The 2 times your direct mail envelope should give it all away

Yesterday we looked at the power of "boring" envelopes in direct mail fundraising.

Boring is often the way to go. But here are two exceptions where you can beat boring almost every time:

Emergencies

When fundraising about an emergency that your donors already know about, a very literal and content-revealing teaser is usually the best approach.

Right now, a fundraising direct mail that's about relief for the Ukrainian people will likely do well with a teaser something like, Rush emergency supplies to displaced Ukrainians. Or even HELP UKRAINE!

When the story you're telling is known by everyone (or at least your target audience), your job is to enter the story they already know about and give them a chance to make a difference.

Leverage offers

When you have a match offer or one of those "every $1 ships $9 worth of stuff" offers, it's a good idea to trumpet the good deal on the envelope.

Or you can combine the power of mystery with the proclamation of the deal, something like this: