When designing a direct mail piece, have you ever thought about how the recipient’s eye travels around it? Understanding this basic reader behavior can help you improve your results, even if your design is already working for you.
Let’s
start with a simple envelope. Where do people’s eyes go first? How can you use
this knowledge to improve the impact of your piece?
1. Return address. You might think that
recipients look at their name and address first, but you’d be wrong. Recipients
almost always start with this area of the envelope. Do they recognize your
business name? Are you a business they already have a relationship with? If you
are a known brand, consider using colored text or adding a logo, so the recipient
recognizes you from a distance.
2. Recipient name and
address. It
sounds simple, but too many marketers have mistakes in their databases that
ruin the user experience before the piece is ever read. Get the recipient’s
name right. Ensure all of the data is in the correct field so you don’t send
mail intended for Lt. Col. John Smith, USMC (Ret.) to USMC Ret. Yes, it’s
happened.
3. Postage area. Even the type of postage
you use has an impact on your results. For example, people are more likely to
open your mailing if they see a first-class stamp. However, it’s essential to
balance postage type with volume, too.
4. Teaser copy (if desired). The outside of the envelope
is the first place people are exposed to your message, so take advantage of it.
Teaser copy can be preprinted or personalized during the printing process.
5. Back side. When the recipient takes in
the mail, which side of the envelope will they will see first? There is no way
to predict. So include hints, teasers, and calls to action on the back side of
the mailer, too.
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