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One piece of paper, a thousand ways to get it wrong.
By Gayl Curtiss and Paul Ford
How can something that feels so easy be so complex? Depending on your timelines, production limitations and sales strategy, the suggestion of using a "simple" self-mailer for a campaign could be a mirage that drags you into quite a few production, timing and strategy problems.
The situation typically starts with a job that requires great response on a fast turn. Someone invariably suggests the self-mailer, because it's "just one piece of paper." The creative, printing, bindery and lettershop processes should take at least half the time of a conventional package. What can go wrong?
Plenty.
A good self-mailer is more difficult to create than many think. Why? It has to be the letter, reply, brochure, outer envelope and lift note—all in one. You'll note we said "good," because many self-mailers are not given the creative consideration needed to produce the best results.
When to Use This Format
Carolyn Hansen, creative director of The Hacker Group (THG), points out that self-mailers generally deliver a lower response rate than a traditional package that makes the same offer.
Having said that, Hansen explains that there are a few situations in which a self-mailer could be appropriate:
• Your offer has quick visual appeal.
• Your offer leaps off the page, and your call to action is easy—a simple phone call or Web address.
• Your message is easy to understand. For instance, if you want your prospect to "hold the date" for an event, a postcard or other self-mailer will do.
• Your mailing doesn't need to make a sale. A self-mailer can be the right choice if you're driving traffic to a retail location where a sales associate can close the deal.
• Your response device protects personal information. A perforated reply postcard should not contain a request for the recipient's credit card number or medically- sensitive information (e.g., "Yes! Send me information on how to treat my herpes."). It also shouldn't reveal any information the recipient might consider too private (e.g., "Your criminal record isn't that bad!").
Design Considerations
Some basic, tried-and-true design rules apply when creating a good self-mailer:
• Cover or billboard side—Here's where you put your "big photo," headline and offer tease. The only goal of the cover is to get the reader inside the self-mailer. Consider this panel your "envelope," and design it to present your promotional look. Response is significantly better when you use production techniques that allow you to personalize this area, too. People are more likely to respond to a headline that reads, "Gayl, Your time is running out!," than to, "Time is running out!"
By Gayl Curtiss and Paul Ford
How can something that feels so easy be so complex? Depending on your timelines, production limitations and sales strategy, the suggestion of using a "simple" self-mailer for a campaign could be a mirage that drags you into quite a few production, timing and strategy problems.
The situation typically starts with a job that requires great response on a fast turn. Someone invariably suggests the self-mailer, because it's "just one piece of paper." The creative, printing, bindery and lettershop processes should take at least half the time of a conventional package. What can go wrong?
Plenty.
A good self-mailer is more difficult to create than many think. Why? It has to be the letter, reply, brochure, outer envelope and lift note—all in one. You'll note we said "good," because many self-mailers are not given the creative consideration needed to produce the best results.
When to Use This Format
Carolyn Hansen, creative director of The Hacker Group (THG), points out that self-mailers generally deliver a lower response rate than a traditional package that makes the same offer.
Having said that, Hansen explains that there are a few situations in which a self-mailer could be appropriate:
• Your offer has quick visual appeal.
• Your offer leaps off the page, and your call to action is easy—a simple phone call or Web address.
• Your message is easy to understand. For instance, if you want your prospect to "hold the date" for an event, a postcard or other self-mailer will do.
• Your mailing doesn't need to make a sale. A self-mailer can be the right choice if you're driving traffic to a retail location where a sales associate can close the deal.
• Your response device protects personal information. A perforated reply postcard should not contain a request for the recipient's credit card number or medically- sensitive information (e.g., "Yes! Send me information on how to treat my herpes."). It also shouldn't reveal any information the recipient might consider too private (e.g., "Your criminal record isn't that bad!").
Design Considerations
Some basic, tried-and-true design rules apply when creating a good self-mailer:
• Cover or billboard side—Here's where you put your "big photo," headline and offer tease. The only goal of the cover is to get the reader inside the self-mailer. Consider this panel your "envelope," and design it to present your promotional look. Response is significantly better when you use production techniques that allow you to personalize this area, too. People are more likely to respond to a headline that reads, "Gayl, Your time is running out!," than to, "Time is running out!"
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