The first impression is always visual–that’s why it is formed in just 3 seconds. For email newsletters, these 3 seconds are the decision time as to whether the user will spend their time on reading it or not.

Of course, those who constantly read your newsletter have already formed a positive impression of your brand. But with those who rarely open your emails, these three seconds can be decisive. To form a positive impression on the user, you have to be a little tricky. The direct image is just the right tool to grab attention. What is the essence of direct mail image? You will discover it in all details next.

Why Can Direct Mail Advertising Images Help To Grab the Attention of Your Readers?

Images are an essential element of a successful email or direct mail marketing strategy. It is worth noting that this is the first thing people see even before they read your text. Properly selected images are an opportunity to set the right tone for your content.

Sometimes an image can be the deciding factor as to whether or not to spend time dwelling on your message. Therefore, the image can be an excellent tool to attract attention.

Why You Should Use Images in Your Newsletter?

How can illustrations help your direct mail strategy? An image is not a decoration for your text. This is the same element that works to attract and retain your audience. The image serves as the same tool as using LinksManagement backlinks service as a part of a backlink building strategy. So, the embedded direct image can help with the following tasks within your mail marketing campaign:

• Demonstrate a product or service. You can describe your product or service, but sometimes it makes more sense to replace the words with an image. No matter how effectively you describe a product, a quality illustration will work much better. An image can save users time as well as the cost of preparing an eloquent and enticing description of your product or service.
• Simplify the perception of the text. Even structured text will look boring without images. It is significant to understand that the user is not ready to spend more than 5 minutes on a mail, so the image can become a tool for the subscriber to quickly perceive information.

For example, when opening a letter a user sees a product with a red sale sign, which immediately creates an understanding that they have the opportunity to purchase the product at a discount. Next, the user decides whether they need your product or not and if so, they will look for the details of this offer in your letter.

• Set the right mood and add design aesthetics. Everyone can choose an illustration that will demonstrate the product and simplify perception. But to make the image evoke positive emotions and arouse the desire to share is a real art. It is important to understand that the primary function of illustrations is to attract attention and simplify the perception of the text. But often the illustration can be transformed to complement the main idea of ​​your letter. This is the key task of the direct image in a letter or a postcard.

How To Choose Direct Mail Images For Your Next Campaign

How to create a successful direct mail marketing campaign? Use the following tips to find mail images that will benefit your strategy.

Decide on the Letter Format

As you know, there are different types of newsletters. It could be a marketing (sales) and content newsletter. While the content newsletters are now mostly distributed via emails, marketing newsletters are still frequently arriving to their readers by post as print catalogs or brochures. In a marketing mail, you present a product or service, talk about promotions, discounts, and the direct goal is to sell.

With regard to content email, here you do not offer a specific product or service. You are simply sharing content that aims to build a loyal subscriber base and generate interest in your brand. Based on this, it can be more difficult to select pictures for a content mailing due to the lack of a specific product or service.

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Decide on the Illustration Format

It's a good idea to define your branding when embedding images in your newsletter. For example, you can use your website design to create a recognizable image. The audience responds well to a branded style. It also acts as a tool to strengthen brand authority, as it shows that the brand is paying attention to content preparation and not just using the ready and free pictures.

Considering that a user receives more than 120 emails per day, a single style works well for developing a brand identity impression in the users’ mind. That is, the user will not need to read the text to instantly discover from which company they received the letter. But do not forget that this is an issue of time and your audience needs to get used to your style.

Be Creative

Stock images are well-recognizable and already hackneyed, so they can hardly contribute to brand identity development. That’s why it is better to consider creating illustrations from scratch. For example, pay attention to such a style as hand-drawn pictures. Firstly, this is an opportunity to stand out from other newsletters. Secondly, such images are able to attract the attention of the audience because of their design. The only drawback that you may encounter when choosing such a design is the need for professional services.

But at the same time, do not forget that the image should demonstrate the style of your brand and have sense. Otherwise, you will not achieve the desired result.

Test an Infographic

Infographics can be an effective tool in your newsletter, especially when you are creating a content-сentered email. As mentioned earlier, selecting images for this type of email is more difficult, and infographics are the real way out. It is also a great format for a certain type of business when you provide specific types of services, for example, when selling production equipment or solar panels.

You can visualize how your equipment can solve problems and ease production processes. Or show how solar panels can help save money. Infographics can also be used to create manuals for using your product or service.

Define the Location of the Illustration

Many may be surprised, but there is no conversion-boosting placement of an image in the email or on a postcard. But most experts recommend placing an image on top of the letter for emails and considering the postcard dimensions for print products. Depending on the image for direct mail, it could work well as your message background. It is also worth following the principle “one product = one image”. When it comes to the content email newsletter, you can follow the rule of one or two illustrations for each semantic block.

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Revise the Campaign Deadlines

It is important to understand that the time it takes to prepare an illustration will depend on its format. In order not to violate the deadlines for your campaign, foresee the creation of illustrations. Especially for automated trigger-based campaigns with lengthy mail and email sequences, images might come as an after-thought. That is why, when preparing content for your emails and postcards, it is recommended to immediately prepare images (you could try using photo retouching or freelancer services if you’re falling behind).

Wrapping Up

Incorporating direct images promises a good opportunity to make your direct mail and email marketing strategy more effective. Sometimes, words may not be enough. In these situations, images can be the tool to set you apart from hundreds of other brands and capture the attention of your audience. Use the tips in this article to turn advertising images into a powerful marketing tool.

Frank Hamilton is a blogger and translator from Manchester. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.