Every component of a direct mail package has a role to play in soliciting a response—part five in this series is a fast and furious review of outer envelopes, inserts, newsletters, reply coupons and the lowly BRE.

11. The outer envelope: the gateway to your appeal

The outer envelope (OE) has one job and one job only—to get opened. And if it fails at that job, your entire appeal fails. So it’s vitally important that the colours, images, copy, size and format scream, “Open Me!” It needs to be attractive and compelling enough to stimulate sufficient interest such that recipients will invest the next 10 or 20 or seconds to tearing open this particular piece of mail and taking a quick look at what’s inside—not an easy task if there are five or six other pieces in the mailbox that day.

A strong OE can be a plain, white #10-window envelope with a simple return address and no indication of where it came from or what’s inside.  It can also be a full colour, 9 X 12, glossy package decorated with beautiful photos and a promise of a terrific gift inside.  Both can work equally well. However, the second option is likely to blow your entire campaign budget.  Here are a few rules that you should keep in mind when designing the type of OE that will get the job done for your appeal.

• Remember your audience. Dedicated donors may need a lot less flash to open your appeal. Prospects may need more enticing messaging and imagery.

• Ensure that your OE style and look changes with each appeal.  Everyone likes a little variety, even when it comes to a favourite charity. Experiment with different envelope sizes.

• Try to avoid the “I’m asking you for money” type of message. It’s not necessary to tip your hand at this point. Plenty of time for that once the envelope is opened.

• Closed-face envelopes with live stamps work well for higher-end donors, and are almost always worth the additional cost given the donation level being requested.

• Sometimes, less is more. No need to always go full throttle with your OE.

12.  The insert:  a vital component to your appeal

Many DM professionals consider an insert to an appeal as secondary to the letter in improving response rates. I believe the insert is the primary component and often build my entire package around it.  Whether it’s a newsletter, a personal note card, a fact sheet, a monthly giving brochure or any other variety of insert, remember that this piece may be the first thing that’s read—or the only thing that’s read. It is a prime opportunity to support your appeal by presenting a reason to give in an entirely different light than presented in the letter.

The design and format of a strong insert is a careful balance between complementary and self-sufficiency. Ultimately, the insert should be able to pull in a donation on its own.  Do you always require an insert? Most often, yes. The only time I tend to refrain from inserts is for reminders to primary appeals. However, even then a brief punchy leaflet or buck slip can lift your response rate.      

13. Newsletters: a note of caution

We’ve all seen it. The six or eight-page, copy-heavy organizational newsletter filled with cheque presentation photos. It may be a well-designed and well-written communications piece, but does it really fit with your appeal? Most often, it doesn’t. Don’t get me wrong. A well-crafted, yet brief newsletter that features less information about the deluge of cheques pouring into your organization and more information that pertains to the program or service for which you are requesting support can play a powerful role in boosting response rates.

I prefer designing one to four page newsletters that may borrow articles from the communications department.  I keep copy light and make use of bright, positive images. And I always make sure that the main topic of my appeal letter is the main topic of my newsletter. I try to include information that is helpful to prospective donors like health tips, advice on managing social situations, the latest information about a cause from industry experts, or even a delicious, healthy recipe. In a nutshell, your DM newsletter should be brief, colourful, and where possible, donor centred.

14. The reply coupon: yet another chance to make your case

Imagine your appeal is opened and the only thing that gets read is the reply coupon.  Could it prompt a donation or monthly giving request on its own?  It can if it:

• Is a stand-alone piece slit from your letter.
• Features an image from your appeal.
• Includes a giving line that summarizes your appeal topic.
• Has a matrix of contribution options based on the donor’s last gift.
• Devotes one side to the convenience and value of monthly giving.

Other important features include:

• Donor contact information
• ID number
• Campaign and segment code
• Credit card giving options
• Organization’s address, telephone number and charitable registration/CRA Business number   

15. The lowly BRE: often neglected but never be forgotten

Not much to say here, except that given rising postage rates and the increasing unlikelihood that prospective donors have stamps and envelopes handy, don’t skimp on your BRE.  One colour is fine, but ensure that it is postage paid by setting up an account with Canada Post, and that it accommodates the size of your reply coupon. Don’t worry about the “your stamp will save us money” message on the BRE.  It might, but you might loose the entire donation while the donor sets the appeal aside until a stamp is actually found. One last point. Keep up-to-date on BRE stock levels. There’s nothing worse that delaying your entire campaign due to a shortfall of your least expensive component.

Check out the rest of the ‘20 things you should know before planning your next direct response campaign’ series:

Part 1: All roads lead to a planned gift

Part 2: Measuring success

Part 3: The true value of incentives, swag and monthly donors

Part 4: Components of a great letter and the importance of variable copy

Please let me know if you have anything to add to the sections and advice above. Stay tuned for my next article when I will talk about the ideal direct response schedule and the integration of telemarketing and social media. Please feel free to contact me at phoppe@rhafund.com.