The 6 Worst Mistakes in Direct Mail

If you want to create a successful direct mail campaign, check over this list of common mistakes and be sure to avoid them.

Mistake 1 - Using a Hidden Message

There should never be a hidden message. Everything you want to communicate should be obvious. Recipients of your direct mail won't spend the time wondering if there are things that aren't on the surface. Don't be vague and/or assume recipients of your mailing can read your mind.

Mistake 2 - Allowing Readers to Make Their Own Decisions

This is similar to using the hidden message, but instead of being hidden, it's an omission. Letting readers make their own decision assumes that the reader will think about what to do and then act accordingly. They won't. Tell them exactly what they should do - examples include - "join us," "respond now," "donate now," "make your check payable to," "don't hesitate," "call now," "fill out this form," etc.

Mistake 3 - Writing Soft Introductions

Don't start with a story about how long you've been in business or the outcome of your recent board meeting. Don't beat around the bush - get to the reason you're writing the letter right away. Assume that every reader will only give you a line or 2 to decide whether it's worth their time to read on. Grab them quickly.

Mistake 4 - Believing that People Don't Read Long Letters (Yes, they do)

Convince them, convince them, convince them - use as many good reasons as possible. People will self-sort the reasons that make sense to them and ignore the ones that aren't interesting to them.

Mistake 5 - Ignoring the Formatting of Your Letter Text

No matter how long your letter is, don't make long paragraphs. The use of even one single long paragraph is NOT acceptable - don't use them. A huge hurdle is placed in front of the reader when he/she looks at a letter and sees never-ending paragraphs.

Use one-sentence paragraphs - they carry greater importance than paragraphs with several sentences.

Break the type into bullets when you can. Use bold sentences to make a point, use several bold sentences that can tell the whole story if that's all the reader looks at. Think of your letter copy as having a design of it's own. The letter has to be beautiful visually to reassure the prospect that the copy won't take effort to read. Readers assume that if a letter looks boring, it probably is boring.

Mistake 6 - Limiting the Response Options

People like to respond in their own way - give them as many ways as possible to respond to you. Response mechanisms include business reply envelopes (or courtesy reply in case of non-profits), phone, email, and links to web pages with more information and reply forms.

For more info about direct mail, contact info@direct-axis.net or phone toll-free, 800-849-3056.