What are the keys to REALLY successful direct mail efforts?
Learn how to:
- Improve those elements of your direct mail that have the most immediate effect on response
- Evaluate the most important elements of your direct mail and ensure you've spent your money wisely
- Recognize when writers, designers, mailing houses, consultants, and agencies really are experts in direct mail -- and when they're not
You'll leave this presentation with a series of checklists of how to recognize:
1. The 4 key questions to ask before you ever rent a mailing list (or follow a mailing house's recommendation)
2. The foolproof way to craft the right OFFER that will generate the response you want
3. When to use an envelope package -- and why
4. How to get more from 44% of your direct mail budget
5. The 5 tests of an effective headline
6. Secrets of professional copywriters for starting a direct mail message that gets read
7. How to craft a message for 85% of your audience
8. How you can test your copy and ENSURE it's going to be effective
You can get more from every dollar you spend on direct mail by:
1. Spending more time choosing a superior list.
2. Creating a more logical "first step" offer.
3. Using the right package format for your situation.
4. Give recipients a strong reason to open (otherwise 44% will never open).
5. Use a "what's in it for me" benefit headline.
6. Draw the recipient in with a strong "remind of pain, promise pleasure" lead-in.
7. Be sure the recipient can SCAN headlines and subheads and bullet points to get your entire message.
8. Good copy is conversational -- just the way you'd say it face-to-face.
For most small businesses, there isn't much thought given to the direct mail effort. But if you carefully select each element of your direct mail package, you can achieve significantly higher response from every mailing.
1. 1
8 WAYS
TO GET MORE FROM
DIRECT MAIL
With Karen J. Marchetti
2. 2
8 Keys to Direct Mail Success
1.
Best MAILING LIST
2.
Logical âFirst Stepâ OFFER
3.
Best package FORMAT
4.
The 44% Rule: STRONG REASON TO OPEN!
5.
BENEFIT HEADLINE
6.
âRemind of Pain, Promise Pleasureâ LEAD-IN
7.
SCAN-able copy
8.
CONVERSATIONAL copy
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
3. 3
#1 Success Factor: THE LIST
âą
Find the List FIRST
â
guides OFFER, CREATIVE
âoh, yeah, we need a list . . .â
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
4. 4
Two Main Types of Mailing Lists
RESPONDER LISTS
â
Buyers
â
Inquirers
â
Attendees
â
Subscribers
MOST ACCURATE
MOST TARGETED
USAGE INFO!!!
$$
COMPILED LISTS
â
Demographics
â
Census-based
â
Public Records
â
Directories
TIGHT GEOGRAPHY
SMALLER QUANTITY
$
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
5. 5
Responder File
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
6. 6
List Broker: Who Tested and Still Uses This List?
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
7. 7
#2: Irresistible OFFER
Lead Generation
â
Something free (gift, info, sample, trial)
âą
Choose Right Commitment for your GOAL:
LOW Commitment = High Response
âFree Reportâ
HIGH Commitment = Low Response
âCall me Nowâ
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
8. 8
OFFERS: yawn . . . Or MOTIVATE!
âmore informationâ . . . âlearn moreâ . . . (yawn)
MERCHANDISE IT!
More Information on online advertising
OR
âFree Guide to Effective Online Advertising for
Small Businessâ
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
9. 9
Offers to Drive Purchase
âą
Discounts: volume purchase, introductory offer, first order, early bird
âą
Sale: before price increase, overstock
âą
Rebate
âą
Bonus gift
âą
Buy 1, get 1 free
âą
Bill me
âą
3 easy payments of . . .
âą
Build up the Sale
â
10% off of $50, 15% off $75, 20% off $100
â
Good, better, best
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
10. 10
#3: Whatâs the BEST Format?
Envelope:
âą
More Costly Product
âą
More Complex Product
âą
If Product Changes the way we do things
âą
Where TRUST is key
âą
To Senior Execs
âą
If Gatekeepers
âSelf-Mailerâ or Postcard
âą
Quick read
âą
Known brands
âą
Inexpensive products
âą
When you need a showroom & visuals
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
11. 11
#4: GET IT OPENED: 44% of Mail Never is
HEADLINE / VISUAL
âą
Headline and/or visual on ADDRESS PANEL SIDE
âą
Above Address where possible
â
This is the FRONT (how USPS delivers it)
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
12. 12
Getting it Opened with a HEADLINE
âą
Benefit
â
Whatâs in it for me?
â
Specifics Sell â be as
specific as possible
âąIntrigue: news, teaser, unique fact, question
âąAggressive Offer
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
13. 13
#5: Tests of an Effective Headline
âSo Whatâ?
âą
Whatâs in it for me?
âą
Get the âYouâ in Headline
âą
Specifics sell
âą
Get to the point
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
14. 14
Headline Ideas
âą
Useful info â How to
â
Numbered Ways
â
Ask a Question
âą
Inside Info
âą
Something free
âą
Testimonial
âą
Problem solving
âą
Discount or special
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
15. 15
#6: How to LEAD off
Remind of Pain and/or Promise Pleasure
âIs your job helping to make someone else rich â but not building anything for YOUR future? What if you could .â
OR
Do they see boring paragraphs . . .
âSince 2002, weâve been proudly serving . . .â
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
16. 16
#7: 85% of the World âSCANSâ
âą
Headlines
âą
Subheads
âą
Underlines, Bolds
âą
Bullets
âą
Numbered Points
When I SCAN, I should get the entire message . . .
-
What are you offering?
-
What will it do for me?
-
How do I get it?
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
17. 17
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
18. 18
#8: Conversational
âą
Write as you would say it out loud
âą
If you were face-to-face with me, is this what youâd say?
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
19. 19
Thank You!
www.ResponseFX.com
FOLLOW: @ResponseCoach
BLOG: www.responsefx.com/blog/
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.