Easier Said Than Done: 6 Freakish Facts About Fundraising

Does that mean we should give up on teasers entirely? Sure, if you’re the timid, low-risk type. Remember, when a teaser succeeds, it improves on baseline performance — you can get meaningful extra revenue if you nail it.

I know two ways to improve on a blank envelope:

1. Increase the mystery. A plain envelope begs to be opened, just so you can find out what’s inside. Most teasers fail because they remove that mystery, all but saying, “Enclosed: the same old appeal for money that you’ve seen a million times.” Try an oddball phrase (like “MESSAGE ENCLOSED”), a single word (like “Tuesday”) or just an image that doesn’t quite make sense (like a coffee ring or a fingerprint). Make a reader stop cold, wondering what it means.