How to Create Great Direct Mail Copy That Will Get Noticed
How to Create Great Direct Mail Copy That Will Get Noticed
UNDERSTANDING DIRECT MAIL
The first thing you need to understand is that direct mail can be an uphill battle. Bob Bly, one of the US's leading copywriters, quotes the following figures regarding direct mail success rates:
- Solo mailing selling a single item: 0.5 % - 2%.
- Lead-generation mailing requiring specific action (calling or e-mailing you): 0.5% - 2%.
- Lead-generation mailing requiring milder action (return self-addressed envelope): 1% - 3%.
You can expect to convert between 10% and 25% of the leads you get from direct mail, but it will probably take some time, especially for high-end service professionals.
Take a close look at those numbers and analyze what they mean for your business. If you offer professional services, it is going to take a lot of mailings to generate a healthy response. That is why I never recommend building a business on direct mail alone. It can soak up a lot of cash, especially if your company is new and hasn't had time to build a brand. That said, there are some ways to make sure your mailing gets noticed and has a fighting chance of working for you.
BEST PRACTICES
Your mailer needs to be eye-catching, to-the-point, and sent to a targeted list of prospects. Here are a few tips to help you compose an effective campaign.
Use a targeted list. Companies like InfoUSA and USA Data have huge lists with specific demographics that will help you focus your mailing to your specific target market. It may cost more money, but the better your leads the better chance you have of success.
- Set an objective for the mailer. Do you want prospects to call for a free consultation? Do you want them to R.S.V.P. for your next seminar? What type of action do you want them to take? There are a number of things you might request a prospect do, make sure you say it on the mailer.
- Include an incentive to take action. "The first 10 callers will receive...". People love a good deal, and giving an incentive like a price reduction or free gift can be just what was needed to generate a response.
- Proofread and then proofread again. According to a Royal Mail survey, 74% of customers don't trust businesses that make grammar errors, and 30% won't buy from them.
- Write a good headline. Try to strike an emotion (pain and fear are often used) from the start.
- Test your mailing before sending it out to thousands of prospects. A random sample of 500 postcards or letters should give you a good feel for how the market will respond to that particular mailing. You can also test two or more mailings against each other and see which one delivers a better response.
Several companies have samples of quality direct mail pieces on their website. Google "direct mail sample" and a list will come up.
WHAT TO SEND?
There are several different choices of what to send. Here is a list of the most conventional mailings.
- Postcards
- Letters (both single and multi-pages)
- Catalog
- Magazine/Trade Advertisements
- ValPak Coupons
For most high-end service businesses, a letter or advertisement in a trade magazine will carry more weight than a simple postcard. Sure it costs more, but your responses will likely be higher using a more thorough method of communication.
TIMING CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Many businesses are cyclical in nature and business owners sometimes try mailings during slow times thinking it will generate demand. Don't defy the business gods by doing this. You will waste your money. The best time to mail is when customers are ready to spend money on your service. If that only happens during certain times of the year, so be it.
Let's recap some of the main points. First, make sure you have a targeted list. Second, proofread your mailer and remember to put a call to action. Third, never do a full mailing without testing it first. Finally, send your direct mail piece at the right time. Best of luck with your next campaign!
How to Create Great Direct Mail Copy That Will Get Noticed - To learn more about this author, visit Bill Tamminga's Website.
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Direct mail can be a good way to grow your business, but it can also be a costly mistake if not done correctly. What can you do to get the best response possible?
UNDERSTANDING DIRECT MAIL
The first thing you need to understand is that direct mail can be an uphill battle. Bob Bly, one of the US's leading copywriters, quotes the following figures regarding direct mail success rates:
- Solo mailing selling a single item: 0.5 % - 2%.
- Lead-generation mailing requiring specific action (calling or e-mailing you): 0.5% - 2%.
- Lead-generation mailing requiring milder action (return self-addressed envelope): 1% - 3%.
You can expect to convert between 10% and 25% of the leads you get from direct mail, but it will probably take some time, especially for high-end service professionals.
Take a close look at those numbers and analyze what they mean for your business. If you offer professional services, it is going to take a lot of mailings to generate a healthy response. That is why I never recommend building a business on direct mail alone. It can soak up a lot of cash, especially if your company is new and hasn't had time to build a brand. That said, there are some ways to make sure your mailing gets noticed and has a fighting chance of working for you.
BEST PRACTICES
Your mailer needs to be eye-catching, to-the-point, and sent to a targeted list of prospects. Here are a few tips to help you compose an effective campaign.
Use a targeted list. Companies like InfoUSA and USA Data have huge lists with specific demographics that will help you focus your mailing to your specific target market. It may cost more money, but the better your leads the better chance you have of success.
- Set an objective for the mailer. Do you want prospects to call for a free consultation? Do you want them to R.S.V.P. for your next seminar? What type of action do you want them to take? There are a number of things you might request a prospect do, make sure you say it on the mailer.
- Include an incentive to take action. "The first 10 callers will receive...". People love a good deal, and giving an incentive like a price reduction or free gift can be just what was needed to generate a response.
- Proofread and then proofread again. According to a Royal Mail survey, 74% of customers don't trust businesses that make grammar errors, and 30% won't buy from them.
- Write a good headline. Try to strike an emotion (pain and fear are often used) from the start.
- Test your mailing before sending it out to thousands of prospects. A random sample of 500 postcards or letters should give you a good feel for how the market will respond to that particular mailing. You can also test two or more mailings against each other and see which one delivers a better response.
Several companies have samples of quality direct mail pieces on their website. Google "direct mail sample" and a list will come up.
WHAT TO SEND?
There are several different choices of what to send. Here is a list of the most conventional mailings.
- Postcards
- Letters (both single and multi-pages)
- Catalog
- Magazine/Trade Advertisements
- ValPak Coupons
For most high-end service businesses, a letter or advertisement in a trade magazine will carry more weight than a simple postcard. Sure it costs more, but your responses will likely be higher using a more thorough method of communication.
TIMING CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Many businesses are cyclical in nature and business owners sometimes try mailings during slow times thinking it will generate demand. Don't defy the business gods by doing this. You will waste your money. The best time to mail is when customers are ready to spend money on your service. If that only happens during certain times of the year, so be it.
Let's recap some of the main points. First, make sure you have a targeted list. Second, proofread your mailer and remember to put a call to action. Third, never do a full mailing without testing it first. Finally, send your direct mail piece at the right time. Best of luck with your next campaign!
How to Create Great Direct Mail Copy That Will Get Noticed - To learn more about this author, visit Bill Tamminga'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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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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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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Kim CastleWith 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 |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith'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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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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