I think my letter carrier takes the holidays off. I literally got no mail from Dec. 27 through Jan. 2 but, boy oh boy, did the flood hit yesterday. Amidst some bills and checks (thanks, clients), I got an astounding number of direct mail pieces.

Direct mail?

Yeah, those over the age of 40 remember it. It’s the information that comes in the mailbox from companies who do all kinds of clever things to entice you to open it.

Much of what I got was very nicely done: Solid offers. Pleasing visuals. Conversational content. Well branded.

So it didn’t surprise me when I read that the Direct Marketing Association is estimating direct mail marketing to increase by more than $1 billion this year. That’s a RISE of $1 billion, putting the annual total spent on direct mail campaigns at about $45.5 billion in 2010.

Even more impressive is this result from the DMA’s annual study: Non-catalog direct mail returned $15.22 for every dollar spent in 2009. Wowza.

Are you making direct mail part of your 2010 marketing plan? It’s certainly worth considering in light of those astounding numbers don’t you think?

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My husband rarely opens the mail. This is not a complaint; it’s just a fact.

But over the weekend we received a direct mail piece that enticed him enough to not just want to open it, but actually act on it.

The piece was an invitation (of all things) to an designer gala at a luxury jeweler in central Ohio where — mind you — my husband once bought a piece of jewelry some 20+ years ago.

My husband simply does not buy jewelry. Again, not a complaint, just fact.

So for him to open up the invitation was stunning to me. The copy on the outside wasn’t particularly appealing –  it simply says “Designers’ Gala.”

What, then, I inquired, made him grab it and open it?

“I dunno. It just looked very high-end,” he said.

Mmm. Interesting.

Here’s a scan of the front and back side (imagine it folded in half and addressed in the white space).

According to this oldie-but-goodie feature story from DM News, this type of high-end direct mail piece timed around the Thanksgiving season for this particular industry is well worth the $4-5 per-piece investment (and maybe even more $).

My take?

While my husband did, indeed, open the direct mail piece because of its high-end feel; and while he did, indeed, consider going to the event, at least momentarily …

… the piece could have been made even stronger with the addition of benefit-driven copy on the outside flap and relegating the “Designers’ Gala” to a watermark or graphic element.

Personally, I’m not a fan. Depending on the recipient, such luxe packaging with an invitation and a separate insert with a gift-card-looking thingy could be considered very UN-green, indeed.

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I just saw a compelling commercial for Build-A-Bear Workshop. It wasn’t a fancy, bells-and-whistle commercial. There wasn’t amazing production value. On the contrary. It even featured what most would consider a potential yawner: the company’s founder standing and talking.

It was the copy in the 30-second message that got me.

Here’s what I heard — and remembered:

• Family fun
• Unforgettable experience
• Simple things in life
• Everyone should hug a teddy bear
• Holiday season
• Priced at just $10

And that’s the formula for writing to catch your customer’s attention, particularly in a slower economy.

1. Identify your customer’s relevant and urgent challenge. In this case, it’s how to buy holiday gifts for the kids on a tight budget. But the challenge could be anything from how to increase your subscriber list to how to woo repeat customers.

2. Create an emotional connection to the problem. Choose words that resonate with your audience like “family fun,” “unforgettable” and “simple things in life.” To find these words, comb through your customer feedback and see what bloggers and online communities are saying about your brand.

3. Solve the problem and communicate the solution in unmistakable language. “Priced at just $10” is the zinger that will drive them in droves online and in store. Be sure to convey just your best offer; save the rest for when they call, visit or go online. That’s where you can give them other options or upsell.

Remember, desperation and scare tactics are total turn offs, so make sure your copy is confident, positive and empowering.

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It’s been said that the way to get people to pay attention to a numeral in a line of copy is to put a dollar sign in front of it.

Seems the theory could be true … this excerpted from direct mail guru, Bob Bly’s recent newsletter:

A company tested two e-mail subject lines:

1. a $50-off coupon
2. 15%-off coupon equivalent to a $50 discount

The result? The first offer — with the dollar sign – generated nearly three times more revenue than the second offer with the percentage. 

Source: The Marketing Report, 9/8/08

What this tells me is what I’ve always told my clients — be very clear and direct in your communication. Just say what you want to say plainly and in a way that customers can understand.

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