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When choosing a format, keep in mind how the message will unfold. The size, shape, and layout of your mailpiece can help you present your product or service and highlight its benefits, and feature a compelling offer.

Get the point across with the right delivery.

You've got a great story to tell-now all you need are the right words. While you don't have to be a professional writer to develop your message, there's a subtle art to fine-tuning what you say in order to make it sell.

The Writing Process

Follow these steps to craft an effective message...

• Visualize your audience. Who are they? How does your product or service appeal to their needs?
• Write to this individual in a conversational tone; your message should sound as if it's coming from a friend.
• Make the message about the recipient; use "you" more than "I" or "we."
• Focus on benefits: What will this person or business get from using your product or service? How will it make them feel?
• Highlight your offer.
• Include a clear and compelling call-to-action: What you want your audience to do.
• Create a sense of urgency by including an expiration date on an offer.
• Use proper grammar and avoid jargon.
• Write clearly and concisely.
• Proofread.

What is a Call-to-Action?

The call-to-action tells your audience how they can respond to your offer. Once a customer is interested, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to do business with you.

The components of your call-to-action are the what, where, how, and when of your offer:

• Relate to the audience.
• What are you offering or selling?
• Where is it available?
• How can a customer acquire it?
• When does the offer expire?

Make a Compelling Offer

The right incentive is hard to pass up.

To increase responses rates, your mailing might highlight a special offer. An offer will not only help you track the number of calls you get because of the direct mail, its expiration date will help create a sense of urgency.

Some effective offer ideas...

• Announce a special sale.
• Send a coupon calendar.
• Preview upcoming in-store or online bargains.
• Host an event.
• Create a special occasion or holiday deal.

Base the offer on who you're targeting, whether it's existing customers you'd like to see again, potential new customers who can benefit from your products or services, or a whole new market. Look through incentives you've received in the mail, and check out offers in newspapers and stores. Which were appealing and memorable; which seemed too good to be true?

Then ask yourself these questions...

• How does my product or service benefit these customers?
• How is my product or service unique?
• What do I want my customers to do?

Make it easy to respond.

You may invite your customer to your store or choose to provide your customer with a prepaid postcard, a phone number, an email address, or web site so that they can easily take advantage of your offer.

No design school required. You can make your whole campaign with some basic design software that has a variety of fonts, images, and colors. We've even teamed up with some easy-to-use web sites that help you format, design, print, and send your mailing online.

*Private vendors may apply non-USPS charges

Design Guidelines

The design of your direct mail piece gets attention and helps prospects understand your message. Keep these elements in mind...

• Visualize your audience: picture who they are, and how your product or service fits into their lives when looking for images.
• Keep your layout clean, airy, and simple.
• Allow only one element (headline or visual) to dominate the page.
• If you have a logo, give it prominence so people know the message is from you.
• Limit yourself to one or two fonts: Use large, bold type for headlines and smaller, easy-to-read type for text.
• Call attention to benefits or important information with bold statements or bullet points.
• Make sure the call-to-action is easy to find and read.

Using Photos

A strategically positioned photo or illustration can work wonders for your mailpiece, and it's a great way to show off your featured product or service. Grab a digital camera and photograph your product, buy illustrations and photos from stock photography web sites for reasonable rates, or consider using royalty-free art.

Try using related-but still relevant-images to create a mood for your mailing. For example, a florist could show a smiling couple to express the joy flowers bring-instead of just showing a bouquet.

Print It

It's easy to create and print your own professional-looking direct mail pieces with your own equipment or with an online service. A local print shop can give you a high-quality result, depending on your budget. To ensure that printing fees fit your budget, keep the following in mind

• Choose a standard format size-these are more cost-effective to print and mail.
  Click the Format tab for more information
• More colors raise printing costs-highlight key messages with one or two colors, and consider keeping the rest black and white.
• Paper prices vary for different weights and finishes, so select the right kind of paper for your job.
• Avoid reprint costs by carefully proofreading your mailing before it's printed.
• Give the printer plenty of time to get the job done-a rush job may cost more.

Make Your Printing a Little Greener

• Use recycled materials.
• Allow customers to opt out of your mailings so you're not sending them unwanted mail.
• Design your mailings to be recyclable, too. Print with water-based inks on uncoated paper stocks and use windowless envelopes.
• Talk to your printer about environmentally friendly options.

Get local printing resources and other information at the Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation web site.

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Create Your Own Online

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CardStore.com for Business

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Business mail, letters, flyers, postcards, and more-printed and mailed the next business day.

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