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Without a captivating call to action, you’ll find it challenging to make the most of your direct mail outreach.
When sending out direct mail, putting together a convincing call to action is essential if you want to get your desired response.
As you create this content, start by identifying your goals and then writing a CTA that gives the reader a clear reason to access your offer.
Direct mail remains perhaps the most efficient method of advertising, and it’s all contingent on creating a call to action that creates a response in your readers.
Here are five things to consider as you write your direct mail marketing content.
1. Create your goals
Before writing anything, figure out what you want to achieve.
- What do you want the reader to do?
- How will their actions benefit them?
- Will they be able to figure out how to complete these actions?
It’s surprising how many CTAs don’t provide the essential information the reader needs. When the reader is left confused by the purpose of your advertisement, they’re less likely to take the next step.
If you want your mail recipients to visit your website to access a special offer, you have to tell them that. Don’t beat around the bush; tell your readers what you want them to do and why they should do it — what’s in it for them — while providing clear instructions on how to follow through.
2. Give a reason why
Why should your prospective client care about your CTA in the first place?
Before inserting your CTA into the text, tell your readers why your offer is worth their time. Make the benefits of your product or service clear and ensure that readers know what they’ll receive if they follow through on your call to action.
If you’re providing subscribers a discount, tell them that directly. That way, they’re not left wondering how your offer benefits them.
3. Utilize descriptive language
Of course, your CTA is moot unless you use language that is relatable to your readers.
When you use weak or passive language, you’re not giving readers a real reason to follow up on your offer. For example, if your CTA is something simple like “visit our website,” it doesn’t provide any real insight into why the reader should go through with this action.
Rather than a simple, passive call to action, try something like “visit our website for up to 50% off” or another similar offer.
Whatever the goal of your CTA might be, use persuasive language that convinces your readers to listen to what you’re telling them. Keep in mind that the language you should use in a direct mail campaign is different from what you’d use in an email campaign. The reason is that it takes slightly more effort for a direct mail reader to access the offer than an email reader, so you need to invest more space convincing them to follow through.
When reading an email, all you’ll have to do is click some text to receive the offer. Direct mail means the reader has to complete another step — often going to an internet-connected device to visit a website. This extra step doesn’t make the method any less successful; it just means you have to be that much clearer about what you’re offering in your CTA.
4. Put the CTA in the right spot
How is your direct mail collateral designed? Where is the CTA located?
Much like any other piece of advertising, you don’t want to bury your CTA in an area on the mailpiece where readers will bypass it. Generally, this means putting the CTA close to the beginning of your letter.
If you’re including a significant amount of text, you might consider repeating or re-phrasing your CTA later in the letter to remind your audience about the offer.
Make sure you clearly outline what you want your readers to do — and why it benefits them to do so — for the best results.
5. Follow through on your promises
Your CTA will include an action that you want the readers to complete in exchange for something you promised to provide them. Make sure you follow through on this promise, or all trust is out the window.
For example, if the purpose of your direct mail outreach is to convince readers to visit your website for a special offer, make sure you have the offer fully prepared and available before sending a single piece of mail.
Gunderson Direct is here to assist with your direct mail marketing. We’ve been doing this for over 15 years and are one of the nation’s most respected direct marketing firms, so we’re sure we can help with your campaigns. Contact us today to see how to get the most from your marketing budget.
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