These days mailers are going to creative, new lengths to gain attention. And some of this creative effort has moved from the copy to the outer, or carrier, envelope.

Consider that 75 percent of all direct mail you receive ends up in the trash can—unopened. Then think about the mail your own association sends out. How do you know yours isn’t being tossed in the round file? What are you doing to give your mail piece enough impact so that it gets opened?

As a direct mail writer, you’re in the business of competing for readers’ attention. Envelope size and color are the most basic ways to win their attention, but postage, font, and personalization also make a difference. Here are 10 ideas to liven up your carrier envelopes so they’ll get opened.

1.      Experiment with your standard carrier. If you’ve used a #10 in the past, try a 6×9 or even a 9×12. I’ve found that 9×12 envelopes are getting opened and responded to much better than the standard envelope.

2.      Use color. As you probably know, direct-mail designers follow color trends closely. Then they’ll test one color against another with the same mailing—with 50 percent of the list getting a brownkraft envelope and 50 percent a purple carrier—just to see whether purple or brownkraft gets a better response.

Conduct a test of your own. Watch your mailbox for colored envelopes over the next 30 days. If you see a certain color being mailed to you consistently, that probably means it’s working for the pros in direct mail houses. It might be worth trying yourself.

3. That said, keep in mind the make-up of your target audience. If your goal is to raise funds, realize that the average direct-mail giver is over 55. If your audience is conservative, mature CEOs, you’re probably not going to want to use a carrier envelope in a strong color, such as hot pink. But it might work great if you’re mailing to the twenty-something crowd.

4. Don’t overlook the continued value of the brownkraft envelope. Its deep yellowish color conveys importance and makes it look official, like a government delivery.

5. Remember that first-class postage is always preferable. I’ve done mailings that have three commemorative stamps on the carrier and then four more on the reply envelope. This conveys a personal touch, as if one letter is being written and sent to one friend, not to 10,000 of your best membership prospects. And first class always gets better response.

6. If you just can’t afford first class… make it look first class. I recently mail-shopped an eight-page letter whose carrier envelope had three bulk nonprofit stamps on it. It was then sent through our inkjets and given a cancellation mark over the stamps. The package would have cost 83 cents if it was going first class, but we spent under 20 cents to send it bulk. So it’s getting a bulk price and a first-class look at the same time.

7. Try a faux stamp with a bulk stamp—another recent trend. You can have your direct-mail designer create a made-to-order stamp with your association’s logo or even a photograph on it. Of course the post office doesn’t consider your custom stamp to be real postage, but your carrier envelope gets that first-class, highly personal look that makes it stand out in a big pile of mail on a desk.

8. Believe it or not, fonts play an important role in whether a carrier gets opened. I use Courier New 12 point on most of my carriers for fund-raising mail. In addition to being easy to read, it conveys simplicity and a high degree of personalization.

9. Take things a step further through personalization. Computerized printing technology makes it possible to make addresses and letters look handwritten when they are not. You can now have your own handwriting printed out via laser or inkjet in various colors.

10. Finally, never stop trying to pique your audience’s curiosity. I spend a lot of time creating a mail piece, which I consider a work of art not unlike a painting. I’ve learned through the years to put a great deal of effort into dressing up the carrier envelope. After all, it’s what the reader first sees when pulling the piece from the mailbox or out of the pile in the in-box. Make it look friendly, personal, and too important to throw away without finding out what’s inside.