Direct Mail Buzzes
I’ve noticed a few good items regarding direct mail lately that I’m sharing today.
First up from Target Marketing is Paul Bobnak’s collection of The 6 Best Direct Mail Teasers of 2016. Gotta get that letter noticed and open folks!
Here are the two probably most relevant for Agitator readers, from Consumer Reports and The Sierra Club.
Paul explains his picks here.
OK, so now you’ve gotten your letter open. What does the ‘stuff’ on the inside need to deliver? Here are 7 tips to make a great direct mail letter from Summer Gould, also writing in Target Marketing. Summer’s tips cover:
- First sentence — it’s make or break
- Offer
- Story
- Flattery
- Questions
- Problem
- Benefits
And a closing reminder from Summer to test!
Finally, speaking of testing, here’s Paul Bobnak again, this time dissecting a control package from Friends of the Earth. in NonProfitPRO. And guess what … he’s back to the bees.
How effective is this package? It’s been their control since December 2013.
Hope your direct mail is buzzin’.
Tom
2 responses to “Direct Mail Buzzes”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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Wonderful examples of creativity in direct mail. But I wonder how they fared in head-to-head tests? These days it seems that — 90+% of the time — even the best, most clever outside envelope treatment will lose in a match-up against a muted “plain vanilla” approach.
Like you said … test!
As a small business owners working in the B2B marketing I find I need to send items that really stand out to reach other owners, C-Suites, etc. and this helps a ton! http://3dmailresults.com/get-your-free-book-on-direct-mail/