Remember the old saying, "You only get one chance to make a first impression. "
Well that applies to your first direct mail solicitation too.
I recently got one from a bank for a credit card. What annoyed me was not the interest rate they wanted to charge, but how badly it was designed. It seemed that the art director didn't have a clue as to how to make it legible, never mind trying to make it inviting.
He used a condensed sans serif and set the letter in solid blocks of type all clustered together.
Now we all know that the wrong fonts and typefaces can have a serious impact on readability, especially since it's been proven that most people only read half the material that attracts them. Also, if you are sending a letter, make it look like a letter and not like an ad or a poster.
There is enough research to show that the numbers of words in a sentence affect comprehension. For example:
1. Level Word Length
Very easy to read 8 words
Easy to read 11 words
Fairly easy 14 words
Standard 17 words
Fairly difficult 21 words
Difficult 25 words
Very difficult 29 words+
2. In many tests readers have reported that a serif body type is easier to read and comprehend than sans serif types.
3. Large blocks of copy are best digested in bite- sized portions. Long copy can be daunting to the reader.
Smaller blocks look like less work.
4. Sections that are varied to look visually different are easier to absorb. Having to plow through information that all looks the same can lead to boredom and a bored reader is a lost reader.
5. Neat, tidy, linear layouts tend to make the piece feel settled, while starbursts, callouts, tilted pictures or arrows make the piece active.
6. Finally, sentences should be short with only one idea to a sentence. Remember the KISS rule: Keep it Simple Stupid.
But how can you be sure you’re keeping your copy simple?
Simply go to: http://resources.aellalei.com/tools/writer/sample.php
You’ll be visiting the Obsidian Studios website, where you’ll find a great tool to evaluate your copy. You simply drop in any text, and the website analyzes it for readability.
It will tell you everything from the average amount of words per sentence, to the average number of syllables per word! And it will determine which grade level it is written for.
For example, if you use 20 words per sentence with 1.5 syllables per word, you’ll receive a Flesch Reading Ease Score of 60-70 – which corresponds to the 8th/9th grade English level.
This is probably where you want your copy to score.
It’s not that people can’t read at a higher level. It’s just that you want to make it as easy as possible for them.
Just for fun, I analyzed this article. It has 14 words per sentence, and it scored a 6.02, on the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, which means it’s at the optimal reading level.
HOWTO PRESENT YOUR BEST FACE WHEN YOU SEND YOUR FIRST PIECE OF MAIL - To learn more about this author, visit Billy Sharma's Website.
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Billy Sharma
(Visit Billy's Website)
BILLY SHARMA
Billy holds a Bachelor of Science degree
and is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of J.J.
School of Art (Bombay) and the Hochshüle
für Gestaltung (Bauhaus School of Design,
Germany).
After many years of working for other
companies, Billy founded Designers Inc. In
1999 he became Managing Director and
Creative Director of Brann Worldwide in
Toronto. Under his stewardship the agency
grew three-fold in two years when Brann
Worldwide was elected the number one
direct marketing agency in the world in
2000.
Billy has extensive advertising and direct
marketing experience gained in many
national and international advertising
agencies in Europe, U.S. and Canada. This
has honed his creative skills to help
provide breakthrough creative ideas for
his clients.
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