Feedback Form

THE DIRECT MARKETING COPYWRITER'S DILEMMA

THE DIRECT MARKETING COPYWRITER'S DILEMMA

When writing a direct mail letter many writers deliberately use contractions and punctuation because they want their letters to sound more like conservation.

Therefore, phrases like" You will" or "We will" are pared down to "You'll" or "We'll" just like in normal speech.

However, there is a hidden danger in doing that because first, contractions tire the eye. They force the reader to take into consideration the presence of a tiny apostrophe lurking in between letters and that slows reading down.

It takes almost the same amount of time to read the words in the second column as the first:
Shan't Shall not
Can't Can not
Won't Will not

Things can get more complicated with the addition of punctuation, like an exclamation mark at the end of a sentence that looks almost the same as the capital letter "I" or a lower case "l".

For example:
"Here's how!"
“Get this great new bow!"

Most readers first only skim over the letter, trying to decipher the content, so they often look at the words with a lazy eye and this can cause the words to appear other than what they are.

The word "how" with the exclamation mark coming after the word may make it look like the word "howl" and the word "bow" can be mistaken for "bowl". This often forces the reader to stop and go back and reread the passage, interrupting not only the flow but also the comprehension.

Many modern writers have also decreased the amount of punctuation in sentences, eliminating commas and hyphens to speed up readership.





THE DIRECT MARKETING COPYWRITERS DILEMMA - To learn more about this author, visit Billy Sharma's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Related Forum Posts Article Feedback
Article Feedback No article feedback found.
Leave Your Feedback

Related Articles Related Articles
Rule 19 Watch What DirectResponse Advertisers Are Doing and Plagiarize
  This is Rule #19 in a series of articles on "21 ways to Increase the Power and Profit of Your Advertising Without Spending an Extra Cent," by Brad Sugars.
Words That Sell and Promote - What to Look For in a Rockin' Copywriter
  A copywriter is more than just a great writer. The following steps will help you hire a rockin’ copywriter to get the job done for your online marketing needs.
What to Expect When You Hire a Copywriter
  The Copywriting Process Unveiled~
The bad table
  I saw a marketing dilemma at the hot new restaurant I went to the other night.
The Do's and Dont's of Web Content Copywriting
  Is your website simply a pretty billboard or a lead generation machine? Your job is to qualify website visitors and persuade them to take immediate action. Using your website as a pretty billboard to show off yo...

Related Forum Posts Related Forum Posts
Re: Kevin's Forum Mastermind Group Re: Kevin's Forum Mastermind Group
Re: Kevin's Forum Mastermind Group Re: Kevin's Forum Mastermind Group

Related Forum Posts Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors
Kim Castle
With nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website

John Power
John 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
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 Kurlan
Dave 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

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 Neray
Michel 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 Barr
Anne 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.

About The Author


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.
About The Author

View Author Blog
View Author Blog

View Author Video
View Author Video

Free Downloads


Billy Sharma's

Complete
List Of
Marketing
Articles

First Name
Last Name
Email
Which is bigger?
Giraffe or Mouse
 
If you enjoyed this article, get Billy Sharma's Complete List of Marketing Articles For FREE!

More Billy Sharma
WHAT KIND OF BOSS ARE YOU
TO CREATE INTEREST IN YOUR DIRECT MAIL PACKAGE YOU HAVE TO START FROM THE START
ITS ALL A MATTER OF TIMING
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE REAL ART OF CLOSINGASALE IS
TAKE MY WORD FOR IT
DO YOU KNOW WHAT STOPS YOUR RECIPIENTS FROM READING YOUR DIRECT OR ONLINE MATERIAL HERES A HINT — IT COULD BE YOU
WHY CHARITIES ARE GUILTY OF A BIG BLUNDER AND HOW THEY CAN LEARN FROM ANOTHER BUSINESS
HOW TO SELL YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK
HOW TO RAISE FUNDS WITH NEWSLETTERS
THE LATEST EYETRACKING MOVEMENT RESULTS
Become An Author


 
 
 



Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

Featured Ebook


ebook Famous Entrepreneurs - Modern Empire Builders


Featured Ebook

More Evan Carmichael
Have A Suggestion?


Sales Lessons From Starbucks And Dell