In yesterday’s post, I covered the direct mail ’sneak-up’ attack where you position your envelope to look as if someone you know is sending you mail.

I also mentioned that this approach is not full proof and can work against you if the offer inside is relatively ordinary.

That’s one of the reasons that many marketing experts prefer the billboard option for most small business to consumer offers and for most to consumer mail order offers.

A billboard envelope is usually filled with teaser copy about what’s inside. There is no attempt to disguise the purpose or nature of the mail. Billboard style envelopes we’re all familiar with are the Reader’s Digest and Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes mailings.

If you’re mailing to consumers on behalf of a locally based retail or service business the billboard type envelope maybe more appropriate for you also.

For example, the envelope may actually have a $5.00 discount coupon on it for your restaurant with a big, boldly lettered message, “$45.00 more of coupons plus other free gifts inside.”

The attractive thing about a billboard envelope style is you can use cheap bulk rate postage without concern over it’s contradicting the private, personal appearance of the envelope. As you no doubt know the difference between bulk and first class postage costs is substantial.

If you are not familiar with using bulk mail, by the way, visit with your local postmaster for information. It’s really simple and easy and requires only two hundred pieces of mail at a time.

I am not a bulk mail fan. I don’t like the delayed even uncertain delivery but there are circumstances where cost is such a factor that bulk mail has to be used.

After you’ve made your envelope decision you can move on to the inside component parts of the mailing. Here’s a BIG tip to make sure that the inside components are consistent with the envelope:

A sneak up envelope, stuffed with colorful flyers and coupons is an irritant to the recipient. He feels that he was conned into opening the envelope. He’s disappointed because he expected a letter and he’s very unlikely to then be responsive to your offer. On the other hand a lengthy soft sell letter is unnecessary in a billboard style envelope promising discounts on dry cleaning inside.

In a sneak up envelope the typical components might be:

1. A letter from one to eight pages long is common in direct mail. Four pages is probably average. I’ve seen them as long as sixteen pages and I’ve used one that was twenty-four pages long. The more extreme your sneak up approach was outside the more personalized this letter needs to appear.
2. A brochure or flyer or brochures or flyers. Sometimes if the sneak up approach was extreme or if I’m really working at controlling the process I’ll put these pieces inside a smaller sealed envelope imprinted with the instruction to open only after reading my letter.
3. A response device. This might be an order form or order card, a reply card or form asking for more information, coupons or certificates to be brought to a place of business, a toll free number to call or a combination of those things. In business-to-business marketing I have found little difference in response based on the use of postage paid response cards or envelopes. In consumer marketing postage paid response devices increase response.
4. Sometimes a separate guarantee certificate or receipt is included that the person is expected to keep. In a billboard style envelope the component parts may include a letter, although it need not be separate or appear personalized. It can be built into a brochure, the cover of a brochure or you can use the combination letter and brochure.

It could also include a brochure or flyer that does not need to be concealed in any way. Another smart thing to include is a response device. Sometimes this is even included in the brochure.

As a general rule of thumb the contents of a billboard envelope can stand to be less classy than those in a sneak attack envelope. In the billboard envelope it’s common to use different sizes and colors of paper as well as other inserts like stick-on stamps, yes or no option stamps, little gifts like refrigerator magnets, imprinted pens or even product samples.

All intentionally designed to fall out all over the place after you’ve opened the envelope. The operable theories here are that multiple pieces proportionately increase the chances of getting the person to read something before discarding all of it.

These involvement devices like stick-on stamps increase the person’s curiosity and create interest and these enclosures with some perceived value guilt the person into reading the piece. You will have to think through which options are most appropriate for your audience – your particular prospects.

Author Info:  Dan Kennedy is internationally recognized as the 'Millionaire Maker,' helping people in just about every category of business turn their ideas into fortunes. Dan's "No B.S." approach is refreshing amidst a world of small business marketing hype and enriches those who act on his advice.