If you’ve designed a brochure that includes copy changes reversing out of a four-color background (a headline, for example), consider changing that background to a PMS fifth color. By doing this, each version change will only affect one plate instead of all four plates. This will more than offset the increase in cost of changing to a five-color brochure.

For 50 more tips, download our direct marketing white paper.

Keep a file of brochures, magazine articles, ads, etc that you find appealing. What strikes you about each? Can you identify the typefaces used? Notice the difference between the headlines and body copy.

And the typefaces should be complimentary. This can often be achieved through a mix of serif and sans serif fonts. Attention should also be given to line breaks in headlines and body copy. How does the copy read?

Here are 3 more tips:

1. Avoid more than one hyphen in a row, widows and large gaps in the end of lines.
2. Adjust letter spacing in headlines as many fonts have poorly designated kerning pairs.
3. Letter spacing should look consistent whether the copy is set tightly or spaced out for a wide look.

When you’re quoting out your direct mail campaign that involves an outer envelope, always look at 2 color versus 4 color.

We did this for a potential client recently. The outer envelope was a 6×9 and we quoted it 2 color and 4 color…all other specs were the same.

The end result was that the 2 color version reduced the cost by 60%.

There are more variables, however, that go into this. For example, the quantity on this project was smaller than usual for us, but we have a printer in our network that has a small, 2 color jet press with really aggressive pricing.

Your print vendor should be looking into all options for you to reduce costs. This includes determining the best printing equipment for the job.

It’s what we do for all our clients and sometimes we undercover significant cost savings like this example shows.

When designing 4/color work for these clients, it is helpful to “expand” the palette.

Using their existing color chips as the core for the primary palette, arrange additional chips which expand this primary palette to 4-6 colors.

These should match the core colors in balance and intensity.

Lastly, find swatches that compliment one another and envision this palette working within your design.

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.

Here’s the story…

They were having trouble getting direct mail to work for them to acquire new subscribers…they tested both a voucher package and a double-postcard, but both were not effective.

Circulation Specialists, Inc. – E Magazine’s circulation management provider (we handle the printing and mailing) – recommended trying brand new creative, pricing and formats…the end result was a response rate that almost doubled.

You can view the campaign details here.

E Magazine was about to give up on direct mail…but they put money towards really excellent creative and completely revived their acquisition efforts.

Recommending to you that you should invest in new creative before throwing in the towel on direct mail isn’t something you haven’t heard before…but this success story proves that it’s an investment worth considering.