Direct Mail Fails: 5 Reasons Why Your Direct Mail Piece is Collecting Dust
After all the hard work you put into making a direct mail piece, it would hurt your feelings to see somebody throw it in the trash. Too many direct mail pieces sit lonely and unopened on the countertop, only to be thrown away when the receiver gets tired of looking at it. After your dedication to sending it out, you want to know—why?
Every client has their reasons for ignoring a direct mail piece and sometimes the sender has no control. But there are some surefire ways to increase the chances that your mail piece will no longer sit and will be put into action. Don’t let your direct mail sit lonely on the counter. Instead, make sure you find it a happy home while racking up clients. Here are some reasons that your mail piece might go unopened, and ways that you can prevent it.
You Weren’t Engaging, So They Got Bored
If you’re going to make the effort to send out a direct mail piece, you need to make sure that you put in the effort to make it engaging. If you can’t somehow capture your potential client’s attention, the trashcan will come sooner than you think. Avoid getting the can by being creative and innovative. Make your piece hands-on where recipients need to unfold it, fold it or slide pieces together or apart. By adding in a unique factor, it will spark the potential client’s interest and they’ll keep diving in.
Your Design Confused Them
You could have a new and innovative product or the most clever slogan—but if the design is confusing in any way, clients just won’t get it. Stick with clean cut designs, complimenting colors schemes and nothing too drastic that others might not understand. If you have an unreadable font or a confusing pattern then you’re setting your direct mail piece up for failure. If you’re unsure about the design, put it to the test by showing others in the company or even family members that will give you honesty. This simple testing exercise could save you money and gain you more clients before you ever send it out.
It Was Too Small and They Lost It
Bigger isn’t always better, but in the case of direct mail it might be. If you opt for a small direct mail piece it has a greater chance of getting lost in translation with the other mail. However, if you use a bigger piece of mail or a brightly colored piece, clients will be able to see that your direct mail stands out. Also, try a piece of mail that isn’t in the shape of a rectangle so that it sticks out from standard envelopes. Be different, be loud and be noticed.
You Got the Wrong Person
It doesn’t matter how great your direct mail piece is. If you don’t send it to the right people, it’ll never be effective. Whether that means you targeted somebody with the wrong interest or you got somebody’s name wrong, the mail piece immediately becomes irrelevant. There’s nothing more frustrating than somebody who doesn’t understand what you want, so don’t be that person. Check and double check that you have the right name, the correct spelling and the correct information that is relevant to that particular client. You don’t want to deal with an angry client, and if you get it right the first time you’ll have a happy client who wants to do business.
Your Big Mouth Got the Best of You
Nobody likes to have to struggle to find the main point in your content. That’s why you need to make sure that the main purpose of your direct mail piece is up front and out in the open. If not, clients won’t take the time to sift through the long amount of type, because they don’t have time or a reason to care until you make them. So next time, look at your direct mail piece and see if you can pick out the main point in a few seconds. If there is too much type, go back and condense your word count or bold the main points. Clients will be appreciative and more likely to read your content if you aid them by giving a clear, concise purpose.
What are some other ways that you’ve made sure your direct mail piece would be effective?
2 Comments
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Good info!To the point and on target!
Sometimes smaller is better. I just received a very creative fundraising piece from The Special Olympics. The envelope was a personal invitation size and had cute child-like graphics. I opened it just to see what was inside! And you are so right about the list or “wrong person” – if you deliver the right message to the wrong person you’ve wasted your money.