Direct Mail Tips for Non-Profits

If you’re working with a non-profit organization, chances are you already know that the company purse strings are tight. The restraints of a small budget means that your marketing efforts need to pack a punch. Direct mail is the perfect outlet to accomplish that goal. Nearly one-fifth of all donations are attributed to direct mailing, so make sure that your DM pieces are as effective as possible with these how-to tips:

Newsletters are Important

This is key for all non-profits, but especially if your organization is small or just getting on its feet. Write a semi-annual or quarterly newsletter with updates on current events and activities, donor contributions and how they've helped the organization to get closer to the goal, and donation information. And always be sure to include an addressed return envelope to encourage donations.

Personalize Your Pieces

Want to up the chances of getting a tangible reaction out of prospecting? Write for the target audience rather than taking a broad all-encompassing approach. Add personal touches such as hand written signatures or a short letter from the president of the company. If possible, always finish off each year with a holiday card and thank you notes to donors and volunteers.

Don’t Neglect Past Donors

Repeat after me, your housefile is always important. If you don’t already know, a housefile is the list of any and all former contributors. Make sure to include it any time you run a direct mail campaign. The people on that list have donated in the past because they cared about your organizations goals and the chances are they probably still do. Stay in touch.

Measure, Measure, Measure

Measuring the success of your mailers is vital to both the organizations goals and its bottom line. Rather than spending the money to send your mailers out to thousands of prospects and hoping for positive return, choose a small portion of the group to send the mailers to first. See what the reaction is. If it’s not what you’d hoped for, revise the mailers wording, theme, appearance, etc. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t and you’ll have saved some precious marketing dollars.

The Secrets to Getting More of Your Mailers Opened

Of course we all want every mailer sent out to be opened and adored by potential customers, but unfortunately we can’t pin the success of a mailer (or a business, for that matter) on hopes and dreams alone. Rather, it takes hard work, great data, and a few tips from our list of best kept secrets on how to get more of your direct mail pieces gaining the attention they deserve.

1. Be Useful

You’re great at multitasking, right? Why shouldn’t your mailer be, too? Beyond your company information or a great offer, give consumers another reason to keep your mailer around by making it useful. Give it dual purpose by providing your information and call-to-action on something that can also be used in other areas of consumer lives, say for instance, a task sheet or to-do list. Be as creative as you want with it. Just make it useful.

2. Go in Strong

Easing in on your consumers is overrated. Start strong. Lead your mailer with the offer or value up front. You have only a small window of time to catch a consumer before their attention is shifted elsewhere. It’s the first thing the consumer will see and may be all you have time to squeeze in, so lead with your best offer.

3. Lumpy Packages Get Opened More Often

Simply put, make your mailer lumpy. The allure of what’s causing the envelope to be misshapen is too much to be passed over by many consumers. It may seem silly, but the near 100% open rate isn’t. Trust us, lumpy is good.

4. Be Unique

Gather your team for a brainstorm session and get your creative juices flowing. How can you deliver the message of your mailer in a more creative way? Think outside the box. If it costs a little more than usual, don’t fear it. Just be smart and reduce the amount of prospects you send to – in this case, it’s about quality, not quantity.

5. Create Lasting Power

The easiest way to linger in a prospects home? A small tchotchke, but as stated in Secret #1, make it useful - a branded pen, a magnet, etc. Your prospect may throw out the mailer, but they’ll likely hold onto the token, so even if you don’t receive business immediately from it, you’re business’s name is being seen over the long haul. 

What’s Trending for Direct Mail in 2015?

 No matter what industry you’re in, December marks the start of some deep thinking over the same question – what does the year ahead look like? We look back at the months long gone, we rattle our brains over what it all means for the future, but it’s not always easy to read the signs. So, in this blog post, we’re going to take the guesswork out of it for you and break down 2015’s direct mail trends. Happy reading!

Trend #1: You Are Here

Directions are a lot easier to understand if you know exactly where you’re beginning. In the case of a potential customer, that would be their home. Cue the individualized maps! If you’ve planned to include a map in your DM pieces to show a particular end point, why not go the extra mile and show just how to get there, too? Variable data can be used to create a detailed “You Are Here” map that can be tailored to each prospects whereabouts. Just imagine the foot traffic that extra step could drive!

Trend #2: Seek Out the Ladies

This is the new golden rule for non-profits, in particular. Earlier this year, data was released showing that 64% of all charitable gifts are made by women. Not only are they more likely to donate, the data also revealed that women are more likely to make larger donations than their male counterparts, as well. That doesn’t mean you should tailor your whole campaign to appeal to a female audience, but just keep the ladies in mind. They’re going to be your friends in 2015.

Trend #3: Multiply Your Efforts

There are some things in life that are just better when there’s more.  Marketing is one of those things, and this year we can expect to see more businesses combiningdigital and traditional marketing efforts to make a greater impact on their prospects. It’s easy enough to do with the quick addition of QR codes or PURLs, so do yourself a favor and give it a chance. We’re guessing you’ll be happy with the results.

Trend #4: Look Pretty

Yep, it’s as easy as that – beautify your DM pieces. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to add flowery elements or swap your typeface out for something long and curvy. Think clean, classy and visually appealing. For a more subtle change, a simple colorswap could make your message more powerful. Most things in modern life are cluttered enough, do yourself (and your prospects) a favor by de-cluttering your mailer and putting the emphasis on simplicity.

 Trend #5: Adding In the Icons

When we say icons, we of course mean the modern pictograms representing Facebook, Twitter, and other social channels. In the digital age, those little icons have become powerful tools of communication. Their presence is a call-to-action in a sense. It says quickly and quietly to a prospect that they can still find your business on X,Y, and Z networks if they toss your mailer. That’s one more way to grab the attention of potential customers without compromising much space, so why wouldn’t you add your icons?

So, how will you use these trending tactics? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!