How to Create a Graphic Design Strategy in Marketing That Pulls in Responses
Quick Summary
A beautiful design is only worthwhile if it pulls in responses such as calls, store visits and sales. This guide to building a graphic design strategy in marketing covers three steps: put yourself in the target market’s shoes, research your audience by asking the correct questions of your client, and add a clear, prominent call to action with contact details close by. Using reasoning, experience and research, graphic designers can create marketing pieces that look good, pull in responses and earn clients a profit, which keeps those clients coming back again.
From the offset, many people think a successful direct mail strategy depends on the quality of the graphic design. And while looks do matter–it is your graphic design strategy that supports the ROI of a mail piece.
The only true measure of a design, at least commercially, is “How well does it pull?” By pull, we mean the response it earns. Does it pull in calls, or pull people into the store? In essence, does the design accomplish what it set out to do?
It follows that a graphic designer’s merit rests on how well their designs perform. You can create the most beautiful ad the world has ever seen, but if it doesn’t make the phone ring, it isn’t worth the paper it is printed on.
At Snap Pack Mail, we focus on ensuring the piece can turn a profit and clients will continue to turn to Snap Pack Mail in the future.
The sections below break down the actions that make your beautiful design a big-time moneymaker for both you and your client.
Step 1: “BE” the Target Market
Imagine this: There is a monkey loose in your office and you can’t get any work done. The only solution is to catch the little distraction and FedEx him back to the jungle he came from. How do you catch a monkey? You have to get into his head and think like him. You have to “BE” the monkey to find out what will bring him close enough to catch.
You may wonder, well, what does an annoying monkey have to do with marketing design? Keep reading.
Every potential customer is the monkey. They will do whatever they want unless you persuade them to listen. You have to get into their head, think like them, and “BE” them.
A monkey is a simple animal, so you can probably get his attention with the stereotypical banana. But human beings? Well, we on the other hand are much more complex. Here are three examples:
Example 1: Wrinkle-Reducing Eye Cream
Who do you need to “BE”? Probably a woman over the age of 40. Try it. Pretend you are a woman over 40 with crow’s feet (wrinkles around the eyes, for all you guys) that are getting worse each day. Can you imagine it? Are you her? Good.
Now, how bombarded with advertising is this woman? Plenty! So how do you communicate with her in an ad that gets her to respond?
You might use a headline that pushes the button of how upset she is about those crow’s feet, such as “Crow’s Feet Getting Worse as You Age?” You may also want to show a before-and-after photo to build credibility.
Example 2: A Golf Ball That Goes Farther and Straighter
Your target market is senior golf enthusiasts in the state of Florida. What is the number one benefit of this product for that market? To answer that question, use three things:
- Reasoning
- Experience
- Research
In this golf case, I can tell you from others’ stories that the older the golfer, the straighter the ball goes. Practice makes perfect, and older players have generally had much more practice. As people get older, though, they lose strength overall and start to lose distance on their shots. It is relatively easy to see that distance will be the biggest benefit and should be the focus of the ad.
Example 3: Refinancing a Mortgage
Here, you need to find the biggest benefit of refinancing a mortgage for families with a household income of $75k, revolving debt of $15k, and two or more children. Sounds complicated? It can be. Maybe the benefit is cash to pay off debt, paying for college, or lowering monthly payments.
You can’t tell just by looking at the situation, so you will have to do some research.
Step 2: Research the Target Market
Research can be as in-depth as phoning people in the target market to conduct surveys. Often, it is as simple as asking your client about their experiences with past customers. Start with the easiest action and survey your client. Here are some good questions to ask:
- What do your top five customers have in common?
What do their orders historically have in common? Do they all purchase a certain add-on? Is there a service none of them use? This helps you understand what a “good customer” actually is to that client.
- What is the most-often-stated benefit of your service?
Is it the product, the service, or the price? Ask your client. They know, and you need to know too.
- What do they think is the most beneficial part of their service to their customer?
Many companies have already done the research, or have been in business long enough to give you the answer outright.
It is not always obvious which benefit will pull the most response. Use your three assets (reasoning, experience, and research) to get as close as possible.
Experience builds over time, so in the beginning, lean more heavily on reasoning and research. The easiest and fastest thing you can do is to “BE” the target market.
Now, back to the family we want to refinance their home. Pretend you are a parent with a household income of $75k, revolving debt of $15k, and two kids. Kids can be pretty expensive. Why would you want to refinance?
Step 3: Add a Clear Call to Action
Once you know what the customer needs to hear, figure out what you want from them. Sometimes it is as simple as getting them to visit your website for more information. Other times, you want them to pick up the phone and place an order.
Whatever you want them to do, state it clearly on the promo piece.
For example, if you want them to call and talk to a representative, the card should say, “Call today and speak to one of our representatives for more details.” That one statement tells customers exactly what to do, and when: “today.”
People like to be told exactly what to do in advertising. Make the requested action as easy as possible, because the more prospects have to think, the less likely they are to act.
A call to action also needs the right supporting information. If you want people to call, the phone number should be prominent and sit closest to the call to action.
It might seem like a phone number anywhere on the promo will do, but if it isn’t right there for people to see, your response rate will drop considerably.
Make sure the call to action is bold and easy to understand, and keep any important contact information close to it.
Final Thoughts: Design That Pulls
These are the three most important steps a graphic designer can take to create a piece that is attractive and pulls at the same time.
That is also how you get paid for a job well done. When your clients’ customers buy, your clients are pleased and come back for more. It’s a happier, more prosperous world.
FAQs
What does “pull” mean in marketing design?
Pull is the response a design earns, such as calls, store visits, purchases or other actions. A design that pulls accomplishes what it set out to do.
How do you create a graphic design strategy for marketing?
Follow three steps: “BE” the target market, research the target market, and add a clear call to action to the piece.
How do you research a target market for a design project?
Start by surveying your client. Ask what their top five customers have in common, what benefit customers mention most often, and what the client thinks is the most valuable part of their service. You can also phone people in the target market to run surveys.
Why is a call to action important in marketing design?
It tells customers exactly what to do and when to do it. The more prospects have to think, the less likely they are to act, so keep the call to action bold and place contact details right next to it.
