What are the keys to REALLY successful direct mail efforts? Learn how to: - Improve those elements of your direct mail that have the most immediate effect on response - Evaluate the most important elements of your direct mail and ensure you've spent your money wisely - Recognize when writers, designers, mailing houses, consultants, and agencies really are experts in direct mail -- and when they're not You'll leave this presentation with a series of checklists of how to recognize: 1. The 4 key questions to ask before you ever rent a mailing list (or follow a mailing house's recommendation) 2. The foolproof way to craft the right OFFER that will generate the response you want 3. When to use an envelope package -- and why 4. How to get more from 44% of your direct mail budget 5. The 5 tests of an effective headline 6. Secrets of professional copywriters for starting a direct mail message that gets read 7. How to craft a message for 85% of your audience 8. How you can test your copy and ENSURE it's going to be effective You can get more from every dollar you spend on direct mail by: 1. Spending more time choosing a superior list. 2. Creating a more logical "first step" offer. 3. Using the right package format for your situation. 4. Give recipients a strong reason to open (otherwise 44% will never open). 5. Use a "what's in it for me" benefit headline. 6. Draw the recipient in with a strong "remind of pain, promise pleasure" lead-in. 7. Be sure the recipient can SCAN headlines and subheads and bullet points to get your entire message. 8. Good copy is conversational -- just the way you'd say it face-to-face. For most small businesses, there isn't much thought given to the direct mail effort. But if you carefully select each element of your direct mail package, you can achieve significantly higher response from every mailing.

1. 1
8 WAYS
TO GET MORE FROM
DIRECT MAIL
With Karen J. Marchetti

2. 2
8 Keys to Direct Mail Success
1.
Best MAILING LIST
2.
Logical “First Step” OFFER
3.
Best package FORMAT
4.
The 44% Rule: STRONG REASON TO OPEN!
5.
BENEFIT HEADLINE
6.
“Remind of Pain, Promise Pleasure” LEAD-IN
7.
SCAN-able copy
8.
CONVERSATIONAL copy
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

3. 3
#1 Success Factor: THE LIST
•
Find the List FIRST
–
guides OFFER, CREATIVE
“oh, yeah, we need a list . . .”
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

4. 4
Two Main Types of Mailing Lists
RESPONDER LISTS
–
Buyers
–
Inquirers
–
Attendees
–
Subscribers
MOST ACCURATE
MOST TARGETED
USAGE INFO!!!
$$
COMPILED LISTS
–
Demographics
–
Census-based
–
Public Records
–
Directories
TIGHT GEOGRAPHY
SMALLER QUANTITY
$
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

5. 5
Responder File
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

6. 6
List Broker: Who Tested and Still Uses This List?
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

7. 7
#2: Irresistible OFFER
Lead Generation
–
Something free (gift, info, sample, trial)
•
Choose Right Commitment for your GOAL:
LOW Commitment = High Response
“Free Report”
HIGH Commitment = Low Response
“Call me Now”
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

8. 8
OFFERS: yawn . . . Or MOTIVATE!
“more information” . . . “learn more” . . . (yawn)
MERCHANDISE IT!
More Information on online advertising
OR
“Free Guide to Effective Online Advertising for
Small Business”
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

9. 9
Offers to Drive Purchase
•
Discounts: volume purchase, introductory offer, first order, early bird
•
Sale: before price increase, overstock
•
Rebate
•
Bonus gift
•
Buy 1, get 1 free
•
Bill me
•
3 easy payments of . . .
•
Build up the Sale
–
10% off of $50, 15% off $75, 20% off $100
–
Good, better, best
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

10. 10
#3: What’s the BEST Format?
Envelope:
•
More Costly Product
•
More Complex Product
•
If Product Changes the way we do things
•
Where TRUST is key
•
To Senior Execs
•
If Gatekeepers
“Self-Mailer” or Postcard
•
Quick read
•
Known brands
•
Inexpensive products
•
When you need a showroom & visuals
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

11. 11
#4: GET IT OPENED: 44% of Mail Never is
HEADLINE / VISUAL
•
Headline and/or visual on ADDRESS PANEL SIDE
•
Above Address where possible
–
This is the FRONT (how USPS delivers it)
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

12. 12
Getting it Opened with a HEADLINE
•
Benefit
–
What’s in it for me?
–
Specifics Sell – be as
specific as possible
•Intrigue: news, teaser, unique fact, question
•Aggressive Offer
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

13. 13
#5: Tests of an Effective Headline
“So What”?
•
What’s in it for me?
•
Get the “You” in Headline
•
Specifics sell
•
Get to the point
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

14. 14
Headline Ideas
•
Useful info – How to
–
Numbered Ways
–
Ask a Question
•
Inside Info
•
Something free
•
Testimonial
•
Problem solving
•
Discount or special
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

15. 15
#6: How to LEAD off
Remind of Pain and/or Promise Pleasure
“Is your job helping to make someone else rich – but not building anything for YOUR future? What if you could .”
OR
Do they see boring paragraphs . . .
“Since 2002, we’ve been proudly serving . . .”
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

16. 16
#7: 85% of the World “SCANS”
•
Headlines
•
Subheads
•
Underlines, Bolds
•
Bullets
•
Numbered Points
When I SCAN, I should get the entire message . . .
-
What are you offering?
-
What will it do for me?
-
How do I get it?
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

17. 17
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

18. 18
#8: Conversational
•
Write as you would say it out loud
•
If you were face-to-face with me, is this what you’d say?
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

19. 19
Thank You!
www.ResponseFX.com
FOLLOW: @ResponseCoach
BLOG: www.responsefx.com/blog/
Copyright 2014 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.