Here’s How to Take Your Self-Mailer to the Next Level
The average American receives more than 354 pieces of direct mail marketing a year. The tactile nature of direct mail does make for more engaging communication that stays with consumers, but the sheer volume of mailers in play means brands need to go beyond the postcard to capture an audience’s attention.
One way to stand out from the crowd? A next-level self-mailer with innovative formats and folds, eye-catching inks and finishes, and a personalized touch that ensures your promotional materials not only deliver memorable impact, but also a return on investment. Here, we’ll look at a handful of ways designers can harness the power of digital inkjet print to create fun, engaging, and effective self-mailers.
Get creative with papers and inks
Part of the appeal of self-mailers is the sensory experience, and the paper and inks you choose can drastically alter whether or not your marketing piece is effective.
Heavier stock conveys a more premium, high-end feel, and it’s also vital to consider things like opacity, coated or treated, and brightness and whiteness. Paper that has a unique texture, like linen or felt, or any other variety of substrates, is another way to stand out.
The ink that you use on that paper is also another place that you can shine — sometimes literally. Metallic inks add a reflective quality to your mailer, the high visibility of fluorescent and neon inks can help catch the eye of the recipient, and because UV inks are resistant to fading and scratching, they’re ideal for adding a glossy finish to your design.
Switch up the formats, folds, and finishings
If you think self-mailers have to be a traditional postcard, think again.
“Direct mail marketing continues to be a great outlet for a designer’s creative energy and also one of the biggest tests of problem solving,” write Elizabeth Gooding and Mary Schilling, authors of The Designer’s Guide to Inkjet, 3rd Edition. “Self-mailers and postcards can drive response with interest-grabbing folds, shapes, windows, and finishes.”
Mailers with perforated sections designed to be punched out— everything from coupons and business cards to save-the-dates for an upcoming sale or event—increase the value to the recipient and effectiveness of your campaign.
Premium finishes such as matte, gloss, or UV coating can help elevate a self-mailer—something Gooding and Schilling recommend designers consider first, especially when designing for digital inkjet.
To add some fun to the mix, incorporate laser cutting, foil stamping, or embossing. Not only are they effective ways to highlight certain parts of your design, but they also give shape to your piece and help it catch the customer’s eye— and their interest.
And don’t forget to consider the way your self-mailer is folded, which can add an element of fun and surprise for the recipient. For example, the zig-zag pattern of an accordion fold can turn flat paper into a 3D object, while a roll fold — where panels are folded so they roll into each other — creates a more compact final piece and an entertaining way to reveal the message and images.
Make it personal with variable data printing
You have to gain customers to keep customers, and the most effective way to do that is through personalization — 71% of customers expect personalized experiences, and 76% get frustrated when they don’t receive them.
The most efficient way to achieve this is through variable data printing (VDP). This allows you to print bulk self-mailers tailored with slight variations on each piece — whether that’s a name, birthday, relevant images, personalized QR codes, or any other type of demographic information — to create highly personalized marketing materials.
By providing relevant, useful information and offers, you can demonstrate to the recipient that you understand their needs and preferences, increasing the odds of winning both their business and continued loyalty.
Make it interactive
Self-mailers shouldn’t be a “send it and forget it” marketing strategy, but rather a way to bridge the physical and digital world. Incorporating digital elements in print can make your self-mailer more dynamic, increasing the value your target audience gets from the entire experience.
Consider adding scannable QR codes that take the recipient to special offers, landing pages, engaging videos, or even directly to an e-commerce store. The use of augmented reality (AR) and near-field communication (NFC) on self-mailers truly bring your self-mailer into the 21st century, with “trigger” elements printed on each piece that when scanned, transports the recipient to an immersive experience — everything from virtually trying on products and demoing items to watching interactive brand demonstrations as they happen.
These unique touches can elevate your self-mailers to the next level, helping your brand stay top-of-mind by creating an experience that recipients won’t soon forget. While these tips will help get you started, there’s still much more to know about designing next level self-mailers. The Designer’s Guide to Inkjet, 3rd Edition has everything you need to know to design self-mailers that connect with audiences.
Download the guide to learn more.
