In our recent free webinar, “12 Ways to Increase Response Rates”, guest speaker Alan Rosenspan offered up 12 easy-to-adopt secrets for increasing response rates on postcards and self-mailers.
Rosenspan has a remarkable record. As president of Rosenspan & Associates, a direct marketing creative and consulting firm, he’s won over 100 awards for creativity and results, including 19 DMA Echo Awards.
If you haven’t listened to the full webinar yet, we encourage you to do so. It is fast-paced and jammed with invaluable insight. Plus, you’ll get the link for a free download of Rosenspan’s booklet “101 Ways to Improve Your Response.” In the meantime, here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite!
These are just some of the many questions answered during the webinar:
- Is it okay to send three postcards in one week?
- What makes your offer compelling?
- IS IT EVER OKAY TO USE ALL CAPS IN YOUR DESIGN?
- What postcard design is the most effective?
- Does the size of the postcard matter?
Is one postcard better than three?
Mailing a one-shot postcard is rarely effective. Sending out three postcards in one week is ideal for launching new products and services. If you spread the postcards out over a period longer than two weeks, their effectiveness is lost. You’ll need to coordinate the postcards with similar visuals and messages to achieve the most impact.
Have a plan.
How many times have you heard this small piece of advice now? 😉 It’s STILL true! With postcards and self-mailers, your plan should consist of three basic steps:
- Know what you want to accomplish.
- Set realistic goals for your postcard campaign.
- Sell the value of the first step in your sales process.
Be creative, but not too creative.
The visuals, copy and format are all essential ingredients to a successful postcard or self-mailer. Here are a few of the tips Rosenspan offered during the webinar:
- Reverse copy kills readership.
- Placing type over images may look beautiful, but don’t do it.
- Narrow columns of type are easier to read (50 characters is ideal.)
- Visuals should be relevant to the target audience. So don’t use a photo of a high-rise condo when you’re selling lawn mowers. (Yep, someone did it.)
Helpful websites to enhance your direct mail toolkit
ShipShapes – This company creates unique shaped postcards and mailers that are very effective. There’s a free pdf download about integrated marketing there too.
Which Test Won? – As well as interesting and informative, this is just plain fun. Ann Holland presents two marketing pieces, and you get to guess which one was the most effective in terms of response. (Yes, she gives the answer!)
Now that we have you salivating for even more postcard and self-mailer know-how …
Have a listen!
If you missed “12 Ways to Increase Response Rates,” it’s not too late! Just click here to have a listen to the full webinar. We extend special thanks to Kallima Paper and Alan Rosenspan, president of Rosenspan & Associates, for this terrific event.
