Posts Tagged ‘direct mail copywriting’
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
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We all make mistakes, but years ago a teacher told me, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not doing enough.”
Mistakes can be learning experiences, but as valuable as it is to learn from our own mistakes, it can be more profitable to learn from the mistakes of others.
Throughout my 30-plus years of direct marketing, here are five of the most common mistakes I see mailers make. And regardless of our own experience, we can always profit from the lessons others had to learn the hard way.
1. Refusing to make a long-term commitment to direct mail
Successful direct mail is methodical. It requires a plan and the discipline to follow the plan. It is not a get-rich-quick scheme.
Not everything will go right on every mailing. Whether you are a startup or a mature mailer, some tests (more…)
Tags: direct mail budget, direct mail copywriting, direct mail lists, direct mail offer, direct mail planning, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing
Posted in Campaign Planning, Copywriting, Strategy, Testing, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
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Whether you’re promoting an idea, a product or a service, successful direct mail copy persuades the reader to take a desired course of action.
Years ago, the televangelist Don Stewart successfully wrote to his supporters saying, “Send $25 now. I’ll explain later.”
But today we live in an “age of skepticism,” and without facts to support the letter’s claims—and a clear understanding of the mailing’s purpose—the direct mail copywriter cannot write his or her most persuasive appeal.
Facts help build creditability, and every promise needs to be supported with believable data. But, to do his or her best work, the direct mail copywriter needs more than product information. Before beginning to write, your copywriter also needs (more…)
Tags: direct mail copywriter, direct mail copywriting, direct mail reseach, direct mail response, direct mail testing, increase direct mail response, research for copywriter
Posted in Copywriting, Miscellaneous, Strategy, Testing, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 28th, 2011
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Direct mail is a sales medium. We use it to sell ideas, products and services. And like any other form of sales, its success is based on trust.
Regardless of how much the prospect may value your offer, if he or she doesn’t trust the person attempting to make the sale, it’s not going to happen.
In direct mail, our salesperson is the letter signer. And to establish trust we use testimonials, money-back guarantees and clear, straightforward language.
By definition, an asterisk “indicates omission…”
An asterisk signifies that the claim being made isn’t complete. There are qualifications and/or limitations to what you’re being told. In blunt terms, an asterisk says that (more…)
Tags: copywriting, direct mail, direct mail copywriting, direct mail design, direct mail graphics, direct mail guarantee, direct mail readership, direct mail response, direct mail sales, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, increase direct mail response
Posted in Copywriting, Miscellaneous, Strategy, Testing, Thought Provoking | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
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Too often, people and organizations put all their attention into getting the big things right, but ignore the details.
There’s a word to describe this. It’s “mediocrity.”
Giving attention to the details can’t ensure your success, but ignoring the small stuff can quickly bring about your downfall.
Every detail has bottom-line repercussions and it’s irresponsible to think of any aspect of direct mail as trivial, unimportant or inconsequential.
Here are a few fine points often overlooked in a mailing. None will ensure your success, but collectively, they can make a huge difference in your (more…)
Tags: direct mail copywriting, direct mail graphics, direct mail readership, direct mail response, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, how increase readership, increase direct mail response, test direct mail
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Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
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Whether you call it an order form, a response form or a response device, it’s one of the most crucial components of any direct response mailing.
The response form is the tool the prospect uses to complete the sale. Yet when creating a new direct mail package, we don’t always give the order form the time, attention and respect it deserves.
Too often, we write copy that excites readers and motivates them to accept our offer only to lose the sale (or contribution) with simple, easy-to-correct design flaws in the order form.
Here are 18 tested and proven ideas you can use to make your response form more profitable. (more…)
Tags: direct mail, direct mail copywriting, direct mail order form, direct mail reply form, direct mail response device, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, increase direct mail response
Posted in Copywriting, Graphic Design, Strategy, Testing | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010
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When I started my direct marketing career, I wanted to be a copywriter. Copywriters were the agency “hotshots”; it seemed like they were the star attraction.
Yet my mentor told me that the people of most value to the agency were direct mail “generalists.” Taking his advice, I spent the next six years learning how to initiate, develop and manage successful direct mail campaigns.
I studied list selection, graphic layouts, the letter’s structure, print production and lettershop capabilities. And I gave special attention to what and how to test.
Yet today, most of my income comes from direct mail copywriting.
Over the years, I’ve tested (more…)
Tags: copywriting, direct mail, direct mail copywriter, direct mail copywriting, direct mail response, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, editing copy, increase direct mail response
Posted in Copywriting, Miscellaneous, Strategy, Thought Provoking | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
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Just about every direct mail copywriter can benefit from a good editor. Yet many decision makers who approve copy—clients, compliance officers, board members and managers—aren’t trained to edit the copywriter’s work. 
Here’s a simple 3-step method and checklist that might help.
Step 1
When reviewing a direct mail letter for the first time, sit on your hands.
One of the biggest mistakes is to pick up your red pen before you’ve reviewed the complete mailing package. Checking for errors in grammar, spelling and sentence structure is essential. But when you proofread (more…)
Tags: copy editor, direct mail, direct mail copywriting, direct mail readership, direct mail response, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, editing copy, how edit direct mail, increase direct mail response, test direct mail
Posted in Copywriting, Graphic Design, Miscellaneous, Strategy, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
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Simply put, your direct mail offer is the “deal” you promise the recipient. It’s what you promise the reader and what you ask in return.
Your offer needs to be specific and to clearly state how it benefits the prospect. It includes the product—or for a fundraiser, the organization’s mission or project—the price or asking amount, terms, incentives, guarantee, etc.
And, of all the components of your mailing—other than the list—the offer is the most important element of your success. If you’re looking for breakthrough results, here are 17 quick ideas to consider: (more…)
Tags: direct mail, direct mail copywriting, direct mail offer, direct mail response, direct mail response rates, direct mail strategy, direct mail test, direct mail testing, increase direct mail response
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Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
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One thing we can do to improve the profitability of our direct mail is to learn the lessons of a famous jam study.
That’s right. Jam. The stuff we spread over our toast.
In a gourmet market, Professor Sheena Iyengar of Columbia University and her research assistants set up a booth offering samples of Wilkin & Sons jams.
Every few hours, the researchers switched from offering customers a selection of 24 jams to offering a group of only six jams.
Each participating customer – regardless of the number of selections offered – received a $1 savings coupon and tasted an average of two jams.
Here’s the interesting part. (more…)
Tags: direct mail, direct mail copywriting, direct mail response, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing
Posted in Copywriting, Strategy, Testing, Thought Provoking | No Comments »
Monday, March 15th, 2010
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Direct mail isn’t a complicated business. If you can get more people to read further into your letter, you’re going to achieve a greater response.
Successful direct mail is a conversation that motivates the reader to take a specific action. If we can get the prospect to listen more, or in our case read further along in our letter, we’ll have a greater chance of getting them to take the desired action.
Here are 18 proven ways you can increase readership of your direct mail letters and (more…)
Tags: direct mail, direct mail copywriting, direct mail readership, direct mail response, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, how increase readership
Posted in Copywriting, Graphic Design, Testing | No Comments »
