Spice it Up!

November 28, 2012

Are you looking for ways to spice up your direct mail campaigns? Even if your response rates remain high, are you looking to freshen things up a little? Here are a few ways you can update your direct mailings and give them new appeal.

Update the package.

Are you using the same envelopes you have for years? If so, try something different.

Change the color.

Change the size. Add a personalized teaser on the front (“John, check this out!”). If you are selling high-value products or services, consider really shaking things up with dimensional mail or novelty envelopes that look like UPS packages or USPS Priority Mail.

Tweak your text.

Still using the same marketing text from last year? Try another direction. If you’ve been using a dry, informational style, insert some humor. If you’ve been sending short, punchy one-liners, try adding more informational text.

Freshen up the images.

How long have you been using that same picture of your headquarters? Is your headshot in the lower right-hand corner 10 years old? Have a photographer take a new company photo. Upload a current headshot with a fabulous smile. Or maybe you just want some new images as backgrounds or illustration. Today’s selection of royalty-free imagery is professional, full of variety, and inexpensive. Try something new and see what happens!

If you are personalizing your mailings, why not add a new variable?

If you’ve been personalizing by name and gender, add age bracket or income. This gives you a whole new way to relate to customers and increase the relevance of the message.

Don’t have the data? Adding variables can be as easy as a simple data append.

Try a new offer.

What incentive have you been using to get people to respond? 15% discount? If so, try 10% or 25%. Go crazy and try BOGO. How are you encouraging people to log into their personalized URLs? Entrance into a sweepstakes for a gift card? Try a set of concert tickets instead.

Experiment with new approaches and see what works. Mixing things up also tells people you are a progressive company, always growing and looking to improve. So get creative. Step outside the box and see what happens.

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