In direct mail marketing or any marketing, the primary objective is first and foremost to grab your target’s attention. They say it only takes 3 seconds to make a first impression. Well, it actually only takes 2.6 seconds according to a website design study on eye tracking conducted by researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology (click here for article). If it takes 2.6 seconds for a website to grab your attention, that’s probably the same (or even less) for your direct mail piece.
Just a couple days ago I received a brochure in the mail that caught my eye immediately! The brochure had a plain black cover with a pink strip at the bottom, and had just three simple lines of white text that read:
Have you considered…
buying a penthouse?
1103 sq.ft. – Top Floor – $299,900
This caught my attention right away for two reasons. First it made me answer “No I have not considered buying a penthouse because I wouldn’t be able to afford one.” Second, it made me question “Where the heck can I get a brand new penthouse for $299,900?”
You see, in Vancouver where I live $299,900 can barely get me a new apartment on the first floor. So those three little lines of text intrigued me enough to flip the page over to find out more. To cut the story short, I looked through the brochure to find out more. It was about a new development in the suburbs, about 1 ½ hours from the city. There was a picture of a 5-floor building in the brochure as well, so that explains the “penthouse” offer. For me it was still an outstanding deal for a brand new top floor (aka “penthouse”) apartment, if I didn’t mind the commute. Unfortunately I do mind the commute so I’ll be sticking it out in my basement ground level suite for the next little while!
So kudos to the designers of that piece, you definitely used your 2.6 seconds wisely!
And here’s a couple more articles to help you get your direct mail noticed: Direct Mail: Is Bigger Better? and 5 Steps to Getting Your Direct Mail Noticed
