Top Tips for More Effective Marketing Material
Top Tips for More Effective Marketing Material
The most important part of your material is the headline. Most people will make a judgement on whether to read your material based on the headline, so it’s the ad for your advertisement or brochure.
The headline should take up around 25% of an ad’s space. Your direct mail letters should also have a headline… right at the top, before the salutation. A good idea is to design your stationary letterhead to have the details down one side or across the bottom. That way, you leave the top for a headline.
Having a ‘loop’ in your headline, means your headline will compel your reader to read the copy for more information. I’ve taken a couple of headlines and introduced a ‘loop’ below:
Non Loop Headline Headline with ‘loop’
FREE Consultation Here’s How You Can Get A FREE Consultation…
Don’t Waste Money… 3 Steps To Saving Money
Joe Bloggs & Co. 7 Reasons To Choose Joe Bloggs & Co…
Here’s some ways to create a loop in your headline:
• Here’s How…
• 3, 5, 7 Ways To…
• 3, 5, 7 Reasons…
• Here’s Why…
• 3, 5, 7 Steps To…
By the way, you’ll notice all the numbers are ‘odd’. Odd numbers are psychologically more attractive than even numbers. The next time you visit a Baskin Robbins Icecream Shop with their 31 flavours… count them, you’ll find there’s normally 32. They just know the benefit of odd numbers.
Type faces...
The typeface or font that you use in your material, can make a big difference to the results you achieve. The 2 basic types are Sans Serif and Serif fonts.
Sans Serif fonts don’t have the little “feet” at the bottom of each letter (like Arial font). Studies have shown that people find these fonts far more difficult to read than serif fonts.
Serif type (like Times New Roman) has the little “feet” or “hooks” at the bottom of each letter. These “feet” appear to form a line under the words that your eye follows with more ease. If you want people to read your advertisement, use a serif typeface.
Point Size...
The size of the font you use is referred to as point size. Studies have shown that readership does not drop off if you use between 7.5 and 14-point size. As a general rule 9 to 11 point is ideal.
Case...
Case type is whether your text is in capital letters or not. All Caps is harder to read than ‘title case’ or ‘lower case’.
THESE THREE FACTORS ABOVE IS WHY PEOPLE FIND IT SO DIFFICULT TO READ AND COMPREHEND CONTRACTUAL SMALL PRINT BECAUSE ITS ALL UPPER CASE SMALLER THAN 7.5 POINT AND ARIAL TYPE FONT WITH VIRTUALLY NO PUNCTUATION AND POMPUS WORDING TO CONFUSE THE READER.
Sub-headlines...
Sub-headlines have 3 major benefits ...
1. They break up large blocks of text making them easier to read. If your material looks like one big ‘chunk’ of text, it can put people off reading it. By using sub-headlines you can break your copy up and give it some ‘space’.
2. They allow someone skimming over your ad to only read the points that interest them.
3. They spark the reader’s interest. If your headline doesn’t get them in completely you can get a second chance with your sub-headlines.
It is important that your sub-headlines tell a story. Your sub-headlines need to be able to convey your message to those people who are just browsing over your material or ad.
Body Copy...
You only get one chance with a potential customer, so your first fifty words are crucial. You must arouse your reader’s curiosity immediately, with the very first paragraph. If they’re not excited after the first fifty words they may not read the rest of your material.
Use the bare minimum of copy to get your message across; don’t waffle on. But make sure that you include enough information to inform your reader. You should never tell the whole story in your advertising. Tell them as much as you need, to get them to call. By holding back some information you make it necessary for them to call you to find out more.
Pictures...
Studies have shown that ads containing a picture that takes up between 25 – 75% of the total advertisement have greater readership than those without one. You will probably need to put a fair amount of text in your ad so 25% is probably the ideal size. Don’t use line drawings or clipart. Photographs get a much higher response than illustrations.
Also consider putting a photo of yourself in the ad. People buy from people not companies; so let them see the person behind the company name. Place your photo so that it looks straight out, or towards your body copy. If your picture is looking into your ad, your potential customers will also be drawn into it.
Always put a caption under your photo. Everybody reads the captions so make sure you take advantage of this opportunity to get them into your ad.
Having said that about graphics, you also need to make sure that any picture says more than the equivalent space in words. For example, you’ll pay about 80 cents (in Brisbane Yellow Pages) per square millimeter of space. If you’re going to put in a postage stamp size ad, you need to ask yourself if the inclusion of that picture alone is going to generate an extra $600 worth of profit that year.
Call to action...
If your reader is still reading by the time they get to the end of your material; whether an ad, letter, or brochure, they’re ready to buy and you need to suggest exactly how they go about that with a ‘call to action’. In my view, the classic closing line for a sales letter of ‘… if you have any queries please don’t hesitate to call…’ is feeble in the least.
Your material needs to be confident, presuming the sale. If you’ve written a letter in response to an enquiry, your letter should end with ‘… I’ll give you a call in a couple of days to work out which weekend tour will be best for you and your mates. If you have any queries in the meantime, please call me on xxxx xxxx.’
If it’s an ad, you need to tell them to call or take other action now.
Top Tips for More Effective Marketing Material - To learn more about this author, visit Steve Leach's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Headline...
The most important part of your material is the headline. Most people will make a judgement on whether to read your material based on the headline, so it’s the ad for your advertisement or brochure.
The headline should take up around 25% of an ad’s space. Your direct mail letters should also have a headline… right at the top, before the salutation. A good idea is to design your stationary letterhead to have the details down one side or across the bottom. That way, you leave the top for a headline.
Having a ‘loop’ in your headline, means your headline will compel your reader to read the copy for more information. I’ve taken a couple of headlines and introduced a ‘loop’ below:
Non Loop Headline Headline with ‘loop’
FREE Consultation Here’s How You Can Get A FREE Consultation…
Don’t Waste Money… 3 Steps To Saving Money
Joe Bloggs & Co. 7 Reasons To Choose Joe Bloggs & Co…
Here’s some ways to create a loop in your headline:
• Here’s How…
• 3, 5, 7 Ways To…
• 3, 5, 7 Reasons…
• Here’s Why…
• 3, 5, 7 Steps To…
By the way, you’ll notice all the numbers are ‘odd’. Odd numbers are psychologically more attractive than even numbers. The next time you visit a Baskin Robbins Icecream Shop with their 31 flavours… count them, you’ll find there’s normally 32. They just know the benefit of odd numbers.
Type faces...
The typeface or font that you use in your material, can make a big difference to the results you achieve. The 2 basic types are Sans Serif and Serif fonts.
Sans Serif fonts don’t have the little “feet” at the bottom of each letter (like Arial font). Studies have shown that people find these fonts far more difficult to read than serif fonts.
Serif type (like Times New Roman) has the little “feet” or “hooks” at the bottom of each letter. These “feet” appear to form a line under the words that your eye follows with more ease. If you want people to read your advertisement, use a serif typeface.
Point Size...
The size of the font you use is referred to as point size. Studies have shown that readership does not drop off if you use between 7.5 and 14-point size. As a general rule 9 to 11 point is ideal.
Case...
Case type is whether your text is in capital letters or not. All Caps is harder to read than ‘title case’ or ‘lower case’.
THESE THREE FACTORS ABOVE IS WHY PEOPLE FIND IT SO DIFFICULT TO READ AND COMPREHEND CONTRACTUAL SMALL PRINT BECAUSE ITS ALL UPPER CASE SMALLER THAN 7.5 POINT AND ARIAL TYPE FONT WITH VIRTUALLY NO PUNCTUATION AND POMPUS WORDING TO CONFUSE THE READER.
Sub-headlines...
Sub-headlines have 3 major benefits ...
1. They break up large blocks of text making them easier to read. If your material looks like one big ‘chunk’ of text, it can put people off reading it. By using sub-headlines you can break your copy up and give it some ‘space’.
2. They allow someone skimming over your ad to only read the points that interest them.
3. They spark the reader’s interest. If your headline doesn’t get them in completely you can get a second chance with your sub-headlines.
It is important that your sub-headlines tell a story. Your sub-headlines need to be able to convey your message to those people who are just browsing over your material or ad.
Body Copy...
You only get one chance with a potential customer, so your first fifty words are crucial. You must arouse your reader’s curiosity immediately, with the very first paragraph. If they’re not excited after the first fifty words they may not read the rest of your material.
Use the bare minimum of copy to get your message across; don’t waffle on. But make sure that you include enough information to inform your reader. You should never tell the whole story in your advertising. Tell them as much as you need, to get them to call. By holding back some information you make it necessary for them to call you to find out more.
Pictures...
Studies have shown that ads containing a picture that takes up between 25 – 75% of the total advertisement have greater readership than those without one. You will probably need to put a fair amount of text in your ad so 25% is probably the ideal size. Don’t use line drawings or clipart. Photographs get a much higher response than illustrations.
Also consider putting a photo of yourself in the ad. People buy from people not companies; so let them see the person behind the company name. Place your photo so that it looks straight out, or towards your body copy. If your picture is looking into your ad, your potential customers will also be drawn into it.
Always put a caption under your photo. Everybody reads the captions so make sure you take advantage of this opportunity to get them into your ad.
Having said that about graphics, you also need to make sure that any picture says more than the equivalent space in words. For example, you’ll pay about 80 cents (in Brisbane Yellow Pages) per square millimeter of space. If you’re going to put in a postage stamp size ad, you need to ask yourself if the inclusion of that picture alone is going to generate an extra $600 worth of profit that year.
Call to action...
If your reader is still reading by the time they get to the end of your material; whether an ad, letter, or brochure, they’re ready to buy and you need to suggest exactly how they go about that with a ‘call to action’. In my view, the classic closing line for a sales letter of ‘… if you have any queries please don’t hesitate to call…’ is feeble in the least.
Your material needs to be confident, presuming the sale. If you’ve written a letter in response to an enquiry, your letter should end with ‘… I’ll give you a call in a couple of days to work out which weekend tour will be best for you and your mates. If you have any queries in the meantime, please call me on xxxx xxxx.’
If it’s an ad, you need to tell them to call or take other action now.
Top Tips for More Effective Marketing Material - To learn more about this author, visit Steve Leach's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
| |||
 |
No article feedback found. | ||
|
Leave Your Feedback | ||
|
|||
 Leveraging at its Finest - How Many Ways Can You License Your Tips Booklet to Promote Your Business?
| |||
| You've been thinking about writing a tips booklet. After all, it's shorter, faster, and easier than writing an entire book. A single tips booklet manuscript can be recycled over and over again, developing a new inco... |
|||
|
Take The We-We Challenge
| |||
| Marketing and sales materials need to be focused on the prospect. Evaluate whether your copy hurts or helps your efforts. |
|||
|
Effective Business Communication Tips
| |||
| Do you consider yourself to be an effective business communicator? Have you honed your skills when communicating via E-mail and voice-mail messaging, in addition to the more traditional formal business writings? C... |
|||
|
Is Your knowledge an Obstacle to Selling More?
| |||
| Examine whether or not your knowledge blurs the clarity and effect of your marketing.
|
|||
|
Bookkeeping Tips on Tips
| |||
| Are you a hairdresser, waiter or waitress? Do you work at a barber shop, golf course, hotel, casino or drive a taxicab? Did you know that the money you receive from those services is taxable income?
Here are som... |
|||
| |||
John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
|||
|
Joe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: http://www.business901.com Web/Blog: http://www.FundingYourNonprofit.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/business901 – Linked In http://www.twitter.com/business901 – Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
|||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
|||
Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) Jay Kubassek is a Canadian born entrepreneur, internet marketing genius, professional speaker, international real estate developer/investor, executive film producer, extreme sport enthusiast and a passionate supporter of several charities worldwide. In 2007, Jay's vision and dedication to help other entrepreneurs and business owners duplicate his marketing success led to the creation of his fourth company CarbonCopyPRO, an internet marketing firm already worth over 15 million dollars that has over 20 employees and contract workers with clients is 12 different countries. Jay resides in NYC with his girlfriend Jamie, three year old son Milo and dog Cooper. As executive producer he recently premiered his first film in the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. As an adventurist he is racing the 2008 Baja 1000 off-road race and is a member of the 2008 U.S. National Elephant Polo Team, The New York Blue who will be representing the US in the 2008 World Championships in Nepal. Visit Jay's Blog: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
|||
Michel NerayMichel Neray has over 25 years of experience as an award-winning copywriter, an Internet pioneer, a tradeshow pitchman and a senior sales and marketing executive. An online pioneer, he was one of the first marketing professionals to embrace the Internet by building websites as early as 1993. In 1994, Michel co-authored a book entitled "The Great Crossover: Personal Confidence in the Age of the Microchip", which made it to Jack Canfield's Achiever's Recommended Reading List. Michel founded Portfolios.com in 1995, the world's first online source directory for creative professionals and one of the first websites based on community generated content. Since creating The Essential Message in 2003, Michel has helped thousands of independent professionals and entrepreneurs as well as growing corporations find a better way to differentiate, position and brand themselves. In 2005, his chapter "Everything Starts With A Conversation" was selected as the lead for the book, "Sales Gurus Speak Out" and re-published in 2008 for 'Awakening The Workplace Volume 3'. He is also a co-author of "In the Company of Leaders" (2008) with 40 top North American leadership experts. - Visit Michel Neray's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
 Steve Leach (Visit Steve's Website) As a Business Coach and International Trainer, I help enthusiastic business owners achieve their greatest potential. I'm the MOST experienced and longest serving coach with the World's Number 1 business coaching organisation ActionCOACH. I've also presented workshops in 40 cities across 14 countries.
|  |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
 |
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
| ||
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 |
 Networking Challenges Working with Wisdom Double Digit Growth eguide Leadership 2.0 Manners, Positivity, Heroics |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Geek Business Blogs
Top 50 Geek Business Blogs | |
 |
More PR Resources
Press Release Builder | |
| ||
 |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
||||||||||||
