In marketing, a tear sheet is a page that contains a specific advertisement that has been cut out of or cropped from a publication. Traditionally, a tear sheet was used by advertisers to prove to clients that their advertisement was published. Today, it often used as a tactic in direct mail marketing campaigns. In this article, we will provide you with an overview of tear sheets.
A tear sheet is a strategy that is often used in direct mail marketing. It is an advertisement that is designed to look like an article that has been clipped or torn out of a magazine. The article usually highlights important information about a business, such as:
- The benefits of the products and services that a business offers.
- The proven results that a company’s products or services have offered others
In other words, a tear sheet highlights any important information about a company that potential customers would find interesting. Usually, tear sheets don’t have a specific call to action. Instead, the call to action appears to be a resource that readers’ can use to obtain more information about the services or products that are mentioned in the article.
Elements of a Tear Sheet
In order to create an effective tear sheet, it should include most of or all of the following elements:
- Headlines. It should contain a captivating headline related to the product or service that it features and that would capture the attention of the audience.
- Dates of publication. The date that the article was published in a publication.
- Name of publication. A tear sheet should also contain the name of the publication that the article was published in.
- Torn appearance. A tear sheet should look as if it were actually torn from a publication, such as a highly reputable newspaper or a popular magazine. It should be printed on real newspaper stock or magazine paper and have jagged, torn edges.
Tear sheets can also contain further elements that make them appear more compelling and encourage recipients to read them. For example, it might have a handwritten sticky note attached to it that contains a short, yet friendly message, such as: “Hey Jack! You’ve got to check this article out!”
How are Tear Sheets Delivered?
A tear sheet should always be delivered in a hand addressed envelope. They should also contain real stamps, not business postage. This gives the mailer the appearance that the tear sheet has been mailed by a real person, not a business.
The Benefits of a Tear Sheet
Tear sheets are an effective marketing strategy. They allow advertisers to create a third-party credibility. Instead of business owners trying to sell their products or services to potential customers with their own sales pitches, recipients believe that they are reading about a business from an unbiased, credible, third-party.
