The is really only one rule to direct mail pieces that surprise, and that is creativity. We get hundreds of direct mail pieces every week, and they all look the same, are written in the same boring copy, and have the same SCREAMING offers on the front.
There really is only one secret to great direct mail, and that is to be creative. Here are two quick steps you can take that will help improve your direct mail response.
- Surprise Broca – Brocas area is a part of the brain that deals with anticipation. It is a hard wired section of the brain that would normally block out anything that is anticipated.
If you can’t get through this section of the brain, your message will get tuned out. Roy Williams coined the phrase when looking at the anatomy of a marketing campaign. The quick tips he suggested were,
Avoid words that do not contribute toward a more vivid or colourful mental image.
Frosting. Replacing common, predictable phrases with unexpected, colourful ones.
Seussing. Invent words. Read a Dr. Seuss book and you will see how a man who invented words became a best-selling author.
Ignore the details, exaggerate the colour, and remove the black. - Write in Style. Poor English, common boring sentances, they all make for a bin-ward bound Direct Mail piece.Write like you mean what you are saying. Write like you are entering a creative writing competition.
