Direct Mail Strategy: Boost Readership, Jump-start Response
Best practices for copy in all media, especially direct mail and e-mail
July 2008 By Pat Friesen
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Are you a writer, approving manager, agency client or business owner who writes and/or approves direct mail copy? Then read on.
This column provides copywriting best practices based on experience; testing; and the wisdom of copywriting greats like Bob Stone, Herschell Gordon Lewis and Denny Hatch. Although the focus of this column is normally on direct mail, 99.9 percent of what you’re about to read also applies to copy for e-mail and other media used to generate response. Yep! The same basic principles really do apply.
• Develop a copy platform that supports your business goal, whether that’s generating leads, sales, traffic, referrals or customer loyalty.
• Understand the brand personality and copy voice, then sustain it by using similar words and writing style.
• Know your audience inside and out—whether it’s prospects, first-time triers, multibuyers or advocates.
• Write (and design) for the scanner. Customers, prospects, donors and members rarely read every word you write.
• Put important benefits in copy hot spots, such as the outer envelope teaser, Johnson box, P.S., e-mail subject and from lines, headlines, sidebars, and bulleted copy.
• Focus on benefits, not features. A feature describes; a benefit answers the question, “What’s in it for me?”
• Add a P.S.; 30 percent of your readers will read it first.
• One size doesn’t fit all. The same feature may well have different benefits for different audiences.
• Use the word “you” twice as often as “I” or “we” to increase reader involvement and create rapport.
• Sentences should be 1.5 lines or less for scanning. Compelling copy is paced with a mix of long and short sentences.
• Paragraphs should be short—six lines or less for direct mail, five lines or less for e-mail.
• Remember the average person reads at an elementary school level.
• Keep line length on the page or screen short enough to make it easy for the reader’s eye to track from the end of one line to the beginning of the next.
• Use active verbs, not passive. For example: He handed her the book vs. The book was handed to her.
• Catch your reader’s eye by putting the most powerful words at the beginning of sentences, paragraphs, headlines and bulleted copy.
• Be specific. The number 347 is more credible and compelling than rounding to 350.
• The number 347 is also easier to scan—and has more immediate impact—than three hundred and forty-seven. It also takes up less space.
• “Free” is the most influential word in the English language, not the word “complimentary.”
• Create sidebars and links that support your business objective; don’t lead your reader away from your call to action.
• Tell your reader what you want him or her to do and how to do it. Repeat the call to action on each component of your mailing and on each e-mail or Web page.
• Sell your offer, not your product or service. Your offer is a package of elements, not just free shipping, a discount or free gift.
• Start key sentences, headlines and bullet points with a strong verb.
• Be specific; give examples.
• Avoid being clever for the sake of being clever. Fifty percent of your readers won’t get it.
• Include a guarantee. Prospects require it. Established customers appreciate being reminded that you have one.
• Use testimonials to add credibility, answer tough questions and anticipate objections.
• Read copy out loud to ensure it’s appropriately conversational.
• If it’s important, say it more than once, but state it differently.
• Add benefit captions under photos. Readers are drawn to images, then look below to learn more.
• Create a writer’s rough layout for general copy positioning.
• Write copy that’s long enough to tell your story effectively. Studies show interested readers trust longer copy, even if they don’t read every word.
• Make it simple to respond whether in person, by phone, mail, e-mail or on a landing page.
• Test the most important copy elements first (headline, teaser, Johnson box, etc.).
• Remember the job of the direct response copywriter is to generate either immediate or delayed response—not win awards.
One more thing: Some of what you just read probably doesn’t fit with what you learned about writing in your college English composition class. That’s OK. You’re not writing a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation.
Direct response copy uses words to influence the reader to take action—whether that’s pick up the phone, visit a store, click on a link, mail in an order or visit a Web site.
Full disclosure: I taught compulsory English composition to college freshmen at 7:30 a.m. for two years.
Figuring Out the Difference
Did you know there’s a difference between direct mail and direct marketing? While the terms are often used interchangeably, they shouldn’t be. They’re not synonymous.
Direct marketing is an interactive marketing system or process that uses one or more types of media to generate a measurable transaction at any location, with this activity stored on a database. This definition isn’t mine; it was developed by direct marketing legends Bob Stone, Martin Baier and Pete Hoke Jr. It’s interesting that direct marketing was defined as being interactive even before Internet-related media. Direct marketers have always asked customers to interact with them.
Direct mail lists are one type of media used by direct marketers. Other direct media includes e-mail lists; social media; radio; TV; newspapers; magazines; even billboards and inserts in statements, newspapers and packages.
Even at professional conferences, you’ll hear people refer to “direct” as though it were only direct mail and that anything that requires Internet access is in a world of its own. Au contraire! Applied appropriately, many of the same basic principles and best practices apply both on- and offline.
Pat Friesen is a direct response copywriter and creative strategist. She can be reached at (913) 341-1211, via e-mail at pat@patfriesen.com or by visiting www.PatFriesen.com.
This column provides copywriting best practices based on experience; testing; and the wisdom of copywriting greats like Bob Stone, Herschell Gordon Lewis and Denny Hatch. Although the focus of this column is normally on direct mail, 99.9 percent of what you’re about to read also applies to copy for e-mail and other media used to generate response. Yep! The same basic principles really do apply.
• Develop a copy platform that supports your business goal, whether that’s generating leads, sales, traffic, referrals or customer loyalty.
• Understand the brand personality and copy voice, then sustain it by using similar words and writing style.
• Know your audience inside and out—whether it’s prospects, first-time triers, multibuyers or advocates.
• Write (and design) for the scanner. Customers, prospects, donors and members rarely read every word you write.
• Put important benefits in copy hot spots, such as the outer envelope teaser, Johnson box, P.S., e-mail subject and from lines, headlines, sidebars, and bulleted copy.
• Focus on benefits, not features. A feature describes; a benefit answers the question, “What’s in it for me?”
• Add a P.S.; 30 percent of your readers will read it first.
• One size doesn’t fit all. The same feature may well have different benefits for different audiences.
• Use the word “you” twice as often as “I” or “we” to increase reader involvement and create rapport.
• Sentences should be 1.5 lines or less for scanning. Compelling copy is paced with a mix of long and short sentences.
• Paragraphs should be short—six lines or less for direct mail, five lines or less for e-mail.
• Remember the average person reads at an elementary school level.
• Keep line length on the page or screen short enough to make it easy for the reader’s eye to track from the end of one line to the beginning of the next.
• Use active verbs, not passive. For example: He handed her the book vs. The book was handed to her.
• Catch your reader’s eye by putting the most powerful words at the beginning of sentences, paragraphs, headlines and bulleted copy.
• Be specific. The number 347 is more credible and compelling than rounding to 350.
• The number 347 is also easier to scan—and has more immediate impact—than three hundred and forty-seven. It also takes up less space.
• “Free” is the most influential word in the English language, not the word “complimentary.”
• Create sidebars and links that support your business objective; don’t lead your reader away from your call to action.
• Tell your reader what you want him or her to do and how to do it. Repeat the call to action on each component of your mailing and on each e-mail or Web page.
• Sell your offer, not your product or service. Your offer is a package of elements, not just free shipping, a discount or free gift.
• Start key sentences, headlines and bullet points with a strong verb.
• Be specific; give examples.
• Avoid being clever for the sake of being clever. Fifty percent of your readers won’t get it.
• Include a guarantee. Prospects require it. Established customers appreciate being reminded that you have one.
• Use testimonials to add credibility, answer tough questions and anticipate objections.
• Read copy out loud to ensure it’s appropriately conversational.
• If it’s important, say it more than once, but state it differently.
• Add benefit captions under photos. Readers are drawn to images, then look below to learn more.
• Create a writer’s rough layout for general copy positioning.
• Write copy that’s long enough to tell your story effectively. Studies show interested readers trust longer copy, even if they don’t read every word.
• Make it simple to respond whether in person, by phone, mail, e-mail or on a landing page.
• Test the most important copy elements first (headline, teaser, Johnson box, etc.).
• Remember the job of the direct response copywriter is to generate either immediate or delayed response—not win awards.
One more thing: Some of what you just read probably doesn’t fit with what you learned about writing in your college English composition class. That’s OK. You’re not writing a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation.
Direct response copy uses words to influence the reader to take action—whether that’s pick up the phone, visit a store, click on a link, mail in an order or visit a Web site.
Full disclosure: I taught compulsory English composition to college freshmen at 7:30 a.m. for two years.
Figuring Out the Difference
Did you know there’s a difference between direct mail and direct marketing? While the terms are often used interchangeably, they shouldn’t be. They’re not synonymous.
Direct marketing is an interactive marketing system or process that uses one or more types of media to generate a measurable transaction at any location, with this activity stored on a database. This definition isn’t mine; it was developed by direct marketing legends Bob Stone, Martin Baier and Pete Hoke Jr. It’s interesting that direct marketing was defined as being interactive even before Internet-related media. Direct marketers have always asked customers to interact with them.
Direct mail lists are one type of media used by direct marketers. Other direct media includes e-mail lists; social media; radio; TV; newspapers; magazines; even billboards and inserts in statements, newspapers and packages.
Even at professional conferences, you’ll hear people refer to “direct” as though it were only direct mail and that anything that requires Internet access is in a world of its own. Au contraire! Applied appropriately, many of the same basic principles and best practices apply both on- and offline.
Pat Friesen is a direct response copywriter and creative strategist. She can be reached at (913) 341-1211, via e-mail at pat@patfriesen.com or by visiting www.PatFriesen.com.
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