Getting your target to open a piece of direct mail is half the battle. Every day, poor, innocent pieces of mail make the long journey from mailbox to post office to mail truck to mailbox and then, just as their life goal of delivering a message is about to be fulfilled, their hopes and dreams are squashed by mail murderers who are too busy to open, let alone read, all the mail they receive. As they are whisked into the trash or the recycle bin, never to be seen again, these unfortunate brochures and letters scream, “WHY ME?!”

Well, unlucky discarded mail pieces, here’s why it was you.

Interesting Mail Survives…

The typical mail opener is on a serious time budget. So he’s only going to open the mail that piques his interest for one reason or another. We’ve talked before about how clutter busters and self-mailers can give your direct mail the intrigue factor that it needs to make sure it gets some attention.

And interesting mail isn’t the only mail that typically makes the cut.

…And So Does Important Mail

While most Americans probably fantasize about throwing away all of their bills, they don’t go through with it. Bills fall under the category of mail that’s too important to throw away. Other things that belong in this department? Account statements, checks, new credit cards, letters from the government, and official correspondence from important-looking companies, to name a few.

So besides making your direct mail look interesting, making it look important can also help it to avoid the circular file.

Make It Look Official

There are lots of ways you can give your direct mail that “important mail vibe.” Someone we know gets coupons from a restaurant that arrive in a very official-looking envelope stamped with “Handle With Care.” The first time the coupons came, she opened the envelope believing it was a bill, but was pleasantly surprised to see that the envelope contained something good.

Another pal recently received a brown envelope with very little writing on it. His instinct was to toss it, but after more careful examination, he discovered that he could feel a sheet of bubble wrap inside the envelope. Assuming that there would have to be something significant in there to require bubble wrap, he tore it open.

In both cases, creative design of the direct mail helped it to get read.

Interesting, Important…We Do It All

So when it’s time for your next direct mail campaign, let us work with you to come up with a strategy that will package your marketing message in an irresistible way. Whether we make it look too unique to pass up or too official to throw out, we’ll give it the best chance of joining the “keep” pile.