To say that copy is an extremely important element in your consumer direct marketing campaign is an understatement. In fact, many experts believe it may very well be the most important element when it comes to direct mail campaigns. Though the presentation and imagery that you use is definitely important, most agree that copy is king.
With all the costs of printing, postage, and design, it may not be within your budget to hire a rock star copywriter just yet. Here are some things you can do yourself to make your direct mail campaign better and your copy more effective:
Nix the Old School Hype
You remember those letters you used to get in the mail, the letters that made you think that direct mail marketing couldn't possibly be effective, could it?
Well, truth be told, consumer direct marketing campaigns have been going strong for decades; however, there are some old, worn out tactics that you should avoid at all costs (unless your goal is to be sarcastic). For instance, big and bold wording that says URGENT, SENSITIVE COPY and other phony phrasing like this is no longer acceptable.
Benefits, Always Benefits
When you are listing features and benefits, always focus on the benefits first over the features. A feature is to say that "Bilzit Soda has all natural ingredients and dozens of antioxidants." A benefit is, "Bilzit Soda is so healthy for you that it helps to prevent cancer."
So if you were writing a paragraph with both of these statements, this one:
Bilzit Soda is so healthy for you that it helps to prevent cancer. It has all natural ingredients and dozens of antioxidants!
Is more compelling than this one:
Bilzit Soda has all natural ingredients and dozens of antioxidants, making it so healthy for you, that it helps to prevent cancer!
White Paper
Your copy should have at least 45% blank space. Readers get overwhelmed very quickly by a lot of text. The best way to keep them reading is to break up your text into manageable sections with logical subheadings and bullet lists.
Throughout sentences and at the end of bullet text lines, you should also insert "..." (otherwise known as an ellipsis). These encourage people to read more of your text as well.
In addition to helpful marketing tips, LISTGIANT has a huge inventory of fresh, responsive mailing lists to help your direct mail campaigns succeed even more! Contact us at (800) 383-1381 today for all of your business or consumer direct marketing needs.