10 Design Tips to Improve Your Direct Mail Advertising

Direct mail and advertising are two extremely powerful marketing tools when they’re done correctly. And there are key steps you can take to ensure not only that you’re getting the best conversion rate, but that you’re maximizing your response. These keys rest in the design of your piece. Let’s take a look at ten design tips to improve your advertising and direct mail.

1 – Make sure any graphics you use assist the sale rather than detract from it. Graphics in your advertising piece or direct mail piece serve two main purposes, they are there to elicit an emotional response and they’re there to pull your reader into the copy. If the graphics distract, get rid of them!

2 – Make sure the fonts are easy to read. Body copy generally should be a serif font and the headlines and subheadings should be a bold serif or a sans serif. Make sure the font color you choose is easy to read on the background you’ve chosen as well. A white font on a light gray background is going to be clicked away from almost immediately. People don’t want to strain their eyes to read your ad.

Test for colors in your headlines too. For example, it’s often found that red headlines draw more conversions. That may or may not be the case for your audience; test it.

3 – Use special handwriting and formatting to draw the reader’s attention to certain aspects of your letter. Many copywriters have found that a personalized signature help the reader feel connected. Additionally, rather than using standard bullets in your direct mail piece, what about stars, checkmarks or other unique symbols.

4 – Photographs can really boost conversions. What photos do you use?  Photos of people who represent your audience are the best bet. It helps the message connect to your reader. For example, if you’re marketing to moms, then you could include a picture of a mom with her child.

5 – Who is your audience? If they’re an older generation then they’re probably not going to relate to or appreciate a piece that’s graphically heavy. However, if you’re marketing to a younger crowd then they do appreciate lots of graphics.

6 – Show the product. If you’re marketing a product, by all means show it. That includes digital information products. Have a cover designed and use it in your sales copy.

7 – Use real stamps instead of a postage meter. They’re less inclined to dismiss it as junk mail if you use a real stamp.

8 – Address your envelope personally, or at least make it look like it’s addressed personally so they don’t dismiss your direct mail piece as junk mail.

9 – Place a teaser on the outside of the envelope. A teaser is a bit of tantalizing copy that makes your direct mail piece irresistible.

10 – Consider the envelope itself. One of the most successful envelopes is a standard white #10 envelope. However, be sure to test the success rate. You may want to change the color of the envelope, use a window envelope or change the size of the envelope depending on your market.

Direct mail and advertising is as much a science as it is an art. There are tried and true methods for reaching an audience and converting them, however, your audience might be unique. Track and test what works until you have a proven recipe for success.