Posts Tagged ‘direct mail offer’
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I’m a strong proponent of testing direct mail premiums. Why? Because they typically increase the mailing’s response rate and its net profit!
Take, for instance, those personalized address labels you receive in mailings. Practically all of us have a use for them. And as soon as we run out, we go looking for more.
Yes, they add to the mailing’s cost. But typically, they also spike the number of people responding, raise the average gift and increase the mailing’s net income.
Premiums work because of (more…)
Tags: direct mail offer, direct mail premiums, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing
Posted in Premiums, Strategy, Testing | 1 Comment »
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It’s said that the purpose of a direct mail letter is to sell, whereas the objective of a mailing’s brochure is to explain.
That said, many mailers seem to have a compulsion to include a brochure in their mailing. But before you join the rush, note that very few of us have mailings whose purpose is to “explain.”
For most of us, the objective is to increase the mailing’s net profit, and too often a brochure distracts the reader’s attention from responding.
Yet adding particular inserts to the mailing can increase response and – despite the added cost – increase the mailing’s net income.
Here are examples of 5 inserts that you should test.
As you’ll see, their purpose isn’t to explain but to enhance the value of the benefits offered and to reduce any reluctance the reader (more…)
Tags: cost of direct mail, direct mail, direct mail brochure, direct mail fundamentals, direct mail offer, direct mail premiums, direct mail strategy, direct mail test, increase direct mail response, test direct mail
Posted in Premiums, Strategy, Testing | 1 Comment »
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When attempting to beat the control, the temptation is to focus on new copy. But testing new copy alone has far less potential to influence results than does making changes to the mailing’s offer.
Here are 10 easy ways you can increase direct mail response by revising your offer.
- Offer something free. Your mailing can include an offer for free shipping, free financing, 3 months’ free membership, address labels, a bookmark, a decal, etc. On the back end, you can fulfill a nearly endless list of gifts – in all price ranges – for those who respond.
If you already offer a premium, test a new one. It doesn’t need to be expensive – or even relate to the organization’s mission – as long as it has a perceived value.
Unfortunately, many groups – and especially boards of directors – hate premiums, believing they cheapen the organization. But most donors and customers respond to (more…)
Tags: copywriting, direct mail, direct mail fundamentals, direct mail guarantee, direct mail offer, direct mail response, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing
Posted in Copywriting, Premiums, Strategy, Testing | No Comments »
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We all make mistakes, but years ago a teacher told me, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not doing enough.”
Mistakes can be learning experiences, but as valuable as it is to learn from our own mistakes, it can be more profitable to learn from the mistakes of others.
Throughout my 30-plus years of direct marketing, here are five of the most common mistakes I see mailers make. And regardless of our own experience, we can always profit from the lessons others had to learn the hard way.
1. Refusing to make a long-term commitment to direct mail
Successful direct mail is methodical. It requires a plan and the discipline to follow the plan. It is not a get-rich-quick scheme.
Not everything will go right on every mailing. Whether you are a startup or a mature mailer, some tests (more…)
Tags: direct mail budget, direct mail copywriting, direct mail lists, direct mail mistakes, direct mail offer, direct mail planning, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing
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This is the second of a two-part series.
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Getting the basics right goes a long way toward achieving direct mail success. In my last post, we discussed 11 strategies that you’ll want to include when planning your next campaign.
You can see these here.
To complete 21 Steps to Direct Mail Success, here are ten more often overlooked strategies that you’ll want to include in your next (more…)
Tags: direct mail, direct mail lists, direct mail offer, direct mail order form, direct mail planning, direct mail response, direct mail response rates, direct mail testing, increase direct mail response, test direct mail
Posted in Campaign Planning, Miscellaneous, Strategy, Testing | No Comments »
This is the first of a two-part series.
Download as a pdf
The key to success is to avoid making mistakes. And with direct mail, getting the basics right accounts for 95% of all successes.
21 Steps to Direct Mail Success
You can find many articles about effective direct mail testing, copy and design in my other posts, but here I focus on key–but often overlooked–elements of a successful direct mail campaign.
Below are 11 essential elements of a successful direct response campaign. In my next post, I’ll follow up with an additional ten steps that you’ll want to (more…)
Tags: cost of direct mail, direct mail, direct mail lists, direct mail offer, direct mail planning, direct mail response, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing
Posted in Campaign Planning, Miscellaneous, Strategy, Testing | No Comments »
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Direct mail is a sales medium. We use it to sell ideas, products and services. And like any other form of sales, its success is based on trust.
Regardless of how much the prospect may value your offer, if he or she doesn’t trust the person attempting to make the sale, it’s not going to happen.
In direct mail, our salesperson is the letter signer. And to establish trust we use testimonials, money-back guarantees and clear, straightforward language.
By definition, an asterisk “indicates omission…”
An asterisk signifies that the claim being made isn’t complete. There are qualifications and/or limitations to what you’re being told. In blunt terms, an asterisk says that (more…)
Tags: copywriting, direct mail, direct mail copywriting, direct mail design, direct mail graphics, direct mail guarantee, direct mail offer, direct mail readership, direct mail response, direct mail sales, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, increase direct mail response
Posted in Copywriting, Miscellaneous, Strategy, Testing, Thought Provoking | No Comments »
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Some of the best training I’ve had for becoming a direct mail copywriter came when I sold magazines door to door as a teenager.
I quickly learned that not every homeowner welcomed me. Some would not even come to the door, some would close the door in my face and others would listen but not buy.
Soon, I learned to how to better my odds. Each time I approached a house, I gathered all the available information on the homeowner and developed a plan before knocking on the door.
My marketing “data” came from what I could see in the homeowner’s front yard. Were there toys in the yard, indicating children lived there? Was a newspaper (more…)
Tags: direct mail, direct mail offer, direct mail response, direct mail strategy, direct sales, selling direct
Posted in Copywriting, Data, Strategy, Thought Provoking | No Comments »
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When it comes to decision making, I have a simple approach. If I believe the outcome might be something I wouldn’t want my mother to know about, I don’t do it.
And when creating a direct mail offer a similar rule applies. If you can’t provide a meaningful guarantee, don’t promote it.
You have two reasons to offer a guarantee:
First, it’s the right thing to do. A meaningful guarantee shows that you believe in your product. And, when you’re asking for someone else’s money, you should believe in what you’re selling—if not, don’t do it.
Second, you’ll want to offer a guarantee because it can build profits.
Buyers, whether online or traditional direct mail, have plenty of reasons—real or perceived—not to respond to your offer. After all, whether we’re fundraising or selling a product, we’re asking the prospect to trust us to do what we promised. (more…)
Tags: direct mail, direct mail guarantee, direct mail offer, direct mail strategy, direct mail testing, direct response guarantee, increase direct mail response, testing a guarantee
Posted in Copywriting, Miscellaneous, Strategy, Testing | No Comments »
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Simply put, your direct mail offer is the “deal” you promise the recipient. It’s what you promise the reader and what you ask in return.
Your offer needs to be specific and to clearly state how it benefits the prospect. It includes the product—or for a fundraiser, the organization’s mission or project—the price or asking amount, terms, incentives, guarantee, etc.
And, of all the components of your mailing—other than the list—the offer is the most important element of your success. If you’re looking for breakthrough results, here are 17 quick ideas to consider: (more…)
Tags: direct mail, direct mail copywriting, direct mail offer, direct mail response, direct mail response rates, direct mail strategy, direct mail test, direct mail testing, increase direct mail response
Posted in Copywriting, Miscellaneous, Strategy, Testing | No Comments »
