We’re continuing our segment on the 7 ad essentials you must include in your marketing. Last week we hit the topic of a deadlines and how vital they are to success in direct mail marketing. To review, visit the blog post below. Today we’ll move on to something I feel is completely overlooked by most marketers, a premium/free gift.
We’ll start with a quote from my mentor Dan Kennedy:
“Too many marketers deal with premiums almost as an afterthought. This is a huge mistake. I know for a fact that premiums can and do drive sales, and that a change of premium, with no other changes, can dramatically alter the results of a promotion. For this reason, just as much careful thought should be given to the premium as to the main offer.”
Research has shown that a direct mail letter with a premium/free gift offer can out pull a sales letter alone by as much as 300%! Before we get too far into why they work so well, you may be thinking, “What is a premium?”
A premium/free gift is anything of value your prospect/client/patient receives for taking some action that you want, and it doesn’t have to be just with a purchase. Many times it may be good to offer a premium/free gift just for responding to your advertising, with no purchase needed. Or, you may want to use the premium/free gift when an existing client refers a new buying client.
Often, the best premiums are not even tied to what you are offering! It’s often an unrelated item for the personal use of the buyer and not even for their business (if you’re selling B2B). The key is that is has perceived vale. It may not cost a lot, but it should look like it costs a lot.
It’s also wise to reveal the gift of give options rather than have a mystery gift. When you do reveal the gift, a picture is worth a thousand words. Always include a picture of the item, as this is much more effective than only describing the item.
Lastly, premiums can lower your cost per transaction. It likely seems nuts to you that premiums can actually lower your cost pre transaction,, but here’s how it works.
Let’s say you mail out 10,000 sales letters, with no premium and you get a 2% response rate. That would be 200 responders. Let’s further assume that you can be profitable with those 200 responders.
Now let’s say you offer the premium, and response goes up to 3%. This is not an out-of-the-ordinary response when you offer a premium. You now only need to send out 6,700 pieces of mail to get the same 200 responders as you did without the premium.
And, for easy math, let’s say each mailing cost $1.00. You would save $3,300 on just the single mailing. Your premium cost you $5 each for the 200 responders for a total cost of $1,000. You still save $2,300 over the offer without the premium!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
7 Ad Essentials - Deadlines
We’re continuing our segment on 7 ad essentials you must include in your marketing. Last week we talked about your basic business info, maps and directions and offers. In case you missed it, or if you’d like to review, visit the blog here. Today we’ll discuss a biggie, deadlines!
Last week we talk about having an offer. A deadline goes hand-in-hand with offers. 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 type hoping you won’t see it. This is just the opposite of what you want to do. You want to create urgency; 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 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 include:
It’s always great when you can incorporate “reason why” copy as well. This means you actually have a reason why, and you explain it for both your deadline and your offer. one of the best “reasons why” is an anniversary sale. In fact for one of our businesses, American Retail Supply, we just celebrated our 40th Anniversary. When you give a reason why, people will accept it at face value. They’ll think to themselves, “Oh, that’s why I’m getting a discount” instead of being cautious or skeptical.
You can also blame a “common enemy” as a reason for both a promotion and deadline. In the past I’ve used my accountant as the “enemy.” The story goes that I had a great idea for a promotion, but the “lousy bean-counting accountant” wouldn’t let me. So when he went on vacation,I did it anyway! Sure, it’s not a great reason, but it’s good enough, plus it gives me a great story to tell in my advertising. Everybody loves to read a story!
It’s always good to have a name for your offer. In the above examples we obviously named it the Anniversary Sale, and “My accountants Away” offer. There’s a ton of others you can use. Just a few are:
The power of taking something away over time is a very strong way to get people to act sooner rather than later.
Last week we talk about having an offer. A deadline goes hand-in-hand with offers. 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 type hoping you won’t see it. This is just the opposite of what you want to do. You want to create urgency; 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 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 include:
- 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
It’s always great when you can incorporate “reason why” copy as well. This means you actually have a reason why, and you explain it for both your deadline and your offer. one of the best “reasons why” is an anniversary sale. In fact for one of our businesses, American Retail Supply, we just celebrated our 40th Anniversary. When you give a reason why, people will accept it at face value. They’ll think to themselves, “Oh, that’s why I’m getting a discount” instead of being cautious or skeptical.
You can also blame a “common enemy” as a reason for both a promotion and deadline. In the past I’ve used my accountant as the “enemy.” The story goes that I had a great idea for a promotion, but the “lousy bean-counting accountant” wouldn’t let me. So when he went on vacation,I did it anyway! Sure, it’s not a great reason, but it’s good enough, plus it gives me a great story to tell in my advertising. Everybody loves to read a story!
It’s always good to have a name for your offer. In the above examples we obviously named it the Anniversary Sale, and “My accountants Away” offer. There’s a ton of others you can use. Just a few are:
- Birthdays
- Holidays or events
- “Empty the Shelves” event for overstocked inventory
- “One Week Only” Sale
- The list could go on.
This offer expires in two weeks, but if you respond in the next two weeks you’ll get an 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, July 8, 2010
7 Ad Essentials
I hope you had a fun and safe 4th of July celebration over the weekend. I certainly did, even if it did rain a little (only in Seattle!). So last week we briefly spoke about one of my favorite topics, the Robert Collier principle. If you want to review, or are unfamiliar with that term, you really should go check out the blog post here.
For the next several tips we’ll discuss what I call the 7 essentials for any advertising you do. The first few may seem obvious, but you’d been amazed at how many critiques I get and they’re missing some, or most of these essentials.
The first thing you always need is your basic business card information. You and your company’s name, full address, website(s), phone number, fax, e-mail, your Facebook page,etc. Again, this may seem basic as you read this but it’s amazing how often these little things get overlooked. Plus, be sure you have the information correct! I’ve heard horror stories of wrong phone numbers, misspelled websites, etc.
Next, if client’s coming to your brick-and-Mortar place of business is an option whatsoever, you MUST include a map and directions to your location. Not everybody knows where you are located or will remember, even your best clients. If you leave a prospect or client wondering or confused they won’t do anything!
If you don’t have an offer you don’t really have an advertisement. Offers are vital with any direct response and direct mail campaign. Quite frankly, it’s what makes direct response marketing what it is.
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.
Later in the week we’ll cover a few more of the 7 essentials all your marketing must contain.
About two weeks ago, I sent you a message about my friend Brian Tracy's moving day offer, and how if you acted fast, you could obtain a bundle of bargains on some of some of his best products during Brian Tracy's Moving Day Sale of 2010.
Check it out here.
Response has been overwhelming. I'm writing today because I want to make sure you get in on the deal. It's pretty straight forward. Brian moved offices recently and is up to his eyeballs in products. Until they started unpacking, they didn't even realize what they had!
Well, Brian's moving challenge becomes your windfall because he's allowing me to practically give away his products to you. You can find an abundance of some of his best stuff right here.
I'm on a tight 30 day limit for offering these savings to you, and they said they're already seeing quite a bit of space cleared out in the stockroom over there. Check out the deals here.
For the next several tips we’ll discuss what I call the 7 essentials for any advertising you do. The first few may seem obvious, but you’d been amazed at how many critiques I get and they’re missing some, or most of these essentials.
The first thing you always need is your basic business card information. You and your company’s name, full address, website(s), phone number, fax, e-mail, your Facebook page,etc. Again, this may seem basic as you read this but it’s amazing how often these little things get overlooked. Plus, be sure you have the information correct! I’ve heard horror stories of wrong phone numbers, misspelled websites, etc.
Next, if client’s coming to your brick-and-Mortar place of business is an option whatsoever, you MUST include a map and directions to your location. Not everybody knows where you are located or will remember, even your best clients. If you leave a prospect or client wondering or confused they won’t do anything!
If you don’t have an offer you don’t really have an advertisement. Offers are vital with any direct response and direct mail campaign. Quite frankly, it’s what makes direct response marketing what it is.
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.
Later in the week we’ll cover a few more of the 7 essentials all your marketing must contain.
Blog Reader’s Only Special
About two weeks ago, I sent you a message about my friend Brian Tracy's moving day offer, and how if you acted fast, you could obtain a bundle of bargains on some of some of his best products during Brian Tracy's Moving Day Sale of 2010.
Check it out here.
Response has been overwhelming. I'm writing today because I want to make sure you get in on the deal. It's pretty straight forward. Brian moved offices recently and is up to his eyeballs in products. Until they started unpacking, they didn't even realize what they had!
Well, Brian's moving challenge becomes your windfall because he's allowing me to practically give away his products to you. You can find an abundance of some of his best stuff right here.
I'm on a tight 30 day limit for offering these savings to you, and they said they're already seeing quite a bit of space cleared out in the stockroom over there. Check out the deals here.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
The Robert Collier Principle
We’re going to briefly going to talk about one of my favorite topics and strategies in marketing. In fact, we teach it and talk about it often in my monthly newsletter, The Copywriter’s Corner. It’s the Robert Collier principle.
Robert Collier is a famous copywriter and author who who said, as a marketer, you want to enter to conversation already going on in your client or prospects head. Using current events, holidays and borrowing from celebrity is a great way to do this. To steal a line from a political newscaster, “Which of these stories will they be talking about tomorrow?”
Current events are relatively easy, but you usually need to act quickly. Even big stories have a relatively short shelf life. As I write this, the oil spill in the gulf, and immigration are on the news, the next “Twilight” movie is due out any day and it’s expected to break all kinds of records.
Politics is always an easy target, regardless of what side of the fence you’re on (just be sure the match that message to your market, like we talked about last week here). Over the past few years we’ve had bail-outs, an election, cash for clunkers, and on and one. In November of 2009, we gave our Copywriter’s Corner members a ready to implement 3D mailer using gold medals to tie in to the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Holidays are also a great way to get in your client’s head. There are the obvious ones like 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, etc.
Using celebrity is also a great way to use the Collier principle. Unfortunately we know way more about Snookie than we should, and who knows what the Lohan girl will do next. See how easy that is?
I mentioned the Copywriter’s Corner above. This is sent to my 3d Mail Inner Circle Members. Each month we send you a turn-key, ready to implement 3D sales letter that use can use in your business. It’s part of our 3D Mail Sample Kit and Sales Explosion Guide. You can watch my short video here, and see if it’s for you.
Robert Collier is a famous copywriter and author who who said, as a marketer, you want to enter to conversation already going on in your client or prospects head. Using current events, holidays and borrowing from celebrity is a great way to do this. To steal a line from a political newscaster, “Which of these stories will they be talking about tomorrow?”
Current events are relatively easy, but you usually need to act quickly. Even big stories have a relatively short shelf life. As I write this, the oil spill in the gulf, and immigration are on the news, the next “Twilight” movie is due out any day and it’s expected to break all kinds of records.
Politics is always an easy target, regardless of what side of the fence you’re on (just be sure the match that message to your market, like we talked about last week here). Over the past few years we’ve had bail-outs, an election, cash for clunkers, and on and one. In November of 2009, we gave our Copywriter’s Corner members a ready to implement 3D mailer using gold medals to tie in to the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Holidays are also a great way to get in your client’s head. There are the obvious ones like 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, etc.
Using celebrity is also a great way to use the Collier principle. Unfortunately we know way more about Snookie than we should, and who knows what the Lohan girl will do next. See how easy that is?
Blog Reader’s Only Special
I mentioned the Copywriter’s Corner above. This is sent to my 3d Mail Inner Circle Members. Each month we send you a turn-key, ready to implement 3D sales letter that use can use in your business. It’s part of our 3D Mail Sample Kit and Sales Explosion Guide. You can watch my short video here, and see if it’s for you.
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