In life, you may have heard of the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle. Simply put, it states that 80 percent of your efforts will lead to 20 percent of your results, while 20 percent of your efforts will bring about 80 percent of your results.
Similarly, if you’re in the direct-mail industry, it’s likely you are well-familiar with the 40/40/20 principle in direct-mail marketing. If not, the idea is both simple and practical. In general, only 20 percent of one’s creative efforts are responsible for the open-mail rate. Factors such as a clever teaser may not have much of an impact at all.
Even so, many business owners using direct-mail for the first time go in another direction. Often, they spend far too much effort on the wrong elements, resulting in a failed campaign and lots of needless head-scratching at the end of the day. Too many times, these companies will disproportionately spend too much time developing a creative direct-mail piece, when a simple approach would produce the same or better results.
Keep it simple
Most of us fancy we have an artistic talent for designing a cool marketing mailer. But here’s a reality check we all need to be reminded of: If you’re in the early stages of a direct-mail campaign, please don’t attempt to do it yourself! Most of us attribute much more creativity to our own graphic design and marketing copy than we deserve. Crafting a compelling mailer calls for the services of a professional graphic artist.
Start with the nuts and bolts. Remember, it’s a numbers game. You want the open rate to be as high as possible when you’re casting a wide net for new prospects. Save the flourishing touches on your mailer design for after you’ve penned the essentials in your marketing copy. If you need any help on your next campaign, give us a call!