Direct Mail Fundraising Letters - Mail an Envelope, Not a Postcard

I have on my desk a direct mail fundraising envelope that I have never opened. And never will. Perhaps you can learn a lesson from its failings.

The offending article was mailed by the Canadian Red Cross. It is a full-colour envelope, 6.5 inches wide and 5.75 inches tall, with a window. The envelope promotes the organization's lottery.

This envelope fails most of the tests in my book.

Here's why.

Test #1: Does the envelope intrigue?

No. This envelope gives everything away. It features no fewer than six photos: a sports car, sailboats, a bunch $100 bills, the Coliseum in Rome, another sports car, and the Taj Mahal. You get the picture. You don't have to guess at the contents of the envelope.

The headlines are equally blunt:

"More prizes!. . . More Choice than ever before!"

"Big prizes! Big cause!"

"The big red. The New Ontario Lottery!"

This envelope fails the test of intrigue. Outer envelopes must intrigue readers to open them, not give everything away.

Test #2: Does the envelope appeal to noble motivations?

No. This envelope appeals to greed and covetousness. Those are short-term motivators. People who give you a donation in exchange for a chance to win a mansion or Mercedes Benz are not supporting your mission. They are not embracing your cause.

Test #3: Does the envelope give the reader a reason not to open it?

Yes. This envelope gives you two reasons to throw it away unopened. One is a phone number: "Call NOW to order tickets 1 800 850 5090." Another is a website: http://www.redcrosslottery.ca. If all you want your recipient to do is phone you or visit your website, mail them a postcard, not a letter.

Your outer envelope has two goals only. Deliver your package contents intact. And persuade the donor to open your envelope. Don't give yourself away. And don't send the donor somewhere else.

To see a large sample of this envelope, visit www.raisersharpe.com/z/redcross.htm.

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About the author
Alan Sharpe publishes Direct Mail Fundraising Today, the free, weekly email newsletter that helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors. Alan is the author of Breakthrough Fundraising Letters and 25 handbooks on direct mail fundraising. Alan is also a speaker and workshop leader who delivers public seminars and teleseminars on direct mail fundraising. Sign up for Alan's newsletter at www.RaiserSharpe.com.

© 2007 Alan Sharpe.

Direct Mail Postcard Marketing Tips

Direct mail has been a powerful way to get your message in front of people for many decades. In this article we will take a look at a few direct mail postcard marketing tips.

1. Choose a reputable vendor to print your postcards. If you are working in a business opportunity that suggests a vendor it is probably worth paying a little bit more to them, that it would be to cut corners and find someone yourself.

2. Pay attention to the offer on your postcard. Although you do pay for every square inch of your postcard it needs to be easy to read and feature your offer front and center.

You have a couple of seconds to get someone's attention and the offer should be what their eyes are drawn to. One good thing about direct mail postcard marketing is you know almost instantly whether you have hit upon a good design or not based on the results it gets.

3. Although email marketing is free direct mail postcard marketing is still fairly inexpensive. Based on this fact you should plan on multiple mailings as people need to see an offer several times before they act on it.

4. Include a link to a landing page where you can capture your prospects contact information and follow up for free for many years to come. You do this by using an autoresponder and it allows you to further promote your product or program to them via their email.

This is several direct mail postcard marketing tips that will help your next campaign be more successful.

Bill Bettler

Money On Command

Bill Bettler has been in sales and marketing for over 13 years. He currently makes a Full Time Living as Owner of Money On Command, an Internet Marketing and Direct Sales Company. He brings a fresh and innovative approach that's based on the principle of "Attraction Based Marketing". Born and raised in New York, Bill was previously co-owner of a Mortgage Lending company. Visit At:

[http://www.10K10Days.com]