
What might appeal to someone’s sense of design doesn’t necessarily help the reader. And with only a few seconds to capture the reader’s attention, any distraction to the eye flow can doom the mailing.
Even when you mail award-winning copy with an offer that meets the recipient’s every need, few people—even those who respond to your mailing—will read the entire direct mail letter. But when you follow a few proven techniques, you can lead more readers to the letter’s most (more…)
Tags: copy editor, direct mail design, direct mail graphics, direct mail readership, direct mail response, direct mail response rates, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, editing copy, how edit direct mail, how increase readership, increase direct mail response, Readable direct mail
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Direct mail is a sales medium. We use it to sell ideas, products and services. And like any other form of sales, its success is based on trust.
Regardless of how much the prospect may value your offer, if he or she doesn’t trust the person attempting to make the sale, it’s not going to happen.
In direct mail, our salesperson is the letter signer. And to establish trust we use testimonials, money-back guarantees and clear, straightforward language.
By definition, an asterisk “indicates omission…”
An asterisk signifies that the claim being made isn’t complete. There are qualifications and/or limitations to what you’re being told. In blunt terms, an asterisk says that (more…)
Tags: copywriting, direct mail, direct mail copywriting, direct mail design, direct mail graphics, direct mail guarantee, direct mail offer, direct mail readership, direct mail response, direct mail sales, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, increase direct mail response
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Too often, people and organizations put all their attention into getting the big things right, but ignore the details.
There’s a word to describe this. It’s “mediocrity.”
Giving attention to the details can’t ensure your success, but ignoring the small stuff can quickly bring about your downfall.
Every detail has bottom-line repercussions and it’s irresponsible to think of any aspect of direct mail as trivial, unimportant or inconsequential.
Here are a few fine points often overlooked in a mailing. None will ensure your success, but collectively, they can make a huge difference in your (more…)
Tags: direct mail copywriting, direct mail graphics, direct mail readership, direct mail response, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, how increase readership, increase direct mail response, test direct mail
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Just about every direct mail copywriter can benefit from a good editor. Yet many decision makers who approve copy—clients, compliance officers, board members and managers—aren’t trained to edit the copywriter’s work. 
Here’s a simple 3-step method and checklist that might help.
Step 1
When reviewing a direct mail letter for the first time, sit on your hands.
One of the biggest mistakes is to pick up your red pen before you’ve reviewed the complete mailing package. Checking for errors in grammar, spelling and sentence structure is essential. But when you proofread (more…)
Tags: copy editor, direct mail, direct mail copywriting, direct mail readership, direct mail response, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, editing copy, how edit direct mail, increase direct mail response, test direct mail
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Direct mail isn’t a complicated business. If you can get more people to read further into your letter, you’re going to achieve a greater response.
Successful direct mail is a conversation that motivates the reader to take a specific action. If we can get the prospect to listen more, or in our case read further along in our letter, we’ll have a greater chance of getting them to take the desired action.
Here are 18 proven ways you can increase readership of your direct mail letters and (more…)
Tags: direct mail, direct mail copywriting, direct mail readership, direct mail response, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, how increase readership
Posted in Copywriting, Graphic Design, Testing | No Comments »
