Create a Good Call to Action With Your Direct Mail

Creating effective direct mail can be tough, but perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of any direct mailer you send out to prospective clients or customers is the call to action. Leave it off the piece and your audience has no idea what to do with the marketing flyer you’ve just sent them. Or create a poor call to action and you could confuse them even more. Despite the fact that it can be difficult to build the best call to action, it is possible and these tips can help.

What is a Call to Action?

Let’s start with the basics. A call to action should build a response in your target audience. Do you want them to call you? Should they send you an email? Should they return a card in the mail to you? The key here is to remember that a call to action isn’t necessarily about clenching that sale. Instead, it’s about letting them know you’re the authority to turn to again and again.

A Step By Step Guide

Now that you know exactly what a call to action is, it’s time to start building the best one to meet your direct mail advertising needs. It begins with you deciding exactly what you want your customers to do. Sure, you’re going for an eventual sale here, but think smaller at the moment. Do you need them to call an 800 number? Do you want them to stop by your gorgeous new shop? Whatever it is, you have to be very specific. Moreover, though, it needs to be simple message. Even if you’re talking to a well-educated crowd, using big words may get your letter or marketing flyer tossed aside immediately. Stick with short words and sentences, and you can expect a stronger response rate.

Next, you need to let them know how soon they need to accomplish that task. Creating a deadline is the best possible way to get them to move forward as soon as possible. If they don’t do it right away, the chance are good that they’ll forget, so even if your sale didn’t previously have an end date, create one for the purpose of your direct mail advertising.

In addition to knowing the deadline involved, they also need to know why it’s beneficial to act so quickly. Is this a limited time offer? Is it just the first 100 customers who get a $100 gift card when they walk in the door? Understanding the benefits can help them move just a bit quicker. Additionally, it’s important to note here that you don’t want to sell features. You want to push benefits. Features may be great, but it’s the benefits your customers are going to get from acting right now that will really sell that product or service in the end.

Finally, make sure they understand how simple it is to respond to your direct mail advertising. Whatever they have to do, make it easy for them. If you need them to call, make sure you have a well-staffed 800 number at the ready. If you need them to send a reply card, make sure it’s postage paid. The easier it is for your target audience to respond, the better your response rate will be.

One Final Note

Many studies have suggested that ending with a P.S. is the perfect way to capture your target audience. Their eyes automatically fall to the P.S., and you have a better chance of capturing them.

Direct mail advertising is the perfect way to reach your audience, but a good call to action has to be part of every mailer you send out. Without a call to action, you’ve wasted your time as well as your marketing budget.