{"id":6516,"date":"2015-08-11T00:01:21","date_gmt":"2015-08-11T00:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.valpak.com\/advertise\/?post_type=post&p=6516"},"modified":"2018-09-20T14:19:18","modified_gmt":"2018-09-20T14:19:18","slug":"top-5-direct-mail-best-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.valpak.com\/advertise\/blog\/top-5-direct-mail-best-practices","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Get Your Direct Mail Advertising Noticed"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few years ago there was a shift. Getting mail, something people used to dread, once again became exciting as our virtual inboxes cluttered our space and mind. With spam in our emails becoming an all too real, and unmanageable problem, getting actual mail became a refreshing reprieve and a welcomed addition to our day.\u00a0Direct mail advertising<\/a><\/span> with Valpak\u00a0can literally open the door to thousands of decision makers\u2026 but that\u2019s only half the battle. Follow these five best practices in order to get your direct mail ad noticed.<\/p>\n

1. Professional Design<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When creating your advertisement, consider hiring a graphic designer to make your ad look professional. You\u2019re investing time and money in this project; listen to the designer and let them do what they do best! Designers know how to work best with spacing, images, colors and typeface to properly reflect your brand. If you can\u2019t necessarily afford a graphic designer, look for a full service direct mailer, like Valpak, that will mail AND create your ad.<\/p>\n

2. Personalization<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mail evokes emotion. According to the United States Postal Service,\u00a067% of households think that mail is more personal than the internet<\/a>. To add to that, when a consumer gets a letter addressed specifically to them, not only do they appreciate it, they spend time looking at it, acknowledging the effort it took the company to make it. \u201cWe get less mail these days than we used to, so the opportunity to make an impact through personalized print marketing is huge,\u201d states\u00a0Trish Witkowski<\/a>, a mail engagement expert and chief folding fanatic at Foldfactory.com.<\/p>\n

3. Less is More<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The results are in. The number of people who actually read advertisements with paragraphs on paragraphs of five point font: ZERO. We know you have a lot to offer, but don\u2019t put everything on your ad. Unless you are buying a large format print ad, you need to keep it simple. Many marketers need to avoid one big pitfall: the “Throw everything at them to see if something sticks\u201d idea. Kitchen-sink offers confuse people, Witkowski says: \u201cDo this, get that. Don\u2019t like that? Do this, and get this instead! Plus, here are eight testimonials. Plus, plus, plus\u2026\u201d
\nNot only is it hard to read, making your font size smaller to accommodate more text, makes consumers think you\u2019re hiding something. It\u2019s the asterisk effect. Keep everything you\u2019ve got to say legible and to the point.<\/p>\n

4. Make the Offer Pop!<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You have lots of great things to share about your business, but you need to be sure that your primary call to action or offer stands out the most. Make sure your offer is visible and worthwhile to a potential customer. Consider these questions:<\/p>\n