Let me tell you right from the jump that no matter how quickly you think you can read, you will NEVER decipher words faster than images.
Trust me. And if not me, trust the super smart folks over at M.I.T. who performed the study.
With direct mail, it is critical that you make true and sustainable connections with your reader as immediately as possible. There is NO better way to do that than through the use of images in your campaigns.
Look at these three focused reasons why pictures are so critical to direct mail:
• A person can process an image in a 13th of a SECOND! (Holy smokes!) The fastest reader can ‘only’ process 1,000 words per minute. (WHAT?!) Don’t make them waste time figuring out what you’re trying to tell them. Show them first.
• Images can make your mailing more personal! Especially when employing concepts of ‘targeting’ your mailers. Make sure to use pictures your audience is familiar with. Help them imagine your product in their environment!
• Neural research (who has time for that?) tells us that images are much more likely to be remembered. Or so says bakergoodchild.co.uk. You’re far more likely to recall someone’s logo or a picture of a service tech next to her truck than you are to recall the exact phone number and website of the business. You know I’m right.
There’s a ton of science that goes into why the brain sees what it sees. But there’s also a lot of trial and error. Leave the testing and the theories to the scientists and stick with what we all know works in direct mail.
Remember the old catch phrase, “Reading Is Fundamental”? Well, we think Pictures Are Fundamental. And using them in your campaigns is a sure-fire way to attract prospects – and keep them interested.
Matching pictures to the subject of your mailing might sound easy, but you’ve got to ‘measure twice and cut once’ to make sure you won’t end up doing your business a disservice. Whether you want to incorporate photographs or cartoons in your mailings, make sure what you’re presenting to the prospect is of the highest image quality, and it accurately represents what you want to say.
How much less milk would they have sold if Jennifer Anniston and Beyoncé and Hugh Jackman and Dennis Rodman…okay, so maybe not Dennis…hadn’t been plastered everywhere with milk moustaches?
You probably won’t remember all of the celebrities’, but you’ll never forget their milk moustaches.
If you’re ready to see outstanding results from a direct mail campaign, but don’t have a black book of unskilled celebrity drinkers, we can help you out. Give Opportunity Knocks a call at 1 (866) 319-7109. We’ve helped tens of thousands of small businesses in nearly every industry picture success.