Paper costs are soaring… printing costs more… postage just went up… but insurance marketers continue to rely on direct mail for the results they need. In fact, consumers saw a slew of direct mail in Q4 2022. Here's one reason why...

Did you ever notice...

The most successful direct response campaigns have something in common —

Specifics.

I was first introduced to this idea while on a call with the great Herschell Gordon Lewis. During the discussion, he simply said — “…specifics sell.”

And the beauty of this concept is that it applies to direct mail... email... display ads... websites... landing pages... etc.

Be personal. Be relevant. Be specific.

If you write in generalities, if you write in broad strokes, if you pen mere platitudes, your copy will not only

So you have a killer direct mail control package. Well done. It's getting some results... it's been working for years... it's a control, after all.

But here's the thing. You can always improve your control. 

Whether little by little through split testing or head-to-head with a brand new creative execution, you should always put your control to the test. And if a new control unseats your original... it's time to do it again.

Read on to learn how to build a package that can bust your control.

Henry David Thoreau said we need to "simplify" over 150 years ago...

And it's still just as true today.

Especially in the world of direct mail design.

Because direct mail design, much like digital design, has been changing over the years.

There is a long-standing debate in direct mail —

Long detailed copy? Or short, quick-hitting copy?

What’s the best? Most effective? Most responsive?

Today’s online shoppers face an ever-growing number of choices and mountains of information as they traverse the long and winding path toward a purchase.

Well recent research from Google has revealed that there are some specific strategies to help marketers make sense of what’s often referred to as the “messy middle” of that purchase journey. And it may help your brand land in the right place with the right messaging to the right shopper at the right time.

You are ZOOM-ed out. You’re Webinar-ed out. You’re emailed out.

And — if you are — you KNOW your customers and prospects are. So, what’s the best way to reach the digitally exhausted, the weary-eyed masses in the post-pandemic world?

Trust. It’s hard to build… but easy to lose.  

Especially when it comes to brands.   

Brand trust is key to boosting customer engagement. People are more likely to recommend a trusted brand to family members and friends, pay more for a trusted brand’s product or service, and even share personal data with a brand they trust. Take a look at this chart to see exactly how it breaks down...