Direct Mail Design Tips

When drafting the copy, look, feel and offer for your mail package, consider the 3 S's:

Simplify. Do not use this opportunity to brag about your company or include essays about the firm's history. Inform your customers about the benefits of one item or service. Don't confuse the customer with choices.

Specify. Tell him about the offer upfront (and preferably on the envelope). Then tell him again. Spell out details — clearly.

Showcase. Put yourself in the customer's place. Is this an offer you'd respond to? Make sure it's foolproof.

Creating a Great Direct Mail Piece

Great Mail Ad Creation is Imperative.

Creating a great direct mail piece.

It is possible to create good direct mail pieces. It's even better to create a direct mail piece and a complimentary email piece at the same time. The saying in Marketing 101 class is you have to hit someone seven times before they remember you. At the extreme, that's an ad in a magazine, a direct mail piece, a classified ad, an email coupon, a drive-by your store, a drop-in your store and a billboard combined. At the easiest, it's seeing a classified ad repeatedly, or driving by your storefront every day on the way to work.


One of the advertising things we have discovered over the years is most people in retail love to send direct mail pieces. It's usually creative, artistic and contains lots of images to grab people's attention. Since direct mail is a very precise medium, it is possible to create highly customized and targeted pieces. This is what makes them work, and why retailers love using this form of marketing.

Ensuring you're creating an effective piece:

Personalize it.
Today's technology allows you to simply add their names using a Word merge technique. Dear Sir has been replaced with a Dear Sam.
Target their birthday or big event if possible. Send a coupon to be used during this time.

Use quality mailing materials.
A striking, attractive envelope; thick paper stock, nice photos ...people tend to throw away what they perceive as junk.
Include a response mechanism. A reply card or envelope, contact information, sale dates, etc.

Write persuasive copy,
and remember to keep the "cheese factor" out of it.
Create a well-designed layout. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity....

Remember this tip: never treat current customers as "prospects" - watch your copy and market accordingly. Also, the best direct mail pieces are they ones you yourself remember. Keep these as references and draw upon them when creating yours.
Author: Suze Bragg
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