#1: I’m not actually sure that this is the first time I’ve published a tip about direct mail – but it IS the first time I used a video to do it… This is a quick video showing how you need to think about what you are mailing your donors from the very get go.
#2: Today’s tip is about my favourite topic in Direct Marketing: Testing. If you are spending the money to send mail out to your current donors or to potentially new donors – you should be testing something every single time. No testing = no learning.
#3: Coupons. You know – the thing donors use to give your charity money? Is there a more important piece in the direct mail piece? I sadly see laser and fulfillment taking over 50% of the space for their codes and lasering. When it comes to coupons, bigger sizes and having more space for the donors to respond is always better folks.
#4:Taglines – a simple line that can make or break your package. Will it get opened or thrown in the recycling bin? Make sure you get this part right!
#5: “You”.
Aside from “thanks”, “you” is likely one of the most important words in your direct mail letter. And that’s “you” as in ‘you the donor’. Get out your highlighter folks.
Twitter Updates
3 January 2010 at 4:22 pm
John, I really like the way you approached this as a case study by collecting a week’s worth of mail solicitations from a “real” donor-great idea! Regarding your comments about using first-class postage, precancelled stamps are also a viable option in the U.S. This enables you to pay a nonprofit rate while making the mail look like first-class. I’ve got a blog post on this for anyone wanting more info. Thanks!
4 January 2010 at 9:54 am
Thank you Blase! Can you post your link to your post? I’d love to see it and it adds to the topic! Thanks for your comments. John
27 June 2010 at 11:04 am
John, better late than never-here’s a link to the precancelled stamp post that I mentioned in my original comment: http://bit.ly/1q3UWz In the US, for-profit companies can also use precancelled stamps, but the bulk mail postage that they pay is higher than what nonprofits pay. The rules associated with use of precancelled stamps are applied equally to both.