7 Instances of Well-Intended Direct Mail Gone Bad

There are many things that can go wrong with a direct mail campaign. Before you plan your next campaign, see to it that you are not making any mistakes that can not only cost you money, but also responses. Believe it or not, bad direct mail is very common.

How Direct Mail Goes Wrong

• List: There are many things that can go wrong with your data. You can have old, outdated information. You can select the wrong people to get the wrong offer. For example, an offer for men only, but some women are entered with the wrong gender code. These can cause problems with personalization and have you sending to people who are no longer interested, who never were interested, or are no longer at that address.
• Call to Action: Worst case scenario is no call to action at all, followed closely by a poorly worded CTA. In order to drive response, you need a CTA that resonates with your audience.
• Wordy: Too many words or the wrong words can get your mail piece tossed in the trash. Be concise and to-the-point. Let them know what’s in it for them and how they can get it. Details on products are a turn-off; use benefits to them to draw them in.
• Images: The wrong images can turn people off or confuse them. Make sure you choose images that support not only your message, but also your brand.
• Grammar: Misspellings and poor word choices are very common. You need to make sure that your copy is free of errors to get your point across correctly. Mistakes like these give you a bad reputation from which it can take a long time to recover.
• Format: There are many USPS regulations that can cost you a lot of money if you do not follow them. When you are creating your campaign, it is best to consult with your mail service provider to find out specific details about your design idea. This can save you from paying extra postage or not being able to mail your piece at all.
• Timing: Granted, there are differences in delivery times across the country, but there is enough information out there for you to plan on a schedule that will most likely occur. If you have a short response window, you need to make sure that the mail piece does not arrive after the window has closed. There is nothing worse than a mail piece that is trying to drive traffic to a store sale, but the mailer arrives after the sale is over. Make sure to allow yourself enough time for concept, design, print, and mail.

This is, by far, not a complete list of bad direct mail, but it does give you a comprehensive look at several key areas where things commonly go wrong. Sometimes, knowing what not to do is the best place to start planning from. Many times, the best way to stop mistakes is to allow enough time for the creative and production processes. It is also a good idea to have someone from outside your organization look over your final concept to make sure that person understands your offer and that it is appealing. Are you ready to get started on better direct mail?