The success of your direct mail is directly related to the copy or the words you put down on paper. The printed word is potentially the most powerful resource for business when it comes to advertising. The following are items that you need to include in your printed sales and marketing advertising:
#1 Staying power.
Anything printed tends to remain in front of its audience for a longer period of time. A magazine typically is kept for more than the one-week or one-month that it is current. It sticks around. For example, if a radio spot is not heard, it’s not something a potential customer will likely ever know about. Printed materials though, if not read right away, have a chance to be read at a later date.
#2 Grabber headline.
Headlines grab attention. If you’re able to come up with a headline that immediately gets your prospect’s response or gets the attention of the reader, then you’ll have a 90% better chance to accomplish your goal of having them continue to read the rest of your material and take action based on what they read in the balance of the material.
Your headline is really an ad for your ad. There are several types of different headlines you might choose to use. You don’t put in your headline, “Do You Want To Do This Or This?” You say, “Which Do You Prefer?” You question them with an alternative choice.
You want to use guarantees in your headlines.
You want to involve the reader. Replace “I” with “You” and “Yours” everywhere in your sales material that you possibly can.
#3 Features.
Another opportunity that you have is the ability to highlight the features of your business. These features can be listed and may include a description of the importance of each and how your business products differ from those of your competitors.
These features are different from benefits (benefits is the next category). A feature might tell them what your business does while a benefit will tell them what that features does for them. Benefits are what sells.
Nowhere else is a prospect in contact with the positive aspects of your business products and/or services as when they’re written down for them to see.
#4 Facts and/or Proof.
If a brief explanation isn’t enough to persuade prospects, then you may need to embellish your material with analytical material, figures or facts from a survey, your credentials, or things that might prove your story.
#5 Persuade with emotion.
The printed word may not offer the same kind of appeal as TV, radio or being there in person, but you still can call on their emotions, particularly when it requires further explanation to provide the desired impact on the reader.
#6 Call for action.
A well-written ad on radio or TV can actually miss the point if there is a call for action and the viewer or listener cannot write down the number or remember to act upon it. This happens with infomercials. They should leave the 800 number on the screen the entire time.
The printed word and your call for action can be repeatedly stressed in your sales material thereby motivating them to call.
You can give them an incentive or bonus to act in a prescribed time limit. You can reward them for taking action now. One way to motivate your reader is to build the incentive into something. You can give them a special discount if they buy now. A gift with a purchase. A coupon good for future discounts. Additional warranty period. Extra products or services. Free delivery. Limited availability.
#7 Penalty for inaction.
Sometimes they won’t be moved by the positive reward so you need to provide a penalty. A penalty for not buying now might be so severe that the customers who react to this type of threat will be called into action.
This type of method takes the form of limited supply. This offer can only be made for a limited time. Prices are about to increase. This model is being discontinued.
You want to be careful in communicating the penalty in your advertising so you don’t irritate those other customers who respond better to positive rewards. Nevertheless, this can be effective.
#8 Tell how to order now.
One additional bit of information that is essential in your sales piece is the buying instruction detail. You want to tell them exactly how to buy.
You need to consider the following types of buying instructions when you put together your sales piece.
The times they can buy.
The location or phone number. Any other pertinent information.
You need to tell them to pick up the phone, dial this number, and ask for this product or service or information. You want to be very specific.