1. Know your audience.

Postage costs are always increasing. So when you invest money in a mail campaign, you want to make sure your mailings go to the consumers who are most likely to be interested in your service or product. Whether you purchase a mailing list, create a list through data you’ve gathered, or compile your list by other means, the more targeted your audience the better.

2. Grab them with headlines.

They have to open the envelope. Otherwise, your entire campaign and budget are wasted. Copywriting that grabs your audience’s attention from the start and keeps them interested throughout the mail package largely depends on headlines. Not everyone is going to take the time to read every word. Give them the nuts and bolts through headlines, so they’ve got your message loud and clear whether they continue reading the copy or not.

3. Double check you’re/your grammar; and, … ‘punctuation”.

Misspellings, poor grammar, and misplaced punctuation are all very easy ways to get your mailing thrown in the trash. These mistakes say to your audience that you either didn’t take the time to proofread or you simply don’t know better. Either way, it’s a bad message.

4. Tell them what to do with the information you’re giving them.

Your call to action is as important as anything else. Once you’ve gotten your audience’s attention, pitched your product or service, and made them an offer, you must make clear exactly what you want them to do next. Call, email, fill out an enclosed form, visit your website, stop by for a visit … whatever action you want them to take should be spelled out and made prominent throughout the mailer.

5. Follow up with them, but in a non-stalking sort of way.

Whether it’s through a reminder email/text, a follow-up postcard, or a phone call, you should have a plan in place that gives you an opportunity to reach out to your audience again. But don’t be annoying. One follow-up will usually give you a good sense of whether a prospective customer may be interested. But not following up at all guarantees that you’ll never close the deal.