My friend Ryan Phelan is an email guru who has given presentations on avoiding the kinds of mistakes that result in customers or prospects tapping their delete buttons, so I have to tip my hat to him for inspiring the title of this article. Call it stealing smart.
In my career, I’ve seen a lot of good-to-great direct mail. And I’ve also seen a lot that gets things wrong. Sometimes, it’s been printing issues, strange design choices, or just a simple lack of proofreading.
Yes, direct mail can be a “magic merger of creativity and repetition,” as DirectMail2.0’s Brad Kugler puts it. But if you get the big stuff (or the small stuff) wrong, you’ll waste money, time, and your brand reputation.
I’ll be the first to admit that there are always exceptions to rules. Sometimes ugly works in driving response. But here are common mistakes that can teach you a costly lesson.
1. Too Much Copy
With few exceptions, the trend over the past 20 years has been toward cleaner, more streamlined messaging. Dense paragraphs and big walls of text stand out — badly. Today’s consumers are accustomed to quick, scannable content, and too much copy overwhelms them.
Instead, use white space to guide the customer’s eyes through your mailpiece. Incorporate icons to convey information quickly and visually. Break up your message into compelling headlines and subheads, short phrases, and brief paragraphs and bulleted text that can be read in less time.
Read the rest of Paul’s tips on Printing Impressions.
