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5 Secrets To Direct Mail Success...

by copywriter
22 replies
I do heaps of Direct Mail and someone asked me the other day: "How do you get your envelopes opened?"

Actually it is dead easy.

Here Are 5 Ways to make Sure People Open Your Mail.

1. Hand Address the Envelopes.
2. Use a Reflex Blue Pen or Use Online Personal Signature Maker
3. Use a Real Stamp
4. Stamp the Top left Corner "Private and Confidential" (Gets you right past the gatekeepers)
5. Use 'Lumpy' Mail OR Send your letter in a box because boxes always get opened!

Hope this helps!
#copywriting #direct #mail #secrets #success
  • Profile picture of the author Glowrry
    Very nice collection .........I like your tips all are very good & easy to implement ..Thanks for sharing it
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  • Profile picture of the author Dresden14
    nice tips... but ive spent well over $10,000 on direct mail (used different variations of postcards and #10 letters trying to "trick people" into opening as you state). Even used custom lists, etc. With postage going up and up, I'd have to say direct mails dead imo. Thankfully, I broke even financially - my time. But yeah, thats just my thoughts.
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    • Profile picture of the author digichik
      Originally Posted by Dresden14 View Post

      nice tips... but ive spent well over $10,000 on direct mail (used different variations of postcards and #10 letters trying to "trick people" into opening as you state). Even used custom lists, etc. With postage going up and up, I'd have to say direct mails dead imo. Thankfully, I broke even financially - my time. But yeah, thats just my thoughts.
      Did you just send out mail without follow up? Direct mail can be really good, but you must follow-up with phone calls or visits. Many of the recipients of the direct mail pieces may intend to get in touch with you, but just get busy and forget. To make it effective you have to take the initiative to follow-up with them, and you may have to touch at them more than once to get even an appointment.

      They may brush you off one day and you can follow-up two weeks later and they're interested.

      The good thing about direct mail is that it can turn cold calls really warm.
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      • Profile picture of the author maverick8
        Originally Posted by digichik View Post

        Did you just send out mail without follow up? Direct mail can be really good, but you must follow-up with phone calls or visits. Many of the recipients of the direct mail pieces may intend to get in touch with you, but just get busy and forget. To make it effective you have to take the initiative to follow-up with them, and you may have to touch at them more than once to get even an appointment.

        They may brush you off one day and you can follow-up two weeks later and they're interested.

        The good thing about direct mail is that it can turn cold calls really warm.
        I should do more of this. I hate calling.
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      • Profile picture of the author Dresden14
        Originally Posted by digichik View Post

        Did you just send out mail without follow up? Direct mail can be really good, but you must follow-up with phone calls or visits. Many of the recipients of the direct mail pieces may intend to get in touch with you, but just get busy and forget. To make it effective you have to take the initiative to follow-up with them, and you may have to touch at them more than once to get even an appointment.

        They may brush you off one day and you can follow-up two weeks later and they're interested.

        The good thing about direct mail is that it can turn cold calls really warm.
        Yeah; with prices increasing in postage and this being far to time consuming, ill just stick with seo. I dropped far to much money in different variations for direct mail (I do debt consolidation debt settlement). But I mean if it works for you guys cool, but it just didnt with me... :-/
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    • Profile picture of the author IMSince2003
      Originally Posted by Dresden14 View Post

      nice tips... but ive spent well over $10,000 on direct mail (used different variations of postcards and #10 letters trying to "trick people" into opening as you state). Even used custom lists, etc. With postage going up and up, I'd have to say direct mails dead imo. Thankfully, I broke even financially - my time. But yeah, thats just my thoughts.
      Hmm.... well, direct mail is still alive and kicking or the big guys would not be doing it. You have to have a good match of prospect to offer AND as stated above, you have to call and follow up. I've also done mailings and many times people say "Oh, I meant to call you, but I forgot with everything that's going on...". Follow up is key, especially when you said that you broke even, so with follow up calls you would have made a killing, IMO.
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  • Profile picture of the author danielkanuck
    How many of you use the 9x12 manila envelopes when you mail your letters?
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    • Profile picture of the author Huskerdarren
      That's were it gets expensive. I am running with the standard business size envelope, a personal stamp and Andrew Cavanaugh's amazing 4 line letter. Supposedly pulls really well.

      But, I like the idea of follow up call. Then I feel like I've had a reason to call them. I've got to keep this under 50 cents a piece.
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  • Profile picture of the author JerrickYeoh
    With printed color direct mail and mail that more heavy like maybe do have brochure inside or book inside will cause people would like to look more in to it because they expect those mail will give other thing more than just a text mail .
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  • Profile picture of the author Anang Andriana
    Good tips and can be implemented on my small town.
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  • Profile picture of the author RobKonrad
    Originally Posted by copywriter View Post

    I do heaps of Direct Mail and someone asked me the other day: "How do you get your envelopes opened?"

    Actually it is dead easy.

    Here Are 5 Ways to make Sure People Open Your Mail.

    1. Hand Address the Envelopes.
    2. Use a Reflex Blue Pen or Use Online Personal Signature Maker
    3. Use a Real Stamp
    4. Stamp the Top left Corner "Private and Confidential" (Gets you right past the gatekeepers)
    5. Use 'Lumpy' Mail OR Send your letter in a box because boxes always get opened!

    Hope this helps!
    6. Use Fedex/UPS to send a letter. Way more expensive, but gets opened every time...

    Cheers,
    Rob Konrad
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  • Profile picture of the author vpunch
    Thanks for the new information. Aways looking for new ideas.
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  • Profile picture of the author Abelvandemeulder
    Nice! Thanx for sharing. I think direct mail is still one of the strongest marketing tools.
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    • Profile picture of the author addison.agnote
      Wow! great tips! Thanks for sharing them.
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  • Profile picture of the author want2knowhow
    Originally Posted by copywriter View Post

    I do heaps of Direct Mail and someone asked me the other day: "How do you get your envelopes opened?"

    Actually it is dead easy.

    Here Are 5 Ways to make Sure People Open Your Mail.

    2. Use a Reflex Blue Pen or Use Online Personal Signature Maker

    Hope this helps!
    Oh, my goodness, yes! Yes it does help! And thank you for that info!
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  • Profile picture of the author Alipatinho
    in the past i used plain yellow postcards, flipping REO's. it was very effective in 10 years ago lol
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  • Profile picture of the author eharczos
    If you're going to do direct mail you absolutely have to hand address your envelopes. It's been proven direct mail is considered less intrusive by 39% of consumers, as opposed to e-mail at 9% and cold calling at 3%. Pre-printed envelopes are a waste of time, as handwritten envelopes increase your chances of having that letter opened by upwards of 300%, and your response rate increase 5-10x. It's a pain, depending on how large of a mailing you're planning on doing you could be spending hours on simply stuffing and addressing envelopes, but there are hundreds of companies on the internet you can pay to do this for you, me being one of them. PM me for more info if you're interested, though it's obviously more cost effective to do it yourself, depending on how much your time vs money is worth.
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