WHAT'S IN YOUR MAIL?

Does it seem like your direct mail ideas are less than creative, or maybe your response rates aren't quite where they need to be? If so, it's time to shake things up and try something new.
Direct mail comes from nearly every organization, which may be why its response rates keep falling. But you can combat your declining response rates by thinking of new ideas for your next campaign. The trick is to think “outside the envelope.”

Even in this digital age, people are still bombarded with mail every day, most of it in standard white envelopes. Most people throw it out without even bothering to open it. If they do that to your package, you won't get your message out, which means less revenue down the line.

To break the cycle, make your mail package impossible to ignore. Here are a few creative direct mail ideas that'll get your mail out from under the bottom of the stack.

• Personalized MessagesYou see your name in the address on the envelope, but how often do you see it in a handwritten note? Probably never, but if you did, you'd definitely notice it, which means your mail recipients would notice it, too.
  
  Use a handwriting font to add an informal, personalized message to your envelopes, or go the extra mile and hire professional handwriting specialists to write on the envelopes for you. This costs more than the handwriting font, but it has an added benefit - because it uses real ink, skeptics who wipe it will know for sure that it's real. However you do it, a casually written, personalized note on the outside envelope increases the chances of the person opening up the package to see what you're sending.

• Thicker PackagesYou know what's in a flat envelope - usually paper and nothing else. But when you get mail that's wider than a millimeter, you always want to know what's inside. You open up thick packages, so you can bet your prospects will as well.
  If you want your mail to get noticed, place a promotional product right in the package. The possibilities are endless:
  • Key chains
  • Refrigerator magnets
  • Pens or pencils
  • Flash drives
  • Bottle openers
  • Mini flashlights
  Any product that fits neatly inside a mailbox and can be imprinted with your organization's logo can turn into one of those creative direct mail ideas that gets your package opened and increases response rates. Besides, the recipient will see your logo and company name every time they use that item!

• A Mail Miniseries
When a TV show ends with "To Be Continued," do you shrug it off? Of course not - you tune in the following week to see what happens. Apply that same principle to your next direct mail campaign and your prospects will be on the edge of their seats.

Most direct mail packages are self-contained. They make an offer, cover all the talking points, and have a call to action. But if you stagger that over a series of mailings, readers will be more curious about your final pitch. Tell a story over the course of several letters or postcards. Promise helpful tips and then offer only one tip per mailing, ending with your message. Emphasize that there's more coming later and your recipients will start reading the packages now.