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.
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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.
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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 |
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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 |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma 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: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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