4 Tips for Using Deadlines to Increase Consumer Response

Have you ever received a mail piece that gave you no reason to act immediately? Where did that mail piece end up? Without a sense of urgency or a deadline, your consumers virtually have no reason to act on your offer, leaving your response rates in the trash can with your mail piece. Deadlines have been highly successful marketing campaigns and sales initiatives for years while some are obvious, others are often cleverly disguised by a catchy name.

Use these 4 tips on your next direct mail campaign to help increase your response rates.

  1. Give Your Deadline a Unique Name

By giving your deadline a unique and clever name, you can help to increase the number of prospects acting on your campaign. Successful, driven campaigns with unique names include “24-Hour Sale”, “This Weekend Only”, “Black Friday”, or “Cyber Monday”. Your unique name should encourage consumers to immediately open the offer. Don’t be passive, be active. Make sure your consumers think “this offer cannot wait until tomorrow!”

  1. Be Specific with the Deadline & Offer

Make sure that the expiration dates for your offer are clearly stated, as timing is essential to create a sense of urgency. Additionally, make sure your deadline and offer is specific. Specificity will highlight the reason for urgency and helps to generate action. Some successful examples include “The First 20 to Call Receive a Free Gift Valued at $35.00” or “Storewide 50% Savings Ends This Friday!”

  1. Intensify Importance

You want to make sure that you convey that your deadline is important. One way to achieve this is to try tying your deadlines with widely recognized dates. For instance, a widely recognized date like Tax Day already instills a sense of urgency in consumers. Don’t be afraid to try things that are out of the box and unique!

  1. Repeat It

Deadlines encourage faster response; you’ll want to repeat that deadline throughout your mail piece and make it a focus point. Don’t make your deadline an after-thought or bury it in the fine print. Try placing it in multiple locations such as the subject line, header, beginning of the paragraph, etc. Multiple locations will reinforce the urgency and the importance.

PRO TIP: Try noting your deadline in different date formats (6/10/2018 or June 10, 2018). You never know what will catch the eye of the consumer first!

Let’s chat about getting the most out of your digital and direct mail programs. Contact us anytime: Kessler Creative • Results Driven Marketing Jacksonville, Florida • Main: 800.394.9393 Online: http://www.kesslercreative.com