5 Sense-ible Tricks to Getting Your Direct Mail Read

In the modern world that we live in, most consumers get constantly bombarded with sensory and visual information through online platforms. 

Over the Last 30+ years our team at Duplicates INK - marketSMART has learned one important lesson about direct mail.  It can be tricky to design engaging direct mail in this landscape that will catch the reader's attention as those online ads do. 

However, 75% of people who receive direct mail can recall the brands easily, as opposed to only 44% of brand recall with digital advertisements. Direct mail can be an excellent tool for your company to use!

Make your company's direct mail stand out by appealing to consumers' 5 senses! It's a creative and effective way to make your print materials memorable.

Use Each of the 5 Senses to Create Unique Direct Mail 

1. Sight 

Visually appealing mail will automatically intrigue your customers.

Use eye-catching designs like foil, metallic features, shimmery ink, lamination/different varnishes, and more options to captivate anyone who opens your mail.

Another idea you could try is incorporating a 3-D pop-up feature or a peek-a-boo flap into your design. Ensuring your direct mail is visually intriguing will lead your customers to check out the message and spend more time with it. 

2. Touch 

Focusing on the customers' sense of touch can be essential to making a memorable direct mail.

Consider using embellishments like debossing or embossing (raising or imprinting letters or your logo) or using textured paper to create a sensory experience for your customers. 

You could also include small token gifts, like pens or stickers with your company name or logo! Tangible items will cater to recipients' sense of touch and make them more likely to reach out in the future!

3. Smell

Research shows that there is a powerful connection between scent and memory.

So why not try including a scented element in your direct mail to help consumers remember your brand?

You could use lightly scented stationery or create a scratch-and-sniff feature on your mail that relates to your product. Or get more creative and include a free air freshener branded with your company name and logo!

4. Sound

Appealing to your recipients' sense of sound with direct mail requires creativity, but it will undoubtedly make your mail piece memorable!

You could print a QR code or include a link on your direct mail design to lead customers to a site with a specialized video ready to play. Another idea is to feature familiar lyrics from your company jingle in the text of your mail to trigger their memory of the song.

5. Taste

Although you are most likely unable to include something recipients can taste in your direct mail physically, you can still give them a 'sample'! 

Include a tear-off coupon for a free sample of your product if they visit your store, or list a coupon code in the mail that they can use online for a free trial.

By engaging all five senses, you can create a direct mail campaign to make a memorable impact and drive meaningful interactions with your brand.

Contact us today at 843-248-2574 or info@duplicatesink.com to incorporate visual appeal, tactile elements, scents, sounds, and even taste-related offers in your next campaign!

check us out on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and the web
www.duplicatesink.com

#directmail #directmaildesign #designhelp #duplicatesink #marketsmart

What 7 Special Day-Themed Direct Mail Campaign Ideas for Winter and Spring are you using to promote your business?

Our team at Duplicates INK - marketSMART is constantly creating ways to make your direct mail marketing campaigns more relevant, engaging and effective.  Here are the latest ideas to help you.

Research shows customers are more likely to buy when you get creative with ‘special’ day-themed promotions.

Winter and spring are full of international and national holidays, like the seven detailed below, providing plenty of room and creativity for direct mail campaigns. 

7 Special Day-Themed Direct Mail Campaign Ideas for Winter and Spring

1. Black History Month: February 

Black History Month is intended to celebrate the achievements of African Americans in the history of the United States. 

Do some research to find influential Black figures who shaped your business. Share their hard work and contributions in a flier or brochure. 

2. Valentine’s Day: February 14

A day meant for romance, with romantic partners sharing their appreciation for each other with gifts.

Many also use this day to share their love and appreciation for their friends. 

Remind your customers about the upcoming holiday and suggest gifts to make a partner’s day. Recipients will be grateful you reminded them and provided them with a quick, easy gift idea.  

3. Pi Day: March 14

3.14 are the first digits of Pi, which is why it is celebrated on March 14. 

A day for both mathematicians and pie lovers, Pi Day is the time for mathematicians to recite the endless digits of Pi, which is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.

Show your business’s appreciation for Pi and pie by sending direct mail to customers on this special day. If your company sells pie, even better. If not, perhaps share products or services your business provides that could make Pi Day all the more special. 

4. Saint Patrick’s Day:  March 17

This day originally commemorated St. Patrick with religious services and feasts; today, it is mainly a secular holiday meant to celebrate all things Irish. 

Get ready to send out lots of green: green paper that advertises everything you sell that is green. If your business has any Irish roots, now’s the time to share that information. 

5. Easter: April 9

Easter was initially meant for Christians to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

Today, many traditions surround the holiday, and religious and non-religious people celebrate it. 

Try sending out mail with easter eggs and bunny imagery. On the back of easter egg-shaped cutouts, provide coupons or vouchers for free samples. If you have easter themed products, be sure to advertise them. 

6. Star Wars Day: May 4

Star Wars lovers can be pretty enthusiastic. The day comes from a play on words: “May the fourth be with you.” 

Celebrate Star Wars Day with your customers by sending Star Wars-themed direct mail and sharing any Star Wars-related products or services. 

7. Mother’s Day: May 14

Mother’s day is a lovely holiday meant to celebrate and show appreciation for mothers. 

Have your business show its appreciation for mothers by sending out a mother’s day card with free samples and coupons. Help make mothers feel special. 

With hundreds of holidays, some more well-known than others, your business has plenty of opportunities to create special day-themed direct mail.

Check out a more exhaustive list of holidays to find one that would be the perfect fit for your business. Contact us today to get started on your next spring or winter campaign!

Duplicates INK - marketSMART where marketing doesn't cost it pays!

Duplicates INK - marketSMART - 843-248-2574. or  info@duplicatesink.com

www.duplicatesink.com

 

3 Top Specialty Papers for Your Print Marketing

Our team at Duplicates INK - marketSMART works closely with our paper stock supplier partners so that we are upto date with the latest trends, inventory availability, price changes, availability and consumer acceptance.   Most folks don't realize how much the paperstock effects the overall engagement of the printing piece. 

Metallic, matte, recycled.

If you want to create direct mail marketing that stands out from the crowd, these three types of paper are the ones you want to know about. 

While it might sound simple, there are implications to using each type. So let's take a closer look.

3 Top Specialty Papers for Your Print Marketing

1. Memorable Metallic

This paper is shiny, durable, and oh, so sophisticated.

The metallic finish almost creates a 3D effect and gives your designs a warmth and depth that no other paper can.

Metallic tones add a bold and elegant touch to your designs, from projects as simple as homemade cards to more sophisticated endeavors like business cards, stationery, or even your wedding paper suite.

Use metallic papers to create a line of business marketing materials that pop. Try pairing metallic envelopes with non-metallic paper printed with metallic ink for a subtler look.

2. Earthy Matte

Why choose matte? It's chic and earthy.

Matte can make your materials look modern, and it's very on-trend. This paper is associated with a warm, soft, glowing effect.

Matte surfaces will reflect the light in different directions, diffusing light so there is less glare.

Matte paper is regular paper covered with a thin layer of inkjet receiving coating. This coating allows every drop of ink from the inkjet printer to be appropriately received, making for an exceptional, professional finish. It also dries quickly and resists fingerprints.

Matte paper uses less coating and undergoes less polishing than glossy paper. However, it is not the best paper for printing many pictures on, so if your project is photo intensive, you might opt for something different.

3. Renew with Recycled

Recycled paper is perfect for a company that promotes environmental awareness, as recycling causes 35% less water pollution and 74% less air pollution than making new paper.

This paper is made from a raw, fibrous material called pulp, typically made from the breakdown of wood chips or paper recovered for recycling. The latter is how we get recycled, eco-friendly paper.

While it is great for the environment, be aware that it does cost a bit more.

Whichever type of paper you choose, we're here to help you succeed and make the most out of your printing. 

Contact us today to start your next project!

 

Duplicates INK - marketSMART    info@duplicatesink.com.   843-248-2574   www.duplicatesink.com

 

#paperstock #marketingwithprint #printmarketing #duplicatesink #marketsmart

 

Why Do Some of My Mailed Postcards Have Smudges or Scuff Marks?

Our team at Duplicates INK - marketSMART genuinely takes PRIDE in the quality of projects that we produce.  Over the last 30 years we have earned over 60 Industry Awards for our quality of work.  When we process direct mail and it enters the mail stream we loose our ability to control the quality.   In this article we want to share with you a few reasons why your project may experience some "Smudges or Scuff Marks"

These smudges and rub or scuff marks have been referred to as “postcard (or mail) survivability.” Meaning, how well does the postcard survive while traveling through the high-speed rollers and sorting systems of the United States Postal Service (USPS)?

Rubbing/Scuffing Contact Marks

When the postcards hit the USPS mail system, a machine orients the postcard (or other piece of mail) and cancels the stamp or postage indicia. At the same time, a digital camera captures the address and ZIP code from the postcard and assigns a fluorescent inkjet barcode and identification number. 

Next, the postcard is passed through a Delivery Bar Code Sorter (DBCS) system. Depending on how far the mail piece has to travel, it may be processed by four to six different DBCS machines along the way to its final destination (local post office). These sorting machines are made up of a series of belts and rollers that sort the mail based on outgoing ZIP codes. The black rubber belts and rollers are typically the culprits and are usually the reason why you might see color smudges or scuffing on your postcards. The rollers physically grip and contact the postcard as it pushes it through to the correct ZIP code bin. If the roller applies too much pressure as it grips the mail, it may penetrate the color toner on the surface of the postcard, leaving scuff marks. Occasionally, the equipment may even rip the cards. Usually these marks occur about halfway to three-quarters of the way down on either side of the card where the high-speed belts make contact.

Postcards sent via first class that are deemed as undeliverable by the USPS (meaning that they cannot be delivered to the addressee) are especially vulnerable to scuffing and marking. The USPS takes extra steps to attempt to deliver this class of mail. These postcards are intentionally sent through the DBCS sorters several additional times to ensure that they are in fact “undeliverable” before they are deemed to be dead. Next time you get your first class undeliverable postcards returned to you- take note as to how scuffed they look.

Local Post Office Equipment Maintenance Is the Key

If your local USPS post office sorting machines are not calibrated correctly they can penetrate the postcard’s paper and color toner leaving black smudges, burn marks, scuffing, rub marks, tears, and/or even rips. Some people may think that these marks are because the ink wasn’t dry when it left the printer. This is not the case. In fact, digital printers like us don’t even use ink. We use color toner crystals that are instantly fused to the paper and dried—before the postcard comes off the printing press.

Since every USPS mail facility contains sorting equipment, it is left up to each location to decide how rigorous the schedule is for regular maintenance. Ideally, this type of equipment needs to be calibrated and maintained frequently. Regular routine maintenance has a profound impact on how well your postcards survive through the mailing process. Simply stated, it boils down to how your local post office appropriates its resources and keeps up with routine maintenance. Given USPS cutbacks and budget constraints, however, machine maintenance is one of the first items cut by local postmasters.

The Good News

It's typical that these scuff, burn, smudge marks do not happen to every piece of mail.  It's unfortunate that a beautifully printed project can end up with quality issues at time of delivery.  Another positive note is that when surveyed most purchasing decisions were not influenced by smudge marks on the mail received.

Duplicates INK - marketSMART can help you design print and mail your next project with amazing results.  Give one of our team members a call at 843-248-2574 or reach out via email info@duplicatesink.com    www.duplicatesink.com

#duplicatesink #marketsmart #usps #directmailmarketing