1. Does it scream “Open Me!!”?
There is a distinct possibility that your donors are receiving direct mail from other organizations (shock, horror!) and their mailboxes are full of delivery pamphlets, bills and postcards. In order to move your donors from passive readers to active direct mail donors you need to ensure your creative goes beyond what was successful last year. There are so many solutions to ensuring your direct mail piece stands out, think about incorporating color blocking, experiment with font sizes, try a larger envelope format, add die-cutting or play with folding.
2. Does it speak to your target audience?
While creative may be a driving force of your direct mail campaign, data should always be at the center of your strategy. When planning your next direct mail campaign stop and think, who is this for? We don’t mean donor types like cash, monthly or major, we mean what is the profile of the donor your reaching out to, do they prefer stories or facts, what program themes are they most interested in? If you do not know the answer to these questions – Stop and Survey! The data you can collate from simply speaking to your donors is invaluable in ensuring your direct mail appeals are delivering what your donors are truly looking for.
3. Is it part of an integrated donor journey?
At FD we believe no campaign or channel should stand alone. Your direct mail appeal should be part of an integrated multi-channel fundraising strategy that carries a consistent message from your website, to your email communications to your direct mail piece.