How to Make Your Mailings and Flyers Stand Out

When you go out to the mailbox and grab the mail, you know how sometimes one envelope or flyer will jut out of the pile and refuse to hide behind the other mail? That unruly piece of mail was probably sent by a group of savvy marketers who realize how important it is to stand out from the clutter. Using different formats, colors and sizes can all help your piece pop and grab the recipient's attention. Here are some ideas to make postcards and letters that look different from the usual bunch. 1. Try a larger format Whether you're mailing a postcard or an envelope, bigger sizes tend to get a higher response rate. However, this tactic is not foolproof, because larger formats cost more in printing and postage. If you have any wiggle room in your budget, a larger size is worth a test, as it may increase the influence of your promotion. 2. Use color You're going through the mail and what do you see? White envelope, white envelope, kraft envelope ... then BOOM! Bright orange. If you use colorful paper you may find more new customers. Stay away from neon treatments, which somehow always scream junk mail. A large and intriguing four-color photograph that ties into the rest of the promotion is also a good way to immediately grab a prospect's attention. 3. Create a custom-shaped piece If your client owns a cupcake shop and they send out a local mailing in the shape of one of their best-selling cupcakes, how cool would that be? Probably cool enough to increase foot-traffic into their shop. A die-cut mailing or flyer offers boundless opportunities for creative messaging and design. To get ideas for creating a custom-shaped piece, check out the samples on the US Postal Services' MarketMail page.