Envelopes and Pocket Folders Can Be Your First "Call to Action"

The mail came today. In among the assortment of plain white envelopes (b-o-o-ring!) were a couple of pieces that stood out. I actually opened them right away instead of tossing them in the "later" (i.e. recycling) pile. One caught my eye because it was colorful. The other was a rich, elegant textured cream paper. The typical call-to-action of a marketing piece is the part where you are encouraged to write, call, visit, or take some other action that might ultimately lead to a sale (or whatever it is the sender wants you to do). While the message on the inside may or may not move me to further action, if I hadn't looked on the inside then there was no hope that I'd ever even think about what was being offered.

That great card, resume, invitation, brochure, annual report, or newsletter of yours can be ruined before it's even seen if you stick it in an ordinary envelope or off-the-shelf folder. Yep, first impressions and the move to "do something" start with what's on the outside so dress up that business letter or report with a professional or fun and extraordinary (depending on the circumstances) envelope or pocket folder. Start with these design tips and tutorials along with envelope templates and pocket folder templates.