Postal considerations

* Watch your weight. Remember that thicker paper stocks, staples and special adhesives add extra weight and possible extra postage. Seven pieces of regular paper is usually a good gauge for a one-ounce envelope.

* Never assume that your mailing will meet postal requirements. Check with the post office before printing any unique component. And, get the name of the person you spoke to at the post office because no two postal inspectors are alike. What’s O.K. to one might not be to another.

* For postcards, the postal service has some exacting standards for the mailing side of the card. You can learn more about these requirements at www.usps.com.

The offer

* Decimal points and zeros can add impact to your offer. Example: “Save $50.00 off a three-year subscription rate. You pay only $40.” Psychological tests have shown that prospects think they are getting a better deal, because the first sum appears larger than the second. Play with the numbers in your advertising and test it out on friends to see what has more perceived value.

* State your selling price on every piece in your direct mailing so the prospect doesn’t have to hunt around for pricing information.

* The use of installment payments for orders can increase sales by up to 15%.

Design & production tips
 
* Avoid placing any dates on your direct mail unless they’re computer-filled. That way, you can re-use extra copies in future mailings.

* To cut down on production costs, delete bleeds (where the ink runs off the edge of the paper).

* Don’t allow your product to look “flat” on in your direct mail. Add depth through the use of shadowing and highlights.

* If you use photos, include captions for each photo. They get read.

* Tints and various combinations of colors can increase the effectiveness of a printed piece without substantially increasing the budget.

* In developing a direct mail piece, look at other ones that have caught your eye. Ask yourself: What is it that invited you to read it. The design? The headline? The offer? What kept you interested all the way to the end?

* Look at direct mail pieces that you almost tossed into the garbage without reading it. Why didn’t it catch your eye? Was it the type? Poorly written copy? Unclear offer? Learn from the failures as well as the successes.

Mailing lists
 
* A mediocre direct mail piece sent to an excellent list is infinitely more effective than sending a killer piece to a mediocre list. Invest time in developing a list or purchase one from a mailing list house.

* It costs less to “reactivate” former or marginal customers than finding new ones.

* Offer the recipient the chance to be deleted from the list.