Planning a direct mail marketing campaign? Avoid these 10 mistakes

With direct mail marketing, brands have the chance of ensuring a close connection with the customers. If done right, you can expect a surge in brand value and sales, which are eventually the main objectives of any marketing campaign. Before you get ahead and hire direct mail services, check 10 common mistakes that marketers often make.

The first common mistake is using low quality images and logos, which can ultimately impact the purpose of the campaign. Always send the largest quality images for printing that can be scaled further.
Marketers often miss on focusing on the layout. What’s great on the computer screen may not translate into a good mail, so make sure that you have checked and printed a sample.
More often than not, designers end up using and add to many colors to black, which can increase the production costs, because more ink is required. Use extra color to the minimum at best.
Not keeping a check on how images and content ends up in folds is another common mistake. Consider the layout and folds before taking the final call on printing.
Many times, the colors may not translate effectively on paper. If you have hired an agency, ask them to avoid such goof-ups using effective means.
If you are using perforations on the mail, make sure that these are located on the edge. The whole purpose is to ensure that customers can tear off what’s intended to be coupon or a card.
Do not use cheap paper quality and finish, which is yet another common mistake of direct mail marketing. Check the paper quality, which should be reflective of the product you sell.
Many times, marketing agencies end up printing data that’s not well-researched or is not enough for the customer, which can be an easy turn-off. Make sure that the facts and information are true and correct.
Too much complexity in a direct mail is another common mistake. Keep things as simple as possible, so that the customer knows what to do with the mail.
Finally, avoid going for heavy mail. Apart from increasing cost of postage and reducing ROI, heavy mail can be bummer for the customer, as well. Don’t compromise on the purpose and quality but reduce the weight to the best possible extent.