Despite the ever-increasing use of digital methods to reach customers, direct mail is still an effective way to increase your bottom line. Statista reports that direct mail has a 9% response rate, while digital channels, such as email and social media, only have a 1% response rate. This is true even of younger customers, as 52% of millennials say they’re more likely to patronize companies that use direct mail as well as digital marketing, according to the USPS.

Using direct mail to your advantage starts with the envelope. It’s the first impression your customers have of you, so you need to make it a good one. Consider using these direct mail envelope ideas to boost your open rate and get more conversions for your business.

1. Use Colors for Branding and Emotion

Instead of a plain white envelope, try using a solid color or multicolor envelope. The envelope color can match your brand, making it more likely the recipient will remember you later. Colors also spur emotional responses that convey the right message, which leads to action. For example, red is often associated with power. Studies have even shown that red can increase a person’s appetite. On the other hand, blue is associated with trust and reliability.

2. Add Direct Mail Teasers

A sneak peek of what’s inside the envelope may get more people to open it and learn more — especially if they were already in the market for your type of product or service. You can tease bonus and introductory offers, hint at discount codes or preview an upcoming event. Just be sure that what you tease on the outside matches what’s inside so people don’t feel as if you’ve pulled a bait-and-switch.

3. Keep Things Strictly Business

While some people respond well to creative colors, teasers and graphics, others prefer a more straightforward approach. A basic white envelope with your company’s logo looks professional and can also create intrigue and curiosity about what’s inside. You might even consider leaving the envelope blank — these “blind envelopes” can suggest they contain something important and must be opened.

4. Envelope Personalization

A report by Salesforce found that 97% of marketers saw an increase in revenue thanks to personalization. In more than half those cases, the boost was at least 10%. Therefore, personalizing your direct mail envelopes with information specific to the recipient (even if it’s just their name rather than “current resident”) is a great way to get more people to open them. 

5. Use Eco-Friendly Envelopes

Being good to the planet is a shared passion for much of the population. Showing you share the same concern can help spur direct mail open rates. Unbleached kraft envelopes and other more sustainable envelope types let the recipient know you’re investing in the environment so they’ll want to invest in your organization. As a bonus, eco-friendly direct mail envelopes are often sturdier than regular envelopes, making them better for catalogs, flyers and other non-foldable items.

The Supplies Shops can help you choose the right direct mail envelopes from our wide selection of specialty envelopes. We also offer custom-printed envelope services to provide you with custom envelopes that fit your business’s needs. We even provide bulk pricing and free shipping on all orders over $99.