The easiest way to increase your direct mail response rates is to make your packages more personal. Given the choice between reading a flyer and reading a hand-written note from a friend, most people will read the personal note first. Here are some ways to make your direct mail packages more personal. Read the rest of this entry »
The sweetest sound in any language is the sound of your name. That’s why the most important word in direct mail is “you.”
Since your prospective customers care about themselves more than they care about you or what you are selling through the mail, your direct mail package should make your prospects the hero of your letters. Read the rest of this entry »
Need help creating an original tagline for your product, service or company. Study these famous (and lesser-known) slogans for ideas. Read the rest of this entry »
Mailing the same direct mail offer to the same consumer list a second time typically generates a response rate that’s 65% smaller than the initial response. Mailing a third time usually generates a response that’s more than 50% smaller than the initial mailing. Read the rest of this entry »
Your email marketing will flunk if you ignore this message.
Your enemy in business-to-business email marketing is the preview pane.
Most individuals at work use the preview pane in their email program. The preview pane, of course, is that window that shows the contents of an email message before you open it. It usually appears beneath the email inbox. But it can also appear to the right of the inbox (in Microsoft Outlook, for example). Read the rest of this entry »
The main difference between a real horse and a hobby horse is that you can get off a real horse. And one of my hobby horses is telling the truth in advertising. That’s not a typo.
Telling the truth in direct mail advertising is essential for your long-term credibility. And long-term viability. Lying is always wrong, even when it makes you money. Read the rest of this entry »
A recent study conducted by Omniture for Marketing Sherpa shows that a single-column opt-in form outperforms a double-column form on email subscription landing pages. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received on customer retention was this: “Never forget a customer. Never let a customer forget you.”
But putting that maxim into practice is the hard part. How do you stay in touch with someone who is not ready to buy this quarter? How do you stay in touch with a customer who just made a purchase and is not likely to make another one for a few years (car sales comes to mind)? Read the rest of this entry »
One of the greatest challenges in direct email marketing is building your list. Your most valuable asset is a list of people who have given you their permission to email them periodically. The larger that list is, the better. Here are some proven ways to add opt-in subscribers to your email lists each day. Read the rest of this entry »
Please forgive me for being so candid, but I’d like to talk about the subject of your colon. The colon in your email subject line, that is.
One of the most effective ways to boost your email marketing open rates is to improve your subject line. The more relevant your subject line is to your customers, the more likely they are to open your email. Read the rest of this entry »
If you plan to make outrageous but true claims in your direct response copy, make sure you have a calculator nearby as you write. Because sceptical prospective customers and existing customers will check your numbers, even if you don’t. Read the rest of this entry »
In the termite capital of the US, Tampa, Florida, lives a man by the name of Chet Rowland who generates direct mail sales leads by promoting his poor service. Read the rest of this entry »
Buy a filing cabinet. A big one. That’s my advice for aspiring direct mail copywriters, creative directors at direct mail agencies, and marketing managers who want to improve their direct mail results as quickly as possible. Read the rest of this entry »
If you want to improve your sales letters, read movie reviews. One of the most common criticisms brought against new movies is that the characters are wooden and one-dimensional. Their actions are predictable. Their speech is predictable. Read the rest of this entry »
How can you know if your direct mail sales letter is ready to mail? Check it against these guidelines from Don Kanter, the US direct mail specialist. Read the rest of this entry »
If you use direct mail to generate leads for your sales force, and if you’re hunting for an offer that will motivate prospects to respond to your mailings, how about asking your sales force for some advice? Your best sales people know what to say to prospects to close sales. Different folks need different closes. You can take these closing techniques and make them your direct mail offers. Read the rest of this entry »
If your direct mail lead generation campaigns are typical, the majority of people who respond to your sales letters aren’t ready to buy. That’s why one of the most important tasks in direct response lead generation is qualifying every inquiry, assigning it to one of four groups. Read the rest of this entry »
The success of your next lead generation mailing might depend on one simple question. Before you rent a list of potential customers, ask the list broker this straightforward question: “How often are the names on this list added to?” Read the rest of this entry »
You can lose a direct mail sale quicker than you think.
So your primary goal at the start of your sales letter is to demonstrate relevance. You must prove, and quickly, that what you have to say is relevant to your reader. That’s why I recommend you write your copy as though it’s appearing on page one of a Google search results page. Read the rest of this entry »
Postcards are cheap to print and mail but they have one major weakness as far as direct response lead generation is concerned. They don’t have a physical response mechanism. Read the rest of this entry »
One of your toughest challenges in email marketing is persuading people to open and read your email sales pitch. Your customers are busy, and distracted, and inundated with spam. No wonder the average open rate is a mere 35.5 percent, according to email service provider Harte-Hanks Postfuture. Read the rest of this entry »
Your direct mail sales letters must overcome three doubts if you are to make money through the mail. Read the rest of this entry »
When I served in the British Special Forces, I learned a lesson from a sniper that applies directly to your success at direct mail marketing. Read the rest of this entry »
Will you read a sales letter 147 pages long?
Would you mail your customers a sales letter that makes them page through 124 case studies before you describe what you’re selling?
Will you read a sales letter that contains 56,938 words, enough to fill a 253-page paperback book? Read the rest of this entry »
How do you generate sales leads with direct mail when you have no credentials?
I’m talking about the financial planner with much education but no demonstrated expertise. The brand new lettershop with no industry experience and zero publicity. The software firm with no clients. Read the rest of this entry »
I know a company that helps financial services professionals generate sales leads by hosting free financial planning seminars, usually with lunch or dinner included. Read the rest of this entry »
Seven in ten consumers want you to personalize the direct mail you send them. Are you giving them what they want? Read the rest of this entry »
There are only two kinds of deadlines. Legitimate. And bogus. Read the rest of this entry »
What boosts direct mail response rates better than a premium? Half a premium. Read the rest of this entry »
Are you a business-to-business direct mail marketer looking for something better to offer than white papers? Consider self-assessment surveys. Read the rest of this entry »
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