If you're the Internal Revenue Service, you don't need envelope copy.
Those three little chilling words on the top left corner of the envelope are all that's needed to get people's attention.
If, however, you're a company getting ready to do some direct mail, you've got to work a little harder to generate interest and curiosity.
That's why God created envelope teaser copy.
As we all know, a headline here, a bonus offer there, can do wonders for your mailing if the copy is on the front of your envelope. But should you add copy to both sides of the envelope?
Not necessarily. If you're doing a simple, low-key mailing, printing on one side only may work just fine. (An even more radical approach would be to try a blind envelope with no copy at all.)
But if you're pulling out the stops and printing four-color on a flashy envelope, it's reasonable to use the space on the back to motivate the prospect to open the envelope.
What should you put on the back of an envelope?
Here are just a few suggestions worth keeping in your idea file:
1. A note from the President of the company. She or he can talk about the guarantee, the special offer, you name it. It's like having a personal lift note right there on the envelope.
2. What the prospect will find inside the envelope. "Inside: Your choice of three FREE bonuses!" Don't make them guess what the pay-off is. Give them a good reason to tear open the envelope and start reading!
3. A restatement of the bonus offer: "Yours FREE: 99 Legal Ways To Pay Lower Taxes!" Never underestimate the power of a bonus offer to boost sales. If you have something neat to give away (and I hope you do) say so loud and clear!
4. A photo of everything that comes in the fulfillment package including bonus items. It's a nice way to increase the perceived value of your offer.
5. Rave review quotes. These can carry a lot of weight with readers! Three to five reviews are fine. You can enclose a longer list on your flyer.
6. Customer testimonials. They can be powerful, but make sure you choose people from highly-regarded companies. No anonymous testimonials please.
7. Award logos. If you've got them, flaunt them! Obviously they build confidence and overcome skepticism.
8. A list of corporations using your product/service. If the related company names are recognized by your readers, go for it! Note: a bunch of companies that no one has ever heard of won't do you a lot of good.
9. The offer expiration date. Make your readers worry that they're going to miss out on a terrific opportunity.
10. A list of what's new in your product. You don't have to wait until the letter to let readers know what's hot. If you've got some terrific new benefits, list them on the back of the envelope.
Want to improve your direct mail or create/improve your emails, web pages, whatever, give me a call and let's talk. I'd love to help you out and my fees are suprisingly reasonable.
