Stamp your success on direct mail

A postscript on a letter is supposed to be an afterthought, but when you create direct mail, you should consider early on what will go in that spot near the bottom. Research shows that a P.S. is one of the most widely read parts of a direct-mail letter. (This can hold true for large postcards, too, but make sure the postscript isn’t in a location where it will be obliterated by a bar code from the post office.) The first line of the letter also commands readers’ attention, so be sure to open with a compelling message.

Here is more conventional wisdom regarding direct mail:

• Mail with real stamps generally outperforms metered mail.
• Personalized letters get a better response than those addressed to "homeowner" or other generic terms.
• Direct mail should include a specific call to action based on what you want prospects to do (call you, visit your Web site, etc.).
• Response to black-and-white direct mail is lower than for pieces with color.
• Your message should focus on your recipient and how she will benefit. You should use the word you more than I.
• Effective direct mail does not look exactly like a personal letter you would send a friend. Study the direct mail you get to see what elements–like headlines and margin notes–other direct mailers use to get their messages across.
• According to the U.S. Postal Service, direct mail in envelopes and on postcards have almost the same chance of being read (43.5% and 43%, respectively).
• Testing the effectiveness of direct mail by changing one variable on half of the distribution is a valuable strategy, but only if you are sending the piece to enough recipients to give reliable results. This number varies depending on your response rate, but is typically at least 2,000 and possibly as high as 10,000 recipients.

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