Tips for Using Teasers on Envelopes

One of the main goals of the envelope and the teaser is to get the envelope opened. A teaser should give a benefit and talk directly to the prospect without giving away too much.

Here are some more tips on how to use teasers:

Keep it short. You only have about three seconds to get your reader’s attention. So, be as brief as possible while still getting your message across.

Answer the question, “What will it do for me?” People want to know what you are offering them. What is the benefit from their perspective?

Be honest. Never mislead or oversell with a teaser. Your envelope contents should always deliver as much or more than you promise.

Pay off early. Whatever idea you set up on your envelope, it should pay off at the beginning of your letter. If your outer says “Free Gift,” make that the first item of business inside the package.

Experiment with windows. Windows can be used to isolate important things about the mailing. For instance, a free bonus, deadline date, dollar amount, or “pay to the order of” line.
This information can be printed on the letter or brochure and show through a window for an extra tease.

Try using key words. Some key words that almost always work well in teasers include personal, free, and new. "Private information," a variation on "personal," also works
since "personal" has been somewhat abused.

Think about teaser placement. There’s a theory that to the left of the address panel is the best placement for teaser copy. The left eye is controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain, and the right side of the brain is responsible for emotion. It’s also a good idea to stay above the bottom line of the mailing address because the teaser can interfere with the USPS optical character reading equipment used for mail sorting.

While these are some guidelines for using teaser based on years of testing, basically, it's up to you. If you use a teaser, make sure it adds to the likelihood that the outer envelope will get opened. Tease the reader into wanting more. And, test. Try your package with and without a teaser and experiment with different teasers to see what works best for you.