Chewning Direct Marketing - Testing - Direct Mail Copywriting, Strategy, and Consulting

Testing

There Are Only Two Occasions and One Reason to Test Direct Mail Premiums

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

There are only two occasions when you should test direct mail premiums.

The first is when you’re not using premiums. If you’re not, you should test them now. The second occasion? When you are using premiums, you need to continue testing new ones.

Many organizations hate premiums. But most donors and customers love them and since this is a customer-driven business, I suggest you test them now.

Premiums don’t have to be expensive gifts. Often the best ones are unused merchandise sitting in a warehouse or the nearly forgotten informational pamphlet that’s begging to be used.

Countless organizations have enjoyed huge success by offering address stickers, note cards, decals, bumper stickers, iron-on patches, certificates of recognition, membership (more…)

Tags: direct mail offer, direct mail premiums, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, increase direct mail response
Posted in Premiums, Strategy, Testing | No Comments »

18 Ways For a More Effective Response Device

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

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The response device is one of the most important components of the mailing. After all, it’s used to complete the sale.

Yet too often, the response device is the last thing we get to when creating the package. Consequently, it’s rushed and doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

We work hard to make sure our envelope design grabs the reader’s attention. And we work and rework our letter copy until we get the reader fired up and ready to part with their money. Unfortunately, the sale is often lost once the (more…)

Tags: direct mail design, direct mail reply form, direct mail response device, direct mail response form, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, increase direct mail response
Posted in Copywriting, Graphic Design, Resource Center, Testing | No Comments »

Does It Really Cost Too Much Or Are We Leaving Money On The Table?

Monday, December 7th, 2009

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A number of years ago, I was at the county fair with a friend and, as we walked down the fairway, a “barker” came out and offered us one dollar for 50 cents. Immediately I gave him two quarters and accepted my shinny silver dollar but my friend refused. Why? She said, “I don’t want to spend the money.”

Unfortunately, that’s how too many people run their direct mail campaigns. And at some point in our careers, we’ll introduce a test idea that’s refused because it’s thought to cost too much. But does it?

For example, if a test package costs 36 percent more than the control, do we need to increase response by more than 36 percent to make it work?

Let’s do the math.

First, let’s make sure we have rollout cost.

A test mailing of 50,000 pieces is going to cost more than the same exact package when you rollout in larger volume. Get the rollout cost before you mail and use this number when evaluating results. (more…)

Tags: direct mail strategy, direct mail testing
Posted in Strategy, Testing | No Comments »

How to Use Graphic Devices to Boost Direct Mail Response Rates

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Click to download in pdf

This is Part 2 of the findings of an extensive series of eye-camera tests conducted by Professor Siegfried Vogele of the Institute for Direct Marketing in Munich, West Germany. The tests traced eye movements as thousands of men and women opened and read all types of direct mailings and, at the same time, studied emotional reactions by observing body and hand movements.

Once your reader opens the envelope, they take no longer that 11 seconds to decide whether to read your letter or trash it

During this 11-second preview, Professor Vogele found that the reader’s eyes fix only on pictures and headlines — never on the body copy.

The Professor’s findings demonstrated that illustrations play a greater role in determining how the recipient reads your direct mail than any other graphic device.

Before any word of text is even noted, the reader’s eyes will be pulled to photographs and/or drawings. And by understanding the affects of graphics on eye flow, we can boost response rates by directing our reader’s attention to our most powerful sales copy.
(more…)

Tags: direct mail design, direct mail graphics, direct mail response rates, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, how increase readership
Posted in Copywriting, Graphic Design, Resource Center, Strategy, Testing | Comments Off

Testing

There Are Only Two Occasions and One Reason to Test Direct Mail Premiums

18 Ways For a More Effective Response Device

Does It Really Cost Too Much Or Are We Leaving Money On The Table?

How to Use Graphic Devices to Boost Direct Mail Response Rates

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