One way to supercharge your response is to take a newsworthy topic that relates to your product or service and integrate it into your sales copy. What is going on in your prospect’s mind? Think about a hot business, political or current issue that is being talked about on the news, in magazines or in the papers—an issue that your prospect will recognize, be curious about and be interested in.
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In the past couple of issues, I’ve discussed how critical it is to choose your words carefully when writing copy for your direct marketing campaign—both online and offline. In case you missed last week’s issue, visit www.cdmginc.com/dmuarchives. This week, I'm going to tell you about words you shouldn’t use—“words of doubt.”
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In last week’s issue, I discussed how to use “hot words” when creating copy for your direct response campaign. These are words that I suggested using to get your product noticed—words that make it virtually impossible for your prospects to ignore your product or service. In case you missed last week’s issue, visit www.cdmginc.com/dmuarchives. Check out my list of hot words located in the Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week. So now let's talk about “power words.” This is one of my favorite elements of direct marketing copywriting because these are the encouraging words that make your prospects take action.
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When writing copy for your direct marketing campaign, you only have a few minutes or even a few seconds to grab the attention of your prospects. That’s why you must choose your words carefully. As they read, the copy must continue to arouse their interest. Avoid anemic copy and generalities. For example do not say or indicate that:
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Often, it is the simplest of rules that can have the most dramatic effect on your direct marketing campaign. Indenting is a small but powerful rule to follow when constructing both online and offline copy. A direct marketing rule-of-thumb calls for indenting paragraphs 3 to 5 characters. (Microsoft Word's default of 0.5 inches looks amateurish and puts too much white space between words on the first line.) Research has proven that your reader’s eye is able to focus better when you indent every paragraph.
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In the last couple of issues, I talked to you about the danger of complicated words and complicated sentences in both online and hard copy campaigns. But believe it or not, there is something worse: complicated paragraphs. You never want your consumer or prospect to have to reread one of your paragraphs or, even worse, not attempt to read it at all. Keep it simpleYou need to remember, regardless of who your audience is or how well-educated you think they are, your paragraphs should be at a ninth-grade reading level.
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Most of your prospects won’t take the time to read a sentence more than once. So make sure every sentence in your direct marketing campaign hits home the first time around. Last week, I gave you some insight about using complicated words and the damage they can cause to your copy. Well, the same rings true of complicated sentences. In writing offline and online direct marketing copy, keeping your sentences simple is an important rule to remember.
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In writing marketing copy, I’ve written to PhDs and I've written to plumbers. I have written to those who are highly educated and I have written to people who haven’t graduated from high school. Creating powerful copy without confusionWhat I’ve learned is that to have the most powerful copy and the highest readership, your copy should be aimed at the ninth-grade reading level. Never use complicated words or words that may not be commonly known.
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It’s a known fact that superlatives are counterproductive to your direct marketing campaign. It’s a known fact that superlatives are counterproductive to your direct marketing campaign. Clear, concise and compelling words, sentences and paragraphs are the basic building blocks behind effective direct marketing. Choose your words based on facts, not hypeFor example, when creating copy for the outside of an envelope, don’t say, “Our product is the best in the industry.” Instead say, “Studies have shown our product outperformed our nearest competitor by 25%.” Raving about your product is a must. But hyping it up without the facts will damage your response, and more important, you will lose the trust of your prospect.
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Whether you are writing online or offline copy, one key to success is observing, quantifying and understanding human psychology. Over time, it's been proven that people have reacted positively or negatively depending on how they feel emotionally to different tactics and strategies. Knowing how to speak directly to your prospects' needs Regardless of who you are marketing to, it is crucial that you apply human psychology in your copy. Whether you are communicating via a mailing piece, website, TV or radio, your copy it needs to speak to the emotions of your prospect.
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When reviewing copy, remember that one of the things that distinguishes a winner from a loser, or a campaign that is mediocre from one that is great, is the amount of specifics and details that are put into the direct marketing package, email or website. Get to the point with specificsGeneralities result in anemic copy. And the bottom line is, specifics sell, generalities do not. Never say, “Our research and development costs are approximately a million dollars.” Instead say, “Our research and development costs were $992,422,00.” You should use specifics in percentages. Don’t say, “80% of the users increased their productivity.” Instead say, “83% of the users increased their productivity.”
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In writing your sales copy, it’s very important that your copy be in an active voice. Isolate all the phrases telling what you will do for the prospect, and then make sure to revise your passive voice to an active voice. How to use an active voiceIn other words don’t write, “The profit boosting management kit will be forwarded immediately.” Instead use an active voice and write, “I’ll send you your profit management boosting kit.” Applying an active voice to all of your marketing outlets is crucial to boost salesThe active voice, is a direct-response marketing rule that should be used in email, websites, direct mail, display ads, TV commercials and any direct marketing you do.
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As I mentioned before, if you use personalization when marketing to your clients and prospects, you will get a significantly higher return. Here are 3 rules to live by when using personalization:
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It is crucial that you are constantly clued into what your customers' and prospects' needs are. In writing copy, really care about your prospect. There is power in caring for each prospect as an individual. Make the copy exciting and interesting for your reader. And understand that what might be exciting to you might not be as exciting to your customer.
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I’ve been talking a lot about readability and how you can construct a direct mail campaign that is pleasing to the reader’s eye both online and offline. Something that is not often considered, but can be a strong factor, is spacing. It is very important that you watch the spacing in your letter. For the sake of improved readability, break up paragraphs with an extra space.
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It’s a little-known secret that testimonials that are too general don't do enough to help increase response. However, testimonials that use specifics increase response dramatically. A “meaty” testimonial will gain trust and increase responseYour prospects want evidence of how your service or product is going to positively impact their lives. The best way to give them this is to use specifics in your testimonials.
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Every direct marketing letter, every email and most direct marketing websites should have a carefully chosen closing. And no, I’m not talking about a closing such as a summation of your sales presentation, but the actual closing words of your letter just before you sign you name, typically “Sincerely” or “Yours truly.”
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If you want your prospect to open your direct marketing envelope rather than toss it aside, then you must find a way to “call out” to your audience. Your prospect might get dozens of pieces of mail every day, so it is critical that you make your mail seem tailored just to them. Know your prospects and they will want to know youPeople like to know that they are being recognized as an individual not as a general group. And why wouldn’t they? Keep in mind who they really are; what are their interests, their hobbies, their careers?
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Consider testing your direct mail package or website with a picture of your spokesperson. Controversial? Yes. But it’s been proven time and time again, that one of the little-known ways to increase response with consumers or business to business in direct mail or online is to have a personality attached with your direct marketing campaign. By using a photo of your spokesperson, your customers will build a trust with your service or product. I’ll never forget when Charles Schwab said the best thing he ever did for his marketing/advertising campaigns was to be the spokesperson.
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A misspelled word or words catch prospects’ attention almost as well as a compelling headline, researchers at the Los Angeles Institute of Marketing Studies have found. Unfortunately, says Institute Director Irving Farquart, “More and more prospects today can’t read well, due to decades of dumbed-down, one-size-fits-all ‘education’ in public schools. They couldn’t find a misspelling with both hands and a flashlight.” Therefore, you might increase response by misspelling your prospect’s name. They will definitely notice that. Share a story about how a misspelling has helped your product sell. Contact me at inquire@cdmginc.com or call me at 310-212-5727.
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