Avoid These Common Mistakes for Effective Mail Piece Design

Direct mail campaigns are one of the most effective tools in a marketing team’s arsenal. It’s one of the best ways to communicate with customers and one of the most important methods for gathering consumer data. However, even the slightest error in the design or mailing process can mean lost customers, and lost business. 

Below are some of the most common mistakes you should avoid when developing an effective mail piece design. 

Not Meeting Minimum Dimensions

When mailing a piece of direct mail, dimensions are extremely important. In fact, when parcels do not meet the minimum requirements established by USPS, the mail becomes undeliverable. There are several reasons why a piece of mail may be undeliverable due to incorrect dimensions. 

One of the more frequent mistakes businesses make is not meeting the minimum height dimension of 3.5”. Some businesses will send out a 3”x5” index card, believing that it would be cheaper. However, this .5” can be the difference between your mail reaching your customer, and it being thrown in the garbage. 

For reference, below are the current postal minimum dimension requirements established by USPS: 

  • Minimum height: 3.5”
  • Minimum length: 5.0”
  • Minimum thickness: .007”

Odd Shapes

Different shapes is a popular way for direct mail marketers to attempt to have their mail stand out from the rest. Although a different shape or size may catch your customer’s eye, it may end up costing you in the end. 

According to USPS, “Certain shapes like squares and tubes are charged a higher price because those pieces must be processed manually. Such pieces are referred to as Customized Marketing Mail, or CMM.” 

Moreover, USPS notes that businesses should not mail “bulky, odd-shaped things like pens or bottle caps in regular letter-size envelopes. You’ll pay more in postage, and the items are likely to damage the envelope and be lost.”

While creativity is an effective marketing tool in some aspects, keeping it simple with direct mail is typically preferred. 

Incorrect Addresses 

Although an incorrect address may seem like an obvious mistake to avoid, incorrect address placement, no return address and elaborate fonts often lead to undeliverable mail. 

For example, postage goes on the top right corner of the parcel. And information on the class of mail, such as First-Class Mail, Marketing Mail, etc., must be printed as part of, directly below, or to the left of the stamp. Also, delivery addresses must go on the front of the mail piece, along with the postage. 

USPS is also pretty specific when it comes to address boundaries. Again, for reference, below are the dimensions USPS currently require for address placement: 

  • 1/2 inch from the left edge of the piece
  • 1/2 inch from the right edge of the piece
  • 2-3/4 inches from the bottom edge of the piece
  • 5/8 inch from the bottom edge of the piece

 

Screening and Imaging 

Issues with screening and imaging are one of the most frequent mistakes seen in direct mail. Screening and imaging refers to how barcodes are read on a specific parcel. The print reflectance requirements must be met by both the barcode and the surface on which the barcode is printed. If these don’t match, the barcode may not be able to be read accurately.

When printing, it’s important to consider the presence of dark fibers on the outside of an envelope or piece of mail, as well as the potential bleed-through of internal photos, security screens, etc. This bleed-through can disrupt the ability of a barcode to be accurately scanned in transit.  

According to USPS, 15% is the maximum print contrast ratio for fibers, designs or bleed-though. In fact, if you’re unsure if your parcel meets this number, you can have it tested by a print design analyst using the USPS envelope reflectance meter.

Making the right choices and avoiding these common mistakes can help ensure you have an efficient and effective direct mail campaign. It can also prevent you from wasting capital on undeliverable mail, and help you increase your consumer response rates.

Double Whammy: Reverse IP and Direct Mail

Although it may be argued by many, direct mail continues to not only be a powerful marketing tool for effectively reaching customers and bring them to action, it’s also outperforming digital ads in a number of ways. Recent studies are showing the positive effects direct mail has on cognitive recognition of consumers, and statistics continue to prove it’s ROI and response rate exceed digital ads. 

The one problem, however, is that with the great migration to digital-based formats for seemingly everything in our lives, it can be difficult to determine physical addresses in order to send this direct mail. This is where reverse IP, or IP targeting, comes in. And the combination of reverse IP and direct mail provide a significant arsenal for marketers and advertisers. 

 

What is Reverse IP? 

Although it may sound complicated at the outset, reverse IP is actually a fairly simple concept. It goes like this: when a consumer visits a website, their IP address is logged by that site. Reverse IP essentially captures that IP address, and with that information you are able to determine the physical address of the users. And when you have the physical address, voilà! Direct mail can then flow. 

One of the main appeals of this type of advertisement targeting is that the ads will only be seen by households on your mailing list. You’re not paying for impressions and click-throughs of people you don’t want to reach (or that don’t have some interest in your information/product). Moreover, because it’s not cookie-based, it’s not blocked or deleted by filters.  

 

What is Needed When Combining Reverse IP and Digital Mail?

Reverse IP can bring the location-specific accuracy that comes with direct mail to multi-impression digital advertising. And while the idea of how it works is simple, there are several components that are needed to ensure a successful interplay between reverse IP and direct mail. These components include, 

  • An accurate mailing list of consumers 
  • A compelling call-to-action for your audience 
  • Content that is attention-grabbing 
  • A landing page that is simple, direct and easy to find 
  • A defined conversion path
  • Post-campaign data that is both current and accurate 

A few of these components should already be available for advertisers with current direct mail campaigns, including an accurate mailing list and post-campaign data. However, many of these will be new for those that are just starting their reverse IP schemes.

By creating attention-grabbing content you will bring consumers to your page, while a call-to-action will force them to act. A defined conversion path will then allow you to convert an action into collection of an IP address, and subsequent physical address.  

What are the Benefits of this Duo?

By delivering mail to hyper-targeted audiences the likelihood that prospects will take notice increases substantially. In addition to this exposure to audiences that you know have at least a notion of your brand or your product, there are also two main benefits that businesses will recognize: increased brand awareness and an escalation in customer acquisition.  

By using reverse IP and direct mail you can target key customer segments that may not have otherwise been targeted. By attracting interested users to your site, they will notice your brand when they click to view the site, while reviewing your site and surfing the web, and finally when that postcard arrives in the mail. This boosts brand awareness, and ultimately will boost direct mail response rates. In fact, campaigns using reverse IP and direct mail have seen average response rates increase between 30% and 70%, with some seeing as much as a 200% increase.  

Moreover, reverse IP and direct mail together are a perfect pair for increasing customer acquisition. By matching your database with the IP and demographic data of a specified audience, you can deliver relevant ads to not only the exact audience you’re aiming to reach, but you can also create “look-a-like” audiences that may not even be aware of their interest. By reaching a new consumer base, you can increase customer acquisition and sales.

Direct Mail Has a Larger Impact on Purchase Decisions than Digital Ads

In today’s digitally-driven world, it’s almost taken for granted that anything that comes in digital form is going to be more successful. We’ve seen this with everything from online shopping to digital reading, and of course how we communicate with friends, family and customers. Managing marketing and advertising should be no different. 

However, recent studies are showing that this may not be the case when it comes to influencing consumer purchase decisions. This article discusses some of the ways that science and statistics are proving that direct mail is having a larger impact on purchase decisions than advertisements that come in the digital form. 

Neuroscience

Despite the growing popularity of marketing and advertising across online media channels, there has been little research into the exact effectiveness of these channels and the impact on consumer purchase decisions. A recent study by Temple University shows that online ads are actually being outperformed in eight out of nine categories by direct mail. 

Temple’s study used 40 digital (email) ads and direct mail ads, and three monitoring methods with their study participants. These monitoring methods included: eye-tracking measured visual attention, fingertip sensors measured bio-response to reveal emotional engagement, and MRI scans uncovered deep brain activity. 

“While participants in this project showed no preference between physical and digital advertising when responding to surveys, neuromarketing techniques revealed different subconscious physiological responses among participants,” according to the researchers. 

The study revealed that although digital ads are grabbing consumer attention faster, direct mail marketing holds consumer attention longer, generates stronger emotions, and has a more significant impact on consumer purchase decisions. 

Statistics 

Aside from scientific research studies, statistical analysis are also proving that direct mail has a larger impact on purchase decisions over their digital counterparts. This includes direct mail outperforming digital ads in response rates, popularity, and the tangible effect that direct mail has on purchasers. 

Let’s look at some of these statistics:

  • Generally, direct mail is providing advertising companies in the US with a 1,300% return, with an average ROI of between 18 and 20%. 
  • Direct mail had a response rate of 4.9%, the highest since 2003, and still pulls a higher response rate than any digital direct marketing medium. 
  • Direct mail is the second-most used medium at 57%, and a staggering 81% of advertisers plan to maintain or increase usage of direct mail in the next year.  
  • As seen from the study above, 76% of consumers trust direct mail when they want to make a purchase decision.
  • US households receive approximately 121.2 billion pieces of mail annually, and across all ages, over 40% of these households look forward to checking their mail each day.  

The constant popularity of direct mail, even with the rise of digital platforms, is largely due to the tangibility and activity that direct mail offers. The motivational response that direct mail offers is 20% higher than that of digital media, and it requires 21% less cognitive effort to process.

 

Ask the Millennials 

Although perhaps not always the best group to turn to when seeking advice, millennials (those aged 23 to 38) are currently the most relevant generation when it comes to general purchasing influences. And it seems that university studies and statistical analyses are right on par with how millennials view direct mail over digital ads. 

In a recent survey of millennials, 30% said that they prefer direct mail as a advertising tool, while only 24% said email. Moreover, millennials are opening direct mail at a rate consistent with their previous generations. In 2018, the opening rate of millennials was 70%. Because of this, direct mails continue to dominate among the marketing techniques used by companies. 

IN addition to all of this, direct mail doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. In fact, it’s expected to grow 5.4% for B2B Direct Sales this year alone. 

Where Direct Mail Fits in Your Omnichannel Marketing Strategy

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Companies do their best to adjust their marketing efforts to an increasingly digital world by becoming more accessible on a variety of platforms. While quantity may make a company more visible, without integration and the ability to move from one channel to another, a company is never fully utilizing their marketing potential. Omnichannel marketing synthesizes marketing channels, letting a customer move seamlessly from one experience to another. A channel marketing professionals may overlook, however, is direct mail. While direct mail isn’t digital and may not appear to connect easily to all digital channels, it fills an often overlooked gap.

What’s the difference between a multi-level marketing strategy and an omnichannel marketing strategy?

Imagine that multichannel marketing is like a yarn made of various strands, with various colors. Now, imagining knitting those strands together to make fabric. That’s omnichannel marketing. An omnichannel marketing strategy takes a multi-level marketing strategy and weaves the multiple channels together together to create one total experience. Both strategies make use of various types digital media, like websites, social media, email, texts, and apps. Simply having all of these at the company’s disposal to attract and retain customers is multi-level marketing. What makes an omichannel marketing strategy different is that are interconnected to create one whole user experience. For example, if a user is on the Facebook app on her smart phone and opens an advertisement for something sold on Amazon the Amazon app will open, taking the consumer directly to the page where she can purchase the item without doing anything more. When she orders the product, Amazon will give her updates in real time by email and by alerts on her phone to let her know when it ships and when to expect it to arrive.

Omnichannel Marketing: is it really all online?

Most multi-level and omnichannel marketing strategies make use of the Internet and all it has to offer because it’s cheaper, easier, and the results can be seen much more quickly. However, that doesn’t mean that print is entirely dead, or that customers don’t respond to direct mail anymore. In fact, every omnichannel marketing strategy should still include direct mail campaigns precisely because it’s offline.

What’s different about direct mail?

It used to be that mailboxes would be inundated with direct mail, and the more shopping someone did, the more direct mail they would receive. Now, however, it’s more rare to receive direct mail from a company, as catalogs and special offer mailings have dwindled in recent years. However, unlike staring at a screen, holding a physical object with your name on it makes a lasting mental impression that digital material can’t imitate.

People don’t like getting things they consider “junk,” but they will keep marketing materials that are tailored to them and their needs, particularly if they’ve already done business with a company. They may use them right away or set them aside, but they’re always still available to them.

Direct mail campaigns can be tailored to customer’s specific needs and integrate with digital channels. Catalogs, direct mail pieces, and postcards can offer things that other channels cannot, like QR Codes, special discount codes, coupons, and free samples.

What if they simply throw it away?

Even if the customer throws the mail away, she still had to hold it in her hand, look at it, and commit to the act of throwing it away. That’s enough time and energy spent to make her remember something about it. On the other hand, she could always delete an email without opening it, or close a pop-up ad without letting the graphic load all the way. However, she has to hold, look at, and read direct mail for at least a moment. At the very least, direct mail is a part of the overall branding experience that captures a customer’s attention where they least expect it: offline. Thus, if you really want to create a holistic, omnichannel marketing strategy, reaching your customers offline through a direct mail campaign is a vital component (and too often overlooked).

The Power and Importance of Visual Branding in Content Marketing

In today’s digital-driven world, developing content for your marketing campaign is no easy task. Consumers are constantly bombarded with content every time they visit a website, check their social media accounts, or open their emails.

Visual content marketing has the power to overcome these impediments for marketing teams, and is extremely important for a successful marketing campaign.

In order to leverage visual content marketing to obtain the best results, marketers must use high-quality graphics that appeal to the consumer and help build their brand recognition. This powerful communication tool can influence the human visual system to deliver information in a compelling and incredibly effective way.

This article discusses the importance of visual branding and provides fundamental keys to successful visual content marketing.

 

Tell a Story

As with any content marketing effort, creating content around a message and executing well is crucial. All of the content that is created should focus around the central aim of your business and tell the story of your brand.

Effective brand storytelling communicates who you are, what you do, and how you can help your customers. Visual content will help you effectively communicate this message in a quick, simple and effective manner. In fact, according to the CMO Council, 65% of senior marketing executives believe that visual assets are core to how their brand story is communicated.

By telling the story of your business, you are able to distinguish your brand from competitors and build trust and credibility with your audience.

 

Appeal to Emotion

The trust that is built by telling your story through visual content allows you to appeal to the emotions of your consumers. Good graphics content evoke specific feelings, and communicate emotion in a way that words simply cannot do on their own. The graphics significantly augment the message of written content, such as blogs, emails, etc.

Science has shown us time and again that most people make decisions on emotions, not logic. The best way to drive people to buy your brand is to appeal to them emotionally first to get them onboard with your product or service. Then, when you offer the features and benefits of what you have to offer, they are already emotionally invested and inclined toward what you have to sell.

Colors, graphics, fonts, images and shapes used in visual content all convey a contrast of various feelings and emotions. Use these to connect with your audience and build your brand.

 

Look at the Numbers

It’s easy to take what we’re saying here for granted. However, when you look at the data behind the power of visual branding, you can really get a firm idea of its importance.

Visual content is crucial to a successful marketing campaign because of its ability to engage with the audience. According to recent studies, visual content gets 94% more views than content without relevant image, 63% of all visitors who click on a Google image will go to that website, and placing an image every 75-100 words can double the number of social shares an article receives.

In addition to engagement, visual content is also much easier for consumers to comprehend. In fact, according to a study performed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the brain can process an image in as little as 13 milliseconds. Think about how long it takes to read simple bullet points on a PowerPoint presentation.

 

Rules of Engagement

Visual content can help you tell the story of your brand and appeals to the positive emotions of your audience, but what is the most effective way to do this? Here are 3 rules of visual content engagement:

  1. Consider Audience Needs. Visual content should be sensitive to the needs of the client. You should deliver content that doesn’t impede web load times or cause viewers to scroll past without engaging in other material.
  2. Keep it Simple. Consider the fact that more than likely, your audience is viewing your content on a smaller device, such as a smart phone. Content that is too busy or hurts the eye means that you risk losing the connection you established with your consumers.
  3. Strike a Balance. Your graphics should resist the urge to use too many words to convey your message. Tell the story of your brand in images as much as possible. Although words are a necessity, don’t let them take priority.

Effective visual content is extremely powerful when used correctly to communicate your message. Visuals lend themselves to creative freedom and spread content in a way that reflects your brand. Develop content that personalizes your business while appealing to your audience and you’ll be very happy with the outcome.

Importance of Direct Mail in Omnichannel Marketing

As marketing techniques continue to change and evolve, so do sales approaches toward customer experiences. Consumers today can purchase the same product from a brick-and-mortar retail outlet as they can from a desktop or cell phone. Omnichannel marketing is the approach that seeks to ensure these various shopping experiences are seamless for the consumer. It supports a customer journey that is connected, fluid, and non-linear.

Like most marketing techniques, marketers focus their omnichannel efforts on digital channels. However, campaigns that simply operate in a digital realm are bound to fail. The extraordinary business competition in today’s market means that in order to be prosperous, you must use every tool at your disposal. This includes direct mail.

This article explores the importance of direct mail in omnichannel marketing and ways in which it can fit into an all-inclusive marketing approach.

 

Boost Online Promotions

Successful omnichannel marketing provides customers with a fluid experience from physical aspects to digital platforms. Direct mail aids in this connected experience by driving prospective consumers to online landing pages, including social media accounts or specific product sales pages. By integrating a QR code or customized URL to direct mail, you can provide consumers with a way to access your online presence that they may not have realized.

Moreover, by using tools such as Google Analytics you can track and record how often consumers are using your discount code or QR code, and how often they are staying on your site. By tracking and analyzing this data, you can tailor where prospective consumers go when they scan the code or enter the URL you provide.

 

Analyze Consumer Response

Direct mail can also be used to gauge the response of prospective consumers that have previously been targeted digitally or through telemarketing. Take email for example. Recent studies show that nearly 80% of respondent’s engage with direct mail. Conversely, only 55% say the same about their email messages.

The experience of receiving an actual piece of tangible mail is highly valued and gives us a much-needed break from our screens. The high frequency of engagement with direct mail means that consumers are taking the time to read what’s in their mailbox and interact with the content. It’s not as easy as hitting the delete button when a message pops up on your screen.

Direct mail can help you assess if you’re heading in the right direction with your omnichannel strategy by the way prospective clients respond to a direct mail marketing campaign.

 

Drive Desired Reaction

Customer experience is the key to successful omnichannel marketing, and this experience should be fluid from online marketing, to in-person sales pitches, to direct mail marketing campaigns. Omnichannel marketing that integrates a direct mail strategy that ties in with a digital strategy can drive a desired reaction by both prospective and existing consumers.

As direct mail is more likely to be opened and invoke an emotional response than email, it is a powerful tool to direct a specific response. In fact, some companies can generate as much as 60% more in revenue per customer by sending direct mail to consumers. The personal aspect of direct mail can not only direct a reaction, but it can also reach disengaged consumers and galvanize former consumers.

Unfortunately, there is a strong misconception in the marketing realms that younger consumers don’t respond well to direct mail. Because of this misconception, many marketing teams are making the mistake of not including direct mail in their ominchannel marketing campaigns. By making this mistake, companies are missing a huge opportunity to boost online promotions, analyze how their customers are responding to their marketing campaign, and drive a desired reaction by consumers.  

Direct mail that is seamlessly integrated into an omnichannel marketing strategy can provide significant benefits to the bottom line. Don’t make the mistake of overlooking its importance.

Email vs. Direct Mail Marketing: Is There a Clear Winner?

Ever since the introduction of email to mass consumers, there has been a debate as to whether email is a more effective marketing tool. As the convenience and speed of email pressed on, most people anticipated the eventual demise of physical, direct mail marketing campaigns. However, this hasn’t proven to be the case.

The most successful marketers in today’s world understand the difference between the two mediums, and how to leverage both to reach the most amount of consumers in the most effective way. This article explores the differences between email marketing and direct mail marketing, and some of the strengths and weaknesses of them both.

 

Options for Each Medium

As far as options go, direct mail may seem fairly simple and straightforward. You create a letter, magazine, catalog, etc., affix appropriate postage, and send it to consumers. This can often be time-consuming and become expensive, however.

In today’s market there are many options that allow companies to overcome this hurdle maximize efficiency with direct mail campaigns. For example, by searching “city name + direct marketing” in Google, you can find direct marketing services in your region. These services can help you print, design and send your ad to your consumers.

Email is a bit different. Email marketing software such as MailChimp or iContact can help you manage your subscriber list and send your campaigns. Additionally, emails services allow you to create “opt-in” boxes on your website that allow consumers to sign up for your email communications. These opt-in forms can be especially effective when placed on landing pages with a single marketing goal in mind.

 

Receptiveness

When it comes to receptiveness by consumers, you may be surprised. According to a recent study by Salesforce, 44% of email recipients have made a purchase in the past year based on a promotional email. Moreover, 64% of recipients open email based on the subject line alone, and 7 in 10 people used a coupon of discount from a marketing email. This isn’t the surprising part.

What is surprising is that 56% of consumers find direct mail marketing to be the most trustworthy form of marketing. Not only that, 70% of Americans say direct mail is more personal than the internet, and 84% have purchased an item after seeing it in a direct mail catalog. For an “old” and “outdated” form of communication, these are pretty good numbers for marketing teams that use direct mail for their campaigns to see.

 

Interactivity & Tracking

It seems pretty obvious that email is interactive. Through an email message you can link directly to your company’s webpage, embed videos and audio, and even add links to external sources that consumers will find valuable. What’s great about all of this is that all of the information and data related to email interaction can be tracked and recorded to see what works and what doesn’t. Winner: email. Right? Not so fast.

Most people are not aware that you can also track data with direct mail marketing. By using personal URLs or QR codes, you can actually obtain the same tracking abilities as seen in email messages. With variable data capabilities, you can print unique QR codes or URLs on each mail piece. When the consumer scans the code or visits the site, it’s like they clicked on a link online.  

 

Targeting

Targeted mail lists allow you to purchase already-specified lists, then target your marketing campaign to consumers listed on that specific list. While targeted mail marketing is available for both direct mail and email, the mailing lists for direct mail have had much more time to become more refined. However, email lists will eventually evolve and catchup in the near future.

One of the large differences between direct mail and email in this capacity is the number of addresses per customer. Most consumer will only have one mailing address, but it is very common for a single person to have multiple emails addresses. In fact, many people have separate email accounts they use merely to sign up for things to avoid spam.

 

In the end, there are many benefits to both direct mail and email marketing. Utilizing the strengths of both types of communication will undoubtedly work to your businesses advantage. The best marketing practice is not to look at these mediums as competitors or counterparts, but understand the differences between the two, and play to the strengths of each.  

6 Best Practices for Direct Mail Advertising

While direct mail advertising is decreasing, it is still 37 times more effective than email, according the Data and Marketing Association. Given the success of direct mail in advertising and marketing campaigns, it’s important to craft well-executed and creative messages to influence consumers. Below are 6 proven practices to ensure your consumers are reached and your brand gets noticed.  

 

 

  • Include More Information

 

Consumers spend more time with physical mail than with digital messages and interact with a physical ad differently than they look at a screen. According to Product Marketing Manager of Adobe, Mickael Bentz, this is important because it means you can put more information in your direct mail advertisement. “This is especially important since you’re most likely trying to close a sale rather than just capture contact information.”

Including all the information your consumer needs to make the decision you want not only helps your business, it also pleases the customer that they don’t have to go digging for the information they need.  

 

 

  • Size Matters

 

Oversized envelops have the largest response rate, followed by postcards, catalogs, and dimensional packages. In addition to standing out due to their size, larger pieces also allow you to be creative with your ad. Get imaginative with various colors, pictures, or even 3D objects. The possibilities are endless.

 

 

  • Make it Lumpy

 

Similar to mailing larger, eye-catching pieces, consumers are more likely to open mail that contain a lumpy object. In fact, according to the marketing firm Predictable Profits, mailers with something lumpy inside of the envelope have a near 100 percent open rate. “People are curious what’s inside, and the curiosity gets them to open it.”

 

 

  • Switch it Up

 

For the most part consumers know what to expect in the mail. They know what spam looks like and they know what the electricity bill looks like. To combat your consumer getting to familiar with your direct mail ads, don’t make them start to all look the same.

Use different colors, pictures, sizes graphics, etc. Feel free to swing for the fences and get creative. Although you may strike out every now and then, more than likely you’ll find you hit it out of the park.

 

 

  • Get Interactive

 

Face it, direct mail can be boring. Elements such as QR codes and other technologies provide some interaction with your consumer that is often lacking from traditional mail. It can add a new dimension that a typical consumer may not expect.

Try QR codes for downloadable coupons, for example. Also, while lengthy URLs can be an issue, you can eliminate this problem by providing a QR code that will take the consumer straight to your site. Also try embedding shorter URLs, or sending personalize maps of events or store openings.

 

 

  • Personalization Is Key

 

Establishing a connection with your customers can be difficult through direct mail. Most of the time, you’re hundreds or even thousands of miles away by the time they see your message. A great way to overcome this is by making your mail personal.

Personalize your message as much as possible. In addition to just the envelope or introduction, add their name throughout the message. Avoid making it look like your letter is a standard template sent out to everyone. Additionally, adding pictures or you, your staff, your business or your products can also help establish a personal connection with your consumer.

Another way to get personal is to send mail on special occasions such as birthday, graduations or weddings. We all like getting birthday cards from parents or friends, right? Why should your business be any different?

Direct mail can be a very effective marketing tool when used correctly. Develop a well-crafted message, make your mail stand out, and establish that lost personal connection with your consumer. You’ll likely see increases to your bottom line in no time.

Enough Already! Print is Not Dead

We’ve been hearing it for years now: “The print industry is dying!” “Nobody reads hardcopy anymore!” “Everything is going digital!” Can I just say one thing? Enough already! Print is not dead, nor is it going anywhere in the future. Yes, e-book reader sales are up, social media has taken over (virtually) every facet of our lives, and companies are making millions with online advertising. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story behind the current print industry. This article provides just a few of the many ways the print industry is thriving, and will continue to survive the doomsday predictions in the era of digitization.

 

Waste

One of the most important factors to examine before assuming that the print industry is suffering a slow death is e-waste. E-waste may not be something that everyone is familiar with or considers when they purchase a new cell phone, computer or tablet. E-waste, or electronic waste, is discarded material that contains any electronic component, such as a cell phone.

While many people assume that paper is the main culprit behind the destruction of our forests, consider this: e-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in America and only 12.6% of e-waste is recycled. Moreover, it takes 530 lbs. of fossil fuel, 48 lbs. of chemicals and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture one computer and monitor. Print is green. Electronics are not.

 

Cognitive Function

Aside from environmental factors, studies show that print materials stimulate our brains in ways that digital formats cannot. For example, a recent study from Temple University shows that while digital ads are processed faster, consumers engage with paper ads for a longer period of time, and the physical ads cause more activity in parts of the brain associated with value and desire.

Print is also much easier to process because it requires 21% less cognitive effort than digital media. Look at hypertext and multitasking for example. When reading online we frequently have multiple windows open, email alerts, stock quotes, social media updates, etc. With these distractions we often make micro-decisions about whether to continue reading or whether to follow the hyperlinks. Print lets us escape these distractions and allows us to focus on what we’re reading.

 

Aesthetics

In addition to the increased ability of our brains to focus on print, there is also the good old fashioned aesthetic qualities that come with this medium. For most people, print is personal. It provides a way for the reader to really connect with what they are reading and have a more positive feeling generally when they decide to put that book or newspaper down. There are no feelings of anxiety about whether they need to check their email one last time, or see if there is breaking news. We can just finish the chapter, set the book down, and be content and reflect on what we just read. This is a comfort quality that is often overlooked by the naysayers of print media.

 

Look to the Facts

Believe it or not, people still prefer print over digital. According to the Pew Research Institute, in 2016 approximately two-thirds (65%) of Americans read a print book. By contrast, 28% of Americans read an e-book, and only 14% listened to an audiobook. And while e-book readership increased by 11-percentage points from 2011-2014, there was no increase over the next two years. Moreover, while nearly four-in-ten Americans read print book exclusively, only 6% are digital-only readers.

Given all of this, it would be a mistake to claim that print will always dominate readership. Indeed, I remember when analysts predicted that e-books would overtake print by 2015. Making such rash and general statements is unwise. However, to those that still claim that the printing industry is dead, just look at the facts. And I suggest printing those facts out and reading them away from your computer. Chances are you’ll retain more of the information, and have a better experience doing so.  

Spot vs. Process – Why and When to Go with Spot Color

As a designer, one of the most important decisions you must make is in regard to the colors in your design. Admittedly, there can be a lot of confusion when determining whether to use spot colors or process colors, and understanding the difference between the two can be the difference between a good and great final product. When color accuracy and consistency are crucial to your design, using a spot color is your best bet. This article provides a brief look at some main differences between spot and process colors, and some advice as to why and when to go with the spot colors in your design.

 

Spot vs. Process

In offset printing, a spot color is a special premixed ink that requires its own printing plate on a printing press. The colors are produced without the use of screens or multicolor dots, and the colors or your design are applied individually in layers filling up every spot in your custom design. Usually spot colors are created through an ink system such as the Pantone Matching System, which can either provide a standard solid color that can be purchased whole or mixed before printing.

In contrast, process color is a way of mixing inks to create colors during the actual printing process itself. A process color is printed using a combination of the four standard process inks: cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). Also used in offset printing, process colors are the more common method of printing. Although the amount of process colors through CMYK may seem endless, process colors actually provide a limited color range.

 

Pantone Spot Color

As mentioned above, spot colors are usually created through the Pantone Matching System, or PMS. A Pantone color is a standard color in the PMS that is used as a color reference system in most printing and printing-related industries. Spot colors can vary widely and by utilizing a system such as PMS, spot colors can be consistently reproduced and ensure accurate production of printed or manufactured goods across the globe.

 

Why Use Spot Color

As noted above, process colors can be fairly limited in their color range as the final colors are merely a combination of CMYK colors. Because spot colors layer an infinite amount of colors, they can provide a much more vibrant and detailed color. In addition to the variety of options, spot colors provide much better consistency from page to page. When printing a solid color with process inks, there may be slight variations in the color balance that can affect the color’s consistency. While spot colors may cost a bit more, they can add a lot to your project making the extra cost well worth it in the end.

 

When To Use Spot Color

Spot colors are best used when colors are outside of the CMYK range or when accuracy is crucial, such as in company logos or color-specific brand elements (think Starbucks green or McDonalds red and yellow). Spot colors should also be used in printing jobs that require printing over a large area because spot color inks can provide more even coverage. Additionally, projects that require special effects such as metallic or florescent colors should use spot colors. Spot colors can add a little something extra to your project.

 

There are a variety of things to consider when deciding to use spot or process colors. It’s important to look at each project individually and assess what the correct option is for that specific project. Contact Pel Hughes to discuss your options.