Keys to Success With Direct-Mail Video

Many of the success factors for direct-mail video are similar to those for any other direct marketing tool: Plan ahead. Reinforce your corporate image and other marketing messages. Think in terms of benefits to your customer. Make sure every dollar you spend is working as hard as it possibly can. Target. Do it right the first time. Test to determine what works best. And choose business partners you can depend on.

Some important considerations that are specific to video direct-mail include:

Packaging
Videocassettes can be packaged in lots of different sizes, materials, and "looks." Think first about what's appropriate for your product or service. If your image is environmental, perhaps a plain corrugated wrapper is best; if you're selling a luxury car, a slick, large-scale presentation may convey your image best.

Tips for Cost-Effective Direct-Mail Video Campaigns

Offer prospects an incentive for watching (e.g., a free-with-purchase coupon, a discount, a time-sensitive offer
Track response (code coupons or other response vehicle so you know where the customers came from)
Target your mailing and customize your message
Limit length to 3-5 minutes
Choose the right videocassette
Rely on the expertise of an experienced and reliable vendor

When the time comes to choose your packaging materials, ask yourself: Will it hold up through shipping? If your package arrives torn and tattered, that's probably not the message you want to send to a prospect.

Keep in mind that size affects weight and/or how you can mail (first-class or bulk rate), which in turn affects postage costs.

Automating your package can also save money, both in production and at the post office. Hand-applied stickers and labels add costs as well as time. Print as much as you can right on the package.

Finally, many direct-marketing experts believe that you've got to customize these days. Whether it's a "personal" letter or a customized version of your video, the more specific the message is to the person receiving it, the more impact it will have on the buyer, and ultimately on your bottom line.

Cover Copy
Always remember, the primary objective of the package is to get people to watch the video now. What you put on the cover can make a big difference in achieving that objective (for example, click here).

Generally, it's smart to include three things on the cover: an incentive to watch, a deadline, and the total length in minutes.

As an incentive to watch, you might ask a queston... one the viewer has to watch the videotape to answer, in order to win a prize. Or promise a video coupon at the end of the tape. A deadline tied to a reward of some sort helps to ensure that your target consumer will not put the tape on a shelf and forget about it.

Length
The longer your videotape, the more it will cost (for production, duplication, and mailing), and the less likely that your prospect will watch the whole thing. Experts say that 3-5 minutes is about right for a marketing video.

Published with permission from Paul Nicholas, Vaughn Communications, Corporate Hdqtrs in Minneapolis, MN

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