Do You Follow the 3.33 Rule of Direct Mail?

Do you know the 3.33 rule for direct mail? Studies have shown that direct mailers have three minutes and 33 seconds to engage a potential customer: three seconds to catch a recipient's eye out of the stack in the mailbox, 30 seconds for the recipient to get the mail piece open, and then an additional three minutes for the potential customer to read and decide on response. We thank Pat Friesen of Direct Marketing IQ for reminding us of the challenge. The 3.33 rule applies more to solo pieces and self-mailers than catalogs, but the principles of making sure your message doesn't end up in the trash still apply. With the U.S. Postal Service requiring mail to be tabbed, wafer-sealed, spot or continuously glued for delivery, ease of opening is more than a printer, production and design issue;  effective marketers need to worry about those 30 critical seconds for openability. More important, marketing must focus on compelling creative and offer to make recipients want to spend even a few seconds of time and effort to engage with a piece before it's tossed. For Pat's apt comments, go to http://www.directmarketingiq.com/article/3-tips-deal-with-sticky-business-direct-mail/1