You already know Direct Mail Design is a very effective tool to get your company’s marketing
message to the right people. But how do you design the best mail piece to use for your
company’s campaigns?
There are several disciplines involved in creating a Direct Mail piece, but collectively
engaging your team with the development process enables you to unleash their
imagination and artistic abilities.
It’s important, however, to remember that only 20% of
your direct mail campaign success comes from creative, which means developing an eye-
catching design is critical to your response rate and return on investment (ROI).
Below is the first of 6 articles with Direct Mail Design Tips suggested by Federal
Direct to help you design the perfect mail piece. The next article in the series will
be “Use Variable Data Printing”.
Are you ready to start creating direct mail designs that really work?
First In The Series – Size of the Envelope and Mail Piece
When selecting the best size for a mail piece and envelope for your Direct Mail
campaign, there are many factors to consider. Every great design starts with choosing
the perfect size mail piece.
You can’t develop creative without knowing the exact dimensions and bleed marks.
Size can also elevate your mail piece’s visibility in the mailbox. Larger dimensions
provide more room for design, and stand out more. However, you can still develop an
eye-catching design at standard and smaller sizes.
To determine the right size for your campaign, you must weigh a number of factors, including content, appearance,
visibility, timing, space, postage, and overall cost effectiveness. We will go into more
detail on copy and creative in subsequent articles.
What Size of Envelope is Best For a Direct Mail Design Piece?
Mail pieces come in a variety of basic sizes and custom dimensions that generally
correspond to the mailing envelope that will be used.
1. The two most common sizes are the #10 envelope and 6 x 9 envelope.
2. The envelope is the first thing a potential new customer or client will see. Do you
really want to send it in a plain white #10 envelope? This will blend in with all the
other mail that a recipient receives daily.
3. Size matters in direct mail envelopes because this will determine how much you
can fit on the front as well as the back of the envelope. What message are you
sending? The back of the envelope is great landscape to create a compelling
message or call to action that matches the inside contents.
4. Using a #10 envelope may blend in with the rest of the mail the recipient
receives. Make it a colorful envelope or create an irresistible message on the
front to increase open rates.
5. Using a 6 x 9 envelope offers more space inside and outside the envelope for
copy. Using “Lumpy” mail here may entice the recipients to open the envelope
because there is something inside, they want to know what it is.
6. Using copy that evokes an emotion to drive up open rates and increase response
rates. After all isn’t that why you’re doing a direct mail campaign?
Pros – #10 Envelope
Common size
Standard mail rate for 1 oz
Comes in many colors
Customizable
Lower cost
Pros – 6 x 9 Envelope
Larger size
Stands out in the mail
Variety of colors with large windows or no windows
Easier for thicker inserts and “Lumpy Mail”
Customizable with a larger space to add copy, calls to action etc.
Envelope Size Will Determine The Rest Of The Campaign
In conclusion, the size of your direct mail design piece and envelope matters!
A good design is critical for the message you are trying to get across to the recipient.
At Federal Direct our specialists have the knowledge to offer their expertise in creating
a direct mail design piece:
Piece Design
Production Coordination of all components
Postage Management
Secure, SOC2 certified Data Processing and Programming
Overall campaign management
Our remarkable Creative Staff and Production Team are waiting to help you design you
Direct Mail piece today!