MailWays

IN THIS ISSUE

• Open My Envelope NOW!
• Save $$$ Creatively
• What Drives Response?
• Save on Postage
• Guarantees Sell
• Press Box
• Our Favorite Charities
• How Are We Doing?
• Hold That Thought

The Press Box

Find out what's new at:

LaMantia Gallery

Get FREE publicity for your company/organization.

Send us news about your events, promotions, awards, important changes, achievements, etc. We will post the information on our website through a link in this space. Email your information
in a Word document
to Phyllis Abrams at filisa@optonline.net.

Be sure to put
“Bi-County Press Box”
in the subject field.
Deadline: the 15th of each month. This FREE service is only for clients. Space is limited. We will make every effort to accommodate all submissions. Posting will be at the sole discretion of the publisher.

Go to www.americanmail.com & www.bicountymailing.com

Click on “Our Favorite Charities”...
It's our way of supporting good people
who do good things.
Every little bit helps.

Please visit their sites.
They could use your support!

How Are We Doing?

Check out our clients' testimonials on www.americanmail.com
About Us - Direct Mail References page. We've included their company logos, as well as links to their websites when possible.

If you're a client, and would like to be listed on our testimonial page with your logo and a link to your website, tell us how we've helped you improve your business, email

greg@americanmail.com

HOLD THAT THOUGHT...

It is far more powerful
to be interested
than interesting.

Suzi Pomerantz
Executive Coach

Your Envelope Should Shout: Open Me Now -
This is Important!

With the cost of postage increasing, it’s more important than ever to get your audience to open your envelope.

That’s probably the most difficult part of direct mail marketing — you’ve got about a 3-second window to get the reader’s attention and have your package put on the “read pile” instead of into the “round file.”  Do anything you can to make your mailing appear more personal.

Here are some tips on how to get it done:

• Send your material to a carefully selected audience. Make sure your mailing list is on target, and the recipients are predisposed to what you have to say/sell/request.
  
  
• If you target your audience well, you can engage your prospect with a meaningful teaser on the envelope that will give the recipient a good reason to look inside. For example, announce a relevant benefit or incentive such as, “Boost your sales by 17%,” or “Get 2 for the price of 1!”

• Attract interest by using an unusual material for the envelope, but remember your audience: Would they respond to BIG & BRASSY or quietly elegant?
  
  
• Stimulate curiosity by using an unusual typeface for the address.

For more direct mail marketing information, click here.

Creative, Money-Saving Tips

Here are some money-saving tips that direct mail experts use when designing their materials:

• Imaginative use of screens can create the look of a two-color job at a much lower cost.
  
  
• When designing a self-mailer, place the folded edge on the bottom, thereby reducing the number of tabs required to receive maximum postage discounts and saving on tabbing costs.

• When using a window envelope, remember mailing can shift contents so be sure your entire address will show through the window — and stay there.

• Make sure that graphics don’t interfere with the space needed for barcodes.

For more marketing tips, click here.

What Drives Your Audience’s Response?

Recently, three leading marketing firms partnered to explore what drives recipients’ response. Here are some of their findings:

• Timing: Delivering an offer when the recipient is most likely to respond due to lifecycle events, seasonal factors, purchasing behavior, etc.
• Relevance: Making an offer that responds to the recipient’s needs, desires, preferences, attitudes, etc.
• Personalization: Tailoring an offer that appeals to the recipient’s unique profile.
• Tangible Value: Providing a premium that shows understanding of the recipient’s needs.

For more direct mail information click here.

How to Guarantee a Great Guarantee

One of the most powerful marketing tools is a solid guarantee. It is also one of the best ways to ensure your credibility. Here are some ways to achieve that:

• Always offer a guarantee. It lowers perceived risk and boosts confidence in your product.
  
  
• Spell out your terms clearly, and offer a generous time period for evaluation.

• Make sure you promise something you intend to deliver, and ensure that everyone in your company understands the guarantee.

• Keep your guarantee short and easy to understand. Avoid legal jargon and small type. Don’t hide anything your customers should know.

• Don’t burden customers with a long list of conditions.

Make sure your customers know the guarantee will benefit them.

For more marketing tips click here.