Direct mail suffers from two major stereotypes. First, a lot of people equate direct mail with junk mail – they pull it from their mailboxes and throw it straight it the trash. Second, is that it’s expensive. Which is why many marketers shift away from it, choosing the more popular and less expensive email marketing.

Why waste precious marketing dollars on printing and postage when you can send email, they think.

However, if you sell a higher-end product or service, you know that email marketing isn’t going to cut it. You need a way to find qualified leads and draw interest in your product. Direct mail is going to be your best advertising option. Because to connect with them, it’s going to take time. When they are engaging with your mail piece, they’re spending that ever valuable time with you.

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And you know when you’re marketing to a wealthier prospect, you have to go big. But, here’s the best part – you don’t need to spend a fortune to do it.

Here are four tricks and tips you can employ in your next direct mail campaign to get your mailing across without spending too much.

RSVP Stickers

A common mail piece sent out is an invitation. This can be an invitation to a seminar, a free workshop, client appreciation event, and many other things. Often, these invitations are mailed in A7 envelopes. But, here’s something that can make it a little special.

We’ve done a large number of mailers for customers who place round RSVP stickers on the back of their envelope. These are typically about one to three inches in diameter. They’re gold, shiny, and feel exclusive.

They’re easy to apply too. All you need to do is peel off the sticker and attach it to the back of an envelope. These same stickers even come loaded on a roll, so they can be applied by machine, removing all tedious, time-consuming work. Adding something a simple as a sticker, can separate your piece from others.

Linen Envelopes and Paper

For most jobs, the standard #10 white envelope gets the job done. You see these all the time in the mail. The premium client, however, requires a little more. Apart from being different from a standard white #10, the linen envelope feels fancier. It looks high-class. It’s important. Essentially, it will create a better open rate because of the quality.

Not a lot of our customers send these mailers. The ones that do – typically dentists and doctors– could attest to their better open rate. They really aren’t much more expensive, so give it a try on your next mailer.

Besides the envelope, you can use linen paper for your sales letter as well. With the unique texture, your letter will feel official and exclusive, unlike the standard white piece of paper.

Stamp Cancellation

We’ve written at length in other blogs about the importance of mailing first class. It gives you the freedom to choose any first class stamp you wish, which makes each piece feel more personal.

But sometimes, the budget doesn’t allow it. If you're mailing Presort Standard, you can try something called the “Stamp Cancellation.” It’s essentially wavy lines that run over the top of the stamp. It looks professional and like something straight from the post office. It gives the appearance of a package that was costly to deliver.

Crooked Stamps

Staying on the theme of stamps, try placing stamps on slightly crooked. This makes the envelope personal as well. When bulk mailings are stamped by machines, the stamps are applied exactly even. But if you think about it, the normal person doesn’t put a stamp on perfectly straight. No, it’s always turned a small amount. Adding this small touch can increase your open rate.

Give Them A Shot

None of these require much work or added cost, but the payoff is tremendous. True, the stamp cancellation will require a mail house, but the other three you can do on your own. On your next direct mail campaign do some testing with one or two of these ideas and record your results. I think they will be great.