Booklet envelopes are one of the most eye-catching and unique vessels available for direct mail. Their noticeable size and capability of holding a multitude of different items makes them a true treat for recipients.
These traits make receiving booklet envelopes something that can be fun and exciting. Using the advantages of this form factor can mean that your recipient will be eager to see what message is inside.
What Exactly Is A Booklet Envelope?
A booklet envelope is a rather large 6×9 envelope shaped like a rectangle. They are very similar to slightly larger catalog envelopes, but they always open through a flap on the long side rather than the short one. This feature means that it is easier to retrieve what is inside a booklet envelope. With catalog envelopes, the contents must be slipped out carefully, like pulling a DVD case out of a tight cardboard sleeve.
The primary benefit of booklet envelopes is that they are large enough to enclose documents without having to fold them. Certificates, brochures, catalogues, contracts, photos and even small items can all be included and easily retrieved without having to tear through the paper.
Finally, a booklet envelope is large enough to serve as a “canvas” for all sorts of creative custom printing designs. All of these qualities together make booklet envelopes ripe opportunities for several types of mailing campaigns.
How To Use A Booklet Envelope?
Now we can cover how to use these envelopes for business. This document can contain a host of information about your product listings, your company, or information related to your services.
For best results, the product you enclose should be of a very high quality. Direct mail recipients are likely to be intrigued by the inclusion of a large booklet envelope amidst their regular mail. You would not want to disappoint them with a low-quality flier or a booklet of cheap construction. Instead, try to produce something that would look at home among professional catalogs or magazines stacked upon a coffee table.
Going Native
Similar to the previous idea, your booklet envelope should contain something that looks almost identical to a journalistic or informative publication rather than an advertisement. For instance, a hiking clothing company could include an information booklet on the best trails in the region, or safety tips for extended hikes.
These products — designed to look like real publications, but produced in marketing departments — are called “native advertising.” They are essentially ads in camouflage. A native ad can grab attention and forge a sense of trust in a way that blatant advertising cannot. Furthermore, native ads have a higher sense of value than a typical advertisement, encouraging recipients to save the product and consult it again later.
Nifty Gifties
A booklet envelope does not have much depth, but there is enough room to enclose small or mostly flat products within. You could include a flier or small information packet along with a small gift to your recipient.
The American Spirit tobacco company has used this strategy to send people on their mailing list “butt holders” that save their leftover cigarette butts in an airtight tube for later disposal. This particular campaign was effective because it gave smokers something they could use while adding to an environmental anti-littering campaign, projecting the company’s secondary values.
Best of all, the exterior of a booklet envelope leaves tons of room for custom printing. You can have a gorgeous pattern design, a bold logo, or a series of copy that engages the recipient before they even open the package. To get started thinking about how a booklet envelope could enhance your direct mailing campaign, take a look at our products page.
