As with any media, when it comes to grabbing someone’s attention with Direct Mail, you’ve only got a few seconds to do it. 

You design should be clear and consistent with your brand. Have a logo? Incorporate the colors from it into your piece. If you’re not sure what your colors are exactly, you should figure out the hex or Pantone code as soon as possible. Any difference in color will be glaring once it’s printed. Make sure the font is similar in style to your logo as well. I could write an entire article on different font styles, serifs and sans serifs but we’re not going to go too far into it right now. 

Be sure you have a compelling image on your piece as well. If you’re selling a product, you should probably include a picture of the product. Offering a service, pictures of people, especially faces, are always compelling. Now, here are some marketing tactics for you. Whatever image you decide to use, make sure that it is on the landing page or website that you are sending your prospective clients to. When people see something that they’ve already seen, it helps build recall of your brand. Familiarity is comforting, don’t miss out on this opportunity.

Next, make sure the design is laid out in a readable fashion. In the US market, people read from right to left, top to bottom. For reference, comic books have kind of mastered this layout. If you have multiple images, make sure they are complimentary. 

Now that you have your customers’ attention, you should ensure that you have a compelling message for them. If you have an offer or special deal, make sure that this is prominently featured. If you are letting your prospects know what problems you can fix for them, try to do this in a succinct manner. After all, you usually only have someone’s attention for so long.