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E nve-lopes are

really the unsung hero of direct mailers. Because of their short lifespan, enve-lopes surely miss the credit they

truly deserve. Some argue that just a logo at the sender’s panel is all you need to create magic. I believe that’s not even half the truth. Envelopes entice, excite, and engage your readers. Envelopes are like an entrée to a feast: your marketing commu-nication. Honestly, if your envelope is not exciting enough, your perfect communi-cation piece will stand totally wasted. So, here are a few ideas that can help you cre-ate envelopes that will surely be opened: Stick to the benefit: No matter what you think, the first thing your client, and more importantly, your audience, would like to read is the reason why you are writ-ing the communication. So scream, if nec-essary, to tell them why they should open your envelope and watch as they do just that. Create urgency: Create desire by bringing urgency into your envelope text. Impactful words like “Act Now” or “Limited Period Offer Inside” can make all the dif-ference. Deadlines always induce action, so use them -- but judiciously. Keep it simple: You may not be the only one wowing your audience. Simplic-ity does not mean you cannot be creative. Make your envelopes easy to understand. I mean: no clichés, no cleverness, no bantering. Teasers work: Tease your readers. En-tice them to open the envelope but never overdo it. Talk to prospects, relate to their interests, and make them feel special. Tell them there is something inside that

Write Envelopes That Get Ripped Apart

By Prashant ganDhi

is exclusive or will make their lives easier. Create excitement with impactful words such as introducing, discover, and new. Hit where it hurts: Our impulse to im-prove ourselves makes this your biggest asset while writing your envelope text. Focus on the needs or wants and show how to quickly and easily achieve the same. Ask a question: Be direct. Ask a ques-tion that directly involves your reader. Please do make sure that the question is directly related to your proposition. Be-ing clever or casual will only agitate your reader. Your reader should be able to answer your question in a simple, “Yes, I want to know more,” or “No, thanks. I’m not interested.” Idiot proof: Tell your reader exactly what he needs to do. Words like, “look in-side for details” or “open here” make sure your envelope is read and acted upon. Add visuals that create desire: Crank up the excitement with exciting visuals of your product. Create the excitement but never fill every inch of your envelope with benefits, etc. Too many words only create

chaos. Six to seven words on your envelope are all you can expect your readers to skim through to decide to open. Writing more only adds to the clutter (remember the stamps and the usual postal markings). Watch your tone: While writing, re-member your envelope should look like a personal request -- not an advertisement. The tone you use should be very profes-sional and pleasant. Never act as if you know your recipients, because you really don’t.

Your envelope sets the flavor of the communication and is surely the key deter-miner of your success as a direct marketer. I hope to hear what you would like to say on this, so please do share your thoughts. Cheers!

Prashant Gandhi is an experienced copywriter who is on a mission to demystify the art of copywriting through his blog: www.demystifyingcopywriting.blogspot.com. Search for more articles on how to write Direct Marketing Collaterals or interact with him using the “Demystifying Copywriting” community both on Facebook and Linkedin, or follow him on twitter.com/demystifycopy. If you are looking to invigorate your business with the power of innovative marketing, he can surely help you do just that. Contact him at mymail2prashant@in.com.

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