Today we’re going to briefly go over a part of most sales letters, postcards, really any kind of direct mail advertising, where marketers really wimp out, the close.
In any sort of marketing, but especially direct response mail, you’ve got to ask for the order each and every time. This is not place to skimp, or be a wimp. You simply got to ask for the order, and give very specific and explicit instructions on how to do so.
I know it can be hard, but remember, a confused buyer does nothing, and we certainly don’t want that!
It’s also easy to expect the reader to know how to order. We as marketers often get so close to our marketing that we often think it’s obvious what to do next, but take it from me, it’s not always the case.
If your letter has been written well, the close (asking for the order) should come naturally. It should be the natural and logical “next step” for your prospect or client to take.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Second Most Read Part of Your Letter
Did you know that the P.S. is the second most read part of any letter? So it must be a pretty important part, don’t you think? We talked about bullet points last week. To review, check out the blog post below. Today, we’ll briefly touch on the P.S.
Studies by direct marketing researchers has shown that right after the headline, the PS is the second most read part of almost every letter or correspondence you send out. What happens is the recipient reads your headline then naturally turns to the last page to see who sent it, and reads your P.S. message.
In your P.S. your goal should be to tell your whole story such as the benefits, your promises or guarantees,communicate urgency and restate the bonuses if you’re offering any.
So how do you get all that into one little P.S. With multiple P.S’s of course. There’s no rule that says you can only use one PS in a letter, so if you need to use more than one, by all means do it! I can’t remember the last time I sent any letter that was more than 1 page with just one PS.
Here’s a tip for P.S’s, if you have 3 of them (so that would be a PS, a PPS, and a PPPS), your middle one should be the most important. That should include your call to action, offer etc. You can further set apart the 3rd PS by using a different type style, font, bolds and italics or even a handwritten note.
We’ve got just a couple more topics to go in our discussion on all things copywriting. Stay tuned for the next installment. See you then!
What is not only the BEST, but also the most flexible business on the planet? And why should EVERYBODY be in it?
Imagine turning nickels and dimes into dollars. That’s what you can do in this business. And there’s NEVER been a better time to be in this business than right NOW!
But what exactly is this business and what is its BIG ADVANTAGE? Dan Kennedy, the man responsible for taking more people from zero to profits in record time, can explain in 4 minutes & 9 seconds.
The answer is only a click away:
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In the last 30 years, this business has gone from mail-order to the much BIGGER, BROADER, and HUGELY PROFITABLE arena of opportunities it is today. People now go routinely from zero to $10,000.00 to even $100,000.00 a month, in just a matter of months.
To learn more about this highly profitable business, click on the link below to watch this short 4 minute, 9 second blog video:
Click HERE to take advantage of this opportunity!
Studies by direct marketing researchers has shown that right after the headline, the PS is the second most read part of almost every letter or correspondence you send out. What happens is the recipient reads your headline then naturally turns to the last page to see who sent it, and reads your P.S. message.
In your P.S. your goal should be to tell your whole story such as the benefits, your promises or guarantees,communicate urgency and restate the bonuses if you’re offering any.
So how do you get all that into one little P.S. With multiple P.S’s of course. There’s no rule that says you can only use one PS in a letter, so if you need to use more than one, by all means do it! I can’t remember the last time I sent any letter that was more than 1 page with just one PS.
Here’s a tip for P.S’s, if you have 3 of them (so that would be a PS, a PPS, and a PPPS), your middle one should be the most important. That should include your call to action, offer etc. You can further set apart the 3rd PS by using a different type style, font, bolds and italics or even a handwritten note.
We’ve got just a couple more topics to go in our discussion on all things copywriting. Stay tuned for the next installment. See you then!
Blog Readers Only Special
What is not only the BEST, but also the most flexible business on the planet? And why should EVERYBODY be in it?
Imagine turning nickels and dimes into dollars. That’s what you can do in this business. And there’s NEVER been a better time to be in this business than right NOW!
But what exactly is this business and what is its BIG ADVANTAGE? Dan Kennedy, the man responsible for taking more people from zero to profits in record time, can explain in 4 minutes & 9 seconds.
The answer is only a click away:
Click HERE to take advantage of this opportunity!
In the last 30 years, this business has gone from mail-order to the much BIGGER, BROADER, and HUGELY PROFITABLE arena of opportunities it is today. People now go routinely from zero to $10,000.00 to even $100,000.00 a month, in just a matter of months.
To learn more about this highly profitable business, click on the link below to watch this short 4 minute, 9 second blog video:
Click HERE to take advantage of this opportunity!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A 'one-two' punch
Bullet points in your copy can be one of the most influential parts of your sales letters. Bullets are often used when you have a list of features or benefits, or a list of “what’s included.” They are for the most part, short, concise, and can be very valuable real estate in any sales letters, postcard website etc. Thanks to Bill Glazer for allowing me to use some of his ideas in this post.
(As a side, if you’re not receiving Dan Kennedy’s And Bill Glazer’s monthly No BS Marketing Newsletter, you’re cheating yourself. Get 2 issues free and a bunch of other goodies right here.)
So how to you create these powerful, bite-sized pieces of copy to really sell your product or service? The best way is to make a list of all your features, being sure you don’t leave anything out. Then you’ll want to turn those features into customer-centered benefits.
For example, let’s say you’re a chiropractor and you help relieve back pain for golfers. Don’t just tell then you’ll cure their back pain (the feature), tell them that they’ll enjoy round after round of pain free golf, and their swing will be so strong they’ll feel like their 21 again (customer-centered benefits).
You may think that just saying you’ll relieve back pain that the reader will know what you’re talking about. That simply is not the case. Never leave anything to be translated by the reader. There are no obvious benefits tied to the features.
So what’s the formula for bullets? Here’s Bill’s great idea. He calls it his ‘one-two’ punch. You want to give a benefit, then add another benefit right after, like a boxer giving a ‘one-two’ punch. Here are a couple great examples Bill gave me:
#1
Doctors are now using the hot new herbal compound to slow the memory loss of Alzheimer’s more effectively than expensive, dangerous prescription drugs.
#2
How to discover the hidden wealth (and rewards) buried in your retail business... allowing you to finally live the lifestyle you’ve always dreamt about.
Marketing Tip Readers Only Special
As I mentioned above, if you’re a real student of direct response marketing, copywriting, online marketing, etc. you really should check out Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazer’s No BS Marketing Newsletter. They’ll give you 2 free monthly issues, plus a ton of other great goodies, too many to mention here, so you’ll want to check out this link.
Keith (my father, who I run this business with) has been a Dan Kennedy Newsletter subscriber for nearly 20 years. Here’s a true story:
When I graduated college at Washington State University with a degree in marketing in 2004, his graduation gift to me was my own subscription to Dan and Bill’s Newsletter. Even though we work in the same building, I still get my own newsletter to this day. That’s how important he thought it was.
If you use one of these links to get your free 2 month trial, I’ll even send you a $20 gift certificate good towards anything at 3D Mail, including any of the 3D mail items, premium and promotional products we offer. Go check it out for yourself.
(As a side, if you’re not receiving Dan Kennedy’s And Bill Glazer’s monthly No BS Marketing Newsletter, you’re cheating yourself. Get 2 issues free and a bunch of other goodies right here.)
So how to you create these powerful, bite-sized pieces of copy to really sell your product or service? The best way is to make a list of all your features, being sure you don’t leave anything out. Then you’ll want to turn those features into customer-centered benefits.
For example, let’s say you’re a chiropractor and you help relieve back pain for golfers. Don’t just tell then you’ll cure their back pain (the feature), tell them that they’ll enjoy round after round of pain free golf, and their swing will be so strong they’ll feel like their 21 again (customer-centered benefits).
You may think that just saying you’ll relieve back pain that the reader will know what you’re talking about. That simply is not the case. Never leave anything to be translated by the reader. There are no obvious benefits tied to the features.
So what’s the formula for bullets? Here’s Bill’s great idea. He calls it his ‘one-two’ punch. You want to give a benefit, then add another benefit right after, like a boxer giving a ‘one-two’ punch. Here are a couple great examples Bill gave me:
#1
Doctors are now using the hot new herbal compound to slow the memory loss of Alzheimer’s more effectively than expensive, dangerous prescription drugs.
#2
How to discover the hidden wealth (and rewards) buried in your retail business... allowing you to finally live the lifestyle you’ve always dreamt about.
Marketing Tip Readers Only Special
As I mentioned above, if you’re a real student of direct response marketing, copywriting, online marketing, etc. you really should check out Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazer’s No BS Marketing Newsletter. They’ll give you 2 free monthly issues, plus a ton of other great goodies, too many to mention here, so you’ll want to check out this link.
Keith (my father, who I run this business with) has been a Dan Kennedy Newsletter subscriber for nearly 20 years. Here’s a true story:
When I graduated college at Washington State University with a degree in marketing in 2004, his graduation gift to me was my own subscription to Dan and Bill’s Newsletter. Even though we work in the same building, I still get my own newsletter to this day. That’s how important he thought it was.
If you use one of these links to get your free 2 month trial, I’ll even send you a $20 gift certificate good towards anything at 3D Mail, including any of the 3D mail items, premium and promotional products we offer. Go check it out for yourself.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Advanced Tip on Offers
We’re going to wrap up our nearly two week long discussion on deadlines and offers. Who knew there could be so much! To see the previous post and to catch up on all of my tips, check out the previous blog post.
With offers, it’s almost always better to give them an ‘either or’ option instead of only one. For example, you may have a basic and deluxe version, Gold or Silver editions, etc. These will almost always out-perform a simple yes/no option.
Here’s an advanced tip. When 65% or more of your clients start taking the deluxe option over the basic, add a “Best” option. You’ll want to keep the other two, but it’s been my experience that 10-20% will start taking the “Best” option when you present it.
Finally, with deadlines, multiple deadlines are very effective and work well with long deadlines. For instance, you could use something like:
This offer expires in two weeks, but if you respond in the next two weeks you’ll get and additional FREE gift.
The power of taking something away over time is a very strong way to get people to act sooner rather than later.
With offers, it’s almost always better to give them an ‘either or’ option instead of only one. For example, you may have a basic and deluxe version, Gold or Silver editions, etc. These will almost always out-perform a simple yes/no option.
Here’s an advanced tip. When 65% or more of your clients start taking the deluxe option over the basic, add a “Best” option. You’ll want to keep the other two, but it’s been my experience that 10-20% will start taking the “Best” option when you present it.
Finally, with deadlines, multiple deadlines are very effective and work well with long deadlines. For instance, you could use something like:
This offer expires in two weeks, but if you respond in the next two weeks you’ll get and additional FREE gift.
The power of taking something away over time is a very strong way to get people to act sooner rather than later.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Got to have a deadline
Happy New! Can you believe it’s already 2010?! Weren’t we supposed to be in flying cars by now like George Jetson? Last week we wrapped up our discussion on guarantees. To see that last post, visit the blog. Today we’ll start in on two big topics. Two that makes direct response marketing what it is. (Direct response is the kind of marketing I teach in these tips)
Those, of course, are deadlines and offers. These are what truly separates direct response marketing from main-stream, “Madison Avenue,” brand building advertising.
Pure and simple, if you don’t have a deadline you don’t have an offer. Most businesses that aren’t tuned in to direct response hide their deadlines in tiny sized invisible ink hoping you won’t see it. This is just the opposite that you want to do. You want to create ungency, you want them to act now, which is just the opposite of what most big, dumb companies do.
Something to consider with your deadline is people are more motivated by fear of loss than personal gain. So often times a deadline where they ‘lose out’ on something after an elapsed time is better than gaining something if they respond early.
Some ways to use deadlines are:
In honor of the New Year and the new decade we’ll celebrate all month by giving you 10% off any order from now until Jan. 31, 2010.
Go online and make your purchase and enter 2010 in the promo code box at checkout, and I’ll automatically take 10% off. Or give me a call at
888-250-1834 to place your order and mention 2019 and I’ll do the same. Just be sure you do this before Jan 31, 2010!
Those, of course, are deadlines and offers. These are what truly separates direct response marketing from main-stream, “Madison Avenue,” brand building advertising.
Pure and simple, if you don’t have a deadline you don’t have an offer. Most businesses that aren’t tuned in to direct response hide their deadlines in tiny sized invisible ink hoping you won’t see it. This is just the opposite that you want to do. You want to create ungency, you want them to act now, which is just the opposite of what most big, dumb companies do.
Something to consider with your deadline is people are more motivated by fear of loss than personal gain. So often times a deadline where they ‘lose out’ on something after an elapsed time is better than gaining something if they respond early.
Some ways to use deadlines are:
- Response required within “X” number of days
- By a certain date
- By a date stamped in RED on your letter
- Limited to the first “X” number
Blog Readers Only Special
In honor of the New Year and the new decade we’ll celebrate all month by giving you 10% off any order from now until Jan. 31, 2010.
Go online and make your purchase and enter 2010 in the promo code box at checkout, and I’ll automatically take 10% off. Or give me a call at
888-250-1834 to place your order and mention 2019 and I’ll do the same. Just be sure you do this before Jan 31, 2010!
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