Deciding to integrate direct mail into your company’s promotional strategy is just step one in optimizing your success. You need to carefully consider the pros and cons of different direct mail pieces to figure out which ones to produce and deliver.
The following is a look at benefits and drawbacks of some of the most popular direct mail pieces for you to consider!
Enveloped Letters
The most traditional direct mail piece is a letter in an envelope. This approach allows you to create a significant amount of copy to go along with any visuals, yet still package it in one piece. In addition to content length, affordability is a benefit of traditional sales letters. The only costs after labor are the stationary, envelope, and postage.
While you can add colorful designs to your letters and envelopes, doing so increases the costs. Even with some imagery, letters pale in comparison to the visual capabilities of other popular pieces. Because of the limitations on creating a powerful first impression, the time required to open the envelope and general disinterest, open rates on enveloped letters are low unless they are well-targeted.
Open rates on enveloped letters are low unless they are well-targeted.
Postcards
Like letters, postcards are relatively inexpensive. The postage costs are lower, although successful marketers often put more money into the design of a postcard. Because it does not require opening, an impressive postcard design gives you the chance to immediately capture a targeted prospect’s attention when mail is removed from the box. You also have flexibility with size as 6 x 4.25, 8.5 x 5.5, and 11.5 x 5.5 are all common.
The limited message space with a postcard is a drawback relative to other direct mail pieces. Goal number one is to attract attention. Goal number two is to deliver a very concise message that prompts a response or inquiry for more detailed content.
An impressive postcard design gives you the chance to immediately capture a targeted prospect’s attention.
Brochures
Brochures offer a lot of design and content flexibility. You can have two or three folds, and you may or may not choose to include inserts. Brochures are perfect if you want to deliver a thorough overview of your company or products. They are often used in high-tech industries or with other complicated solutions that require you to tell a story through the course of the brochure.
The costs of a brochure are significantly higher than a letter or postcard based on the larger canvas and the design required to get results. However, there are ways to mitigate costs with an expert designer and publisher.
Brochures are perfect if you want to deliver a thorough overview of your company or products.
Conclusions
All of these common forms of direct mail pieces are beneficial when applied to the right audience and the right campaign. To get the results you want, it is important to target the right buyer with a useful and relevant messages.
Salesgenie can help you with this entire process, including the development of a targeted contact list and creation and distribution of high-quality pieces. Contact us to get started!
