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The retail environment is busy. Shoppers are on the move. They are browsing shelves packed with products, dodging advertising in the aisles, and constantly looking at their phones to see who is "pinging" them. How do you break through all that noise? Wide-format graphics.

Fundraisers know how important data is to direct mail success. Demographics like age, household income, and history can all help craft a more effective message. But are there other data points you might be overlooking? Here are a few nuggets that remind us that impactful data can be hiding in the most unexpected places.

In the world of direct mail, creativity is everything. You want to design pieces that stand out and catch the customer’s eye. But be careful! Sometimes this leads to designing mail pieces in nonstandard sizes that, in some cases, can make the mailpiece undeliverable. Failure to meet minimum mailing dimensions is the number one mailing mistake cited by the United States Postal Service

If you want to understand the value of print versus digital in marketing, look at the world of education. Studies consistently find that while digital communications have great value in providing top-level information quickly when it comes to processing deeper concepts, print is the hands-down winner. These results were recently confirmed in a groundbreaking study from Columbia University’s Teacher’s College.

Have you ever browsed a website and then soon afterward started seeing the brand’s name everywhere? A relevant ad pops up in your social media feed. A colorful postcard shows up in your mailbox. You begin receiving helpful product- or service-focused emails. If so, then congratulations! You’ve experienced drip marketing in action.

Like a great salesperson, marketing copy must move your audience to action. This is the case regardless of channel—direct mail, email, in-store or exterior signage, or social media. Not a writer? That’s okay! These simple tricks can get you started. Let’s take a look at five copywriting principles that will get your audience’s attention and motivate them to act: