5 New Ways To Improve Response

There was a great article in the current issue of Inside Direct Mail (written by Alan Rosenspan) titled “50 New Ways To Improve Response”.

The article divided the tips up among 5 categories:

• The Outer Envelope
• The Letter
• The Brochure
• The Reply Device
• Miscellaneous

We thought it would make for an interesting and helpful blog post if we shared with you 1 tip from each category.

Here they are…

The Outer Envelope

Use a window with a color tint. We’ve used both yellow and red, sometimes tinting the cellophane, sometimes just using color on the window to give the appearance of a tint. It makes the envelope stand out more.

The Letter

Test an unusual salutation. If you can’t personalize it, why settle for “Dear Colleague” or “Dear Friend”? An antique magazine began its winning letter with, “Dear Lover of Beautiful Things.”

The Brochure

Show a photograph of your target market on the cover, but remember the 20 percent rule. Show photos of people who are 20 percent younger than your target market, 20 percent more attractive, 20 percent better dressed — because that’s how most people see themselves.

The Reply Device

Make the boxes big enough. If you want people to give you their credit card information, their phone numbers or anything else — make sure they have enough room. And don’t use glossy paper. Their pens will smear and they may decide not to respond.

Miscellaneous

Test frequency. Some clients say, “I can’t mail again — I just sent a mailing last month!” Do you remember what you received in the mail last month? Last week? Yesterday? As David Ogilvy said, “You’re not advertising to a standing army. You’re advertising to a passing parade.” People who don’t need you one week might need you the next.

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