How often do you get a piece of “junk” mail? Twice a week? Every day? It’s so common that for many people their unsolicited correspondence even outnumbers the bills they receive.
Yet direct mail is still a powerful and valuable advertising medium. Major users include charities, real estate agents, book and magazine publishers – just about every category of business, plus of course politicians at election time.
Direct mail has the advantages of being targeted. You can cover only the geographic area you want to reach and not have the wastage of mass media like daily newspapers, radio or TV. Envelopes can also be personally addressed for greater impact.
So what is it that makes one piece of direct mail effective and another one to head, unopened for the wastebasket?
It begins on the outside of the envelope. Use a database to personally address your direct mail pieces and Mr. Jones is far more likely to open the envelope addressed to him than one addressed to “The Homeowner”.
You can put something about your offer on the outside to entice the recipient to open the envelope. “Free inside – Your chance to win $1000!” will stimulate interest.
Another way to add interest value to an envelope is to have it look like an invoice so it’s more likely to be opened. Forget the company name and logo and just put your return address where it’s supposed to go. A window envelope with the addressee’s name and other details showing through neatly printed could just be an unexpected bill that needs to be checked out.
Once the reader has got inside the envelope there are more chances for you to avoid an immediate shot at the wastebasket. You have to have a headline that reaches out and stimulates interest. The headline is probably the most important element of any direct mail campaign.
Remember, don’t just ask for the reader’s attention; you need to demand it! Think of the benefits to the reader rather than promoting product features. For example, which do you think works better:
“Make $50 a week stuffing envelopes” or “Wouldn’t you like an extra $2500 cash every year?”
This brings up an interesting point. A question is often the best way to start a direct mail letter. If you can ask a question that the reader simply has to answer, you’ve got ‘em hooked. Variations on an old favorite go like this: “Is the safety of your family worth $10 a month?” or “Do you want a summer free from insect pests?”
Then we get to what’s called the body copy. It’s the text of the message and where you take the readers from their initial interest through your offer and into the close. Body copy is always most effective when every word is written from the prospect’s point of view.
If your headline was in the vein of “Is the safety of your family worth $10 a month?” you could follow it with a first line in the body copy that read: “Of course your family’s safety is worth $10 a month. It’s worth a lot more – in fact, it’s priceless. But for just $10 a month you can have….” and that’s where you tell the reader about your offer.
Charities are expert at this. In many cases they play on the guilt feelings of the better off and present a means of overcoming them by making a donation. “Little Sophie needs a hot meal tonight.” Reads the headline. Then comes the body copy with the solution. “She can have it if you’re willing to give up just $1 a day to make a child like Sophie happy.”
Next comes what it’s really all about. The offer you’re making to the reader has to keep up the interest while at the same time presenting what it is you’re selling. It has to be presented as an exciting and valuable opportunity for the reader – almost too good to refuse and certainly worth reading about.
It can be simple if it’s genuine and the product’s well-known. If you’re selling a popular item for $29 that’s in the stores at $49.95 the offer’s an easy one to make. If on the other hand you’re trying to sell a French language course on CD for $50 a lot more explanation is required.
Now it’s time to ask for the order. Several techniques of direct mail are available to help you get a fast response. First, make it as easy as possible to buy whatever it is you’re selling.
Keep it simple and offer as many ways of payment as possible. By cash, check, or credit card. By telephone (toll-free if possible), fax, website. Don’t ask them to fill out their life history either. Just name and address for delivery are usually enough.
Offer an incentive. “If your orders is received before the end of this month you get a free packet of seeds”, “Your order must be received before November 30” or just “Order now – Stock is strictly limited”.
Good direct mail is interesting. It has a flow that begins on the envelope and carries through to the closing line. It’s brief, it’s informative and it’s as personal as possible. It’s popular because it works, so spend the time and effort to make your direct mail pieces work for you.
Copyright 2003, RAN ONE Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from www.ranone.com.