Colors in Advertising: How to Choose the Best Colors for Direct Mail Marketing

If you thought direct mail was a thing of the past, thing again. In today’s fast-paced online world that’s full of distractions, direct mail is one of the best ways to get your customers’ undivided attention.

In a recent survey, 54% of customers said that they enjoyed receiving direct mail about new products and services. So if you want to reap some extra ROI on your marketing spend, direct mail is a great add-on for your next campaign.

Here’s how to ensure you attract the right kind of attention and get the most bang for your buck by using the science of colors in advertising.

How Colors in Advertising Work

Colors can evoke powerful emotions in people, and advertisers have long used color as a way to press the right buttons with prospective customers.

There are four ways you can incorporate these tactics in your direct mail flyer design:

To Highlight Your Call-to-Action

An effective call to action is one of the most important parts of any design. Make it pop with an irresistible eye-catching color.

You want your customers to take action, so a vibrant hue is your best bet. Some of the best colors to encourage a response in people include tones of yellow, orange and red.

These colors really stand out, especially when they’re the brightest shade on the page.

To Set the Tone 

Using color is one of the quickest ways to set the tone of any correspondence. Bright action-inducing colors like those above give your design an energetic feel, while muted pastels create a more relaxed ambiance.

Other examples of mood-setting colors include:

• Black for Drama
• Gold to create a luxurious feel
• Green brings fresh energy and life to designs
• Grey represents reserved elegance

While you’re designing your flyer, play around with colors to see what feelings the design evokes in you. You can also look for examples of similar campaigns for comparison.

To Portray Your Services and Products in the Best Light

From the above, it figures that your color scheme depends on what you’re advertising via direct mail.

Remember to match your colors to your target audience. Bright pinks might be ideal if you’re talking to teenage girls – not so much if you’re targeting middle-aged men.

If your brand has a particular color or vibe associated with it, you should be sure to include that too. A youthful, fun brand should make use of light, bright colors. More serious or refined brands are better off with more traditional, subdued colors.

Make sure your flyer design doesn’t clash with your logo colors and that the tone of your copy complements the colors chosen.

Important Things to Consider When Using Color in Design

Before you seal the envelopes and send your beautifully-designed direct mail campaign out into the world, there are still two more steps to complete. Always choose a printer you can trust and ask to see a sample of your design before you print thousands of flyers.

Colors look different on the screen and in print. So, if you want to get the best benefit from using colors in advertising, don’t give your printer the go-ahead until you’re totally satisfied with the result.

Keep reading our blog for more tips on direct mail marketing or get in touch to set your next campaign in motion.