Knowing which formats will best lend themselves to different responses comes from years of testing, research, and experience, which is why it’s so crucial to let a subject matter expert help you choose not just the format, but all the other details like stocks, colors, die cuts, windows, etc., that make the direct mail design complete. The answers to these questions help my team and me pinpoint which formats are best suited to the needs of the campaign. What other marketing campaigns are being done? Should the mailing complement an email or other direct marketing campaign for an omnichannel experience?.What kind of experience do you want for your audience? How do you want your brand perceived? Is this an important document that should be seen as more formal, or can it be more colorful and promotional?.What are the recipients expecting to see? Are they expecting a mailing from you? Have you sent them communications before? What did they look like?.As a direct mail designer, I continue to ask questions, including: This process of elimination is a good first step, as it takes out what you can’t do from the list of choices, but it still doesn’t answer the question of which format is best for this particular campaign. Once these questions have been answered, the format choice can be narrowed based on what technology fits the personalization and budget needs of the campaign.
Have you done any past mailings? What were the results, and what can be taken away from those results?.How much space do you need to convey your message? Does this product or service take a bit more of an explanation, or is it pretty apparent why the recipient needs it? Are there any disclaimers or other items that need to be included?.What is your budget? Can you afford to spend money on unique formats, stocks, finishes, or other attention-grabbing devices?.Who are you mailing to? How large is your audience? Have you mailed to them before? What kind of data do you have that could be used to pinpoint the messaging and add personalization?.What goals are you trying to accomplish? Is this an acquisition or loyalty mailing? What are you trying to convince the recipient to do, and how do you want them to act on the offer? (In other words, what’s your call-to-action?).There are five major questions that need to be answered before a format can be selected: Five Considerations in Choosing a Direct Mail Format
So how do you narrow down which format is going to best serve your objectives and meet your marketing goals? You start by evaluating what you have, what you want, and what’s worked-and hasn’t-in the past. Likewise, there are a lot of factors in choosing a direct mail format for your marketing campaign: cost, messaging, graphics, branding requirements, customer expectations… this list is also extensive. Self-mailers, #10 envelopes, snap-packs, monarch-sized pieces… the list goes on and on. Those who have ever designed direct mail before-or even those who pay attention to what’s in their mailbox-know there are plenty of direct mail format options out there.
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