When getting ready to send out a mailing piece to market your business, there are many factors to consider in order to achieve your first goal, which is to get your mail opened. The envelope you use can factor significantly in that process. There are times when a simple, clean white envelope sends the right message, but it may not be the way to go every time. In fact, colored envelopes are opened up to 20% more likely to be opened than a plain white envelope.
With that in mind, we’ve got some ideas for using colored envelopes, and some research to back up the power of color. Shameless plug alert: we offer up to 14 different colored envelopes with our products at no extra charge, so feel free to branch out and add some color to your next mailing piece. Now back to the ideas and info:
Colors Impact Peoples’ Feelings: According to a recent study by Emerald Publishing, “People make up their minds within 90 seconds of their initial interactions with either people or products. About 62‐90 percent of the assessment is based on colors alone.” Color can influence moods, perceptions and feelings in significant ways. Real estate agents helping clients sell homes have strong opinions and insights about what evokes the desire to buy a house. The same psychology can go into marketing.
Understand Color Psychology: You don’t need to commit every bit of color theory to memory. There are many resources to give you help with determining what mood you want to convey through color, from a psychological study in a professional journal to a design firm studying a specific field like real estate.
Align Your Brand With Color: Many brands rely on colors to position them and set them apart. Target and Coca Cola are synonymous with red. Home Depot uses orange to great effect. UPS took what many considered a drab color and turned it into an advantage (“what can brown do for you?”). By using a color consistently in all of your marketing, you can make your name or brand one of the first things people think of when they a specific color.
Seasonal Colors: You may consider using envelopes in the color of a certain season or near holidays. Spring can be a time to use yellow or green. Memorial Day and Independence Day are great times to use red, or blue. Thanksgiving is a good time to consider orange or brown. Christmas time can be red or green, and Hanukkah is blue. A message on the outside of the envelope acknowledging the color connection can also help draw attention to the fact that you put some thought into it, and that you’re the type of person likely to pay attention to your client’s needs.
Match Team Colors: If you’re sending a team schedule magnet for football, baseball, basketball or another sport, consider sending it in an envelope that uses the team’s colors. You can even print something on the outside to let your recipient know what’s inside and make the team color connection from the start. Just as with using colors to reflect the season, pointing out the attention to detail of aligning your colors with a team lets the recipient know that you’re someone who pays attention to things.
No matter the reason, adding color to your marketing mix is a great way to stand out and communicate about you and your brand. It’s a flexible tactic to use, and lets you reflect your personality and how you go about your work.
