Direct Marketing Update for December 21, 2009

You are looking at our last issue for 2009. I can’t believe 2010 is just around the corner. I hope that you’ve enjoyed (and profited) from many of the strategies revealed in every issue of Direct Marketing Update.

So in the spirit of this Christmas holiday, let me share with you the last marketing ideas of 2009 to get your marketing efforts prepared for the New Year.

Web strategy: SEO blunders cost you money

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most complex and quickly changing disciplines in direct marketing. There are literally thousands of strategies and techniques to improve your rankings.

It’s why my team and I recommend using video, informational landing pages, multi-linked microsites as well as a list of costly blunders to avoid.

So while there are many different things you can do, here are 3 strategies to check right now that can have a big impact. Many marketers are overlooking them...it’s a costly mistake.

Don’t forget powerful sales-driven description tags for all your images and photos. So be sure to use descriptive file names as opposed to “image1.jpg.” This will help you increase your search engine rankings.
Metatags are still important, especially the title and description tags. Use keywords that are specific to the audience you want to attract. So keep in mind key benefits as well as general features of your company. The title tag should also be short and informative.
Be sure to use different keywords on every page of your site, since every page of your website is unique and different from the previous.

Need help writing your next website? Contact me today at craig@cdmginc.com.

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

I just reviewed a video of a large, powerful group of consumers urging viewers to boycott companies that take the politically correct tact by simply not saying Merry Christmas in their catalogs and mailers and on their websites.

It is important as marketers that you sound authentic and not “politically correct.” If you have Christmas decorations to sell in your catalog, don’t call them “peace ornaments” or “sparkle trees” or “personalized velvet stockings.” You end up sounding odd and political when you are not trying to be.

And you’ll be listed in the boycott.

These retailers have effectively used “Merry Christmas” by having it appear prominently in their catalogs or mailers:

Bass Pro Shops^®
L.L.Bean
Target
Walmart
Cabela’s
And hundreds more

Politically correct advertising will offend many and cause you to lose your customers. Saying Merry Christmas is good for business. The majority of your customers will be enthusiastic about your willingness to share the Christmas spirit and more willing to buy.

Copy tip: The 5 U’s for compelling copy

Looking for a checklist to ensure your copy is its level best? Try looking to the 5 U’s. These are 5 key elements your copy must have to get the job done.

Unusual approach. Your prospects are looking at dozens (sometimes hundreds) of messages every day in their daily mail and in email inboxes. Take an unusual approach to get noticed. Try a powerful headline that speaks directly to the target. Highlight an unusual, but strong offer. Provide a guarantee that is different.
Urgent feel. Unless you get the target audience to act immediately, you are at risk of losing them forever. Give the product or service you’re offering a window that is closing fast. Give reasons for the urgency, not just an arbitrary deadline.
Useful and valuable information. Your email or letter should have some kind of intrinsic value. The V.I.V.A.™ (Valuable Information, Value-Added) direct marketing system I developed 30 years ago provides that a marketing message offers value to the audience—and that increases response.
Unique Selling Proposition (USP). What makes you different? Why should a customer choose you over your competitor? How is your offer better than anything else? Your USP differentiates you so that you are the only choice the customer has to make.
Ultra-specific and details. Test after test after test prove it...specifics outsell generalities every time. Use specific numbers (odd do better than even). Provide facts supported by percentages. Use names of authoritative figures when appropriate. Avoid vague copy and provide details that sell.

Another “U” for compelling copy? Try “YOU-oriented” copy. Direct response copy is your key to success, not advertising copy, not journalism copy. And in this market, you need the best copy possible. Contact me today at craig@cdmginc.com.

Testing corner: How to maximize profits with pop-ups

A consumer credit counseling service was looking to increase the amount of free debt consultation sign-ups without having to augment its regular flow of traffic to their site.

A pop-up was currently in place designed to capture names for the free service. Could small changes make a big improvement to the number of names captured? Take a look...

The Test:

An A-B-C split test of the three versions of the pop-up box was created.

Test A: The control. A simple pop-up box with blue background and sign-up fields.
Test B: A single-variable test, where only the background color was changed (from blue to white) to see how it might independently impact conversion.
Test C: An improved headline using “You orientation” to better communicate the value proposition of the offer from a “We, company-centered” approach. Also the headline font size was increased making the headline easier to read and understand.

The results:

Both Test B and Test C outperformed the control. A simple background color change improved response by 2.49%. But the pop-up box with a stronger, “you-oriented” headline outperformed the control by 16.31%—without ever increasing the number of visitors to the site.

Next, I’d like to see another pop-up test that includes the new copy treatment along with a new white background.

What have your successes been with pop-up boxes? Share your thoughts and ideas. Email me at craig@cdmginc.com.

Special Christmas message from Craig Huey

I want to personally wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. As we celebrate the birth of God’s gift to the world—forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ—my prayer is that you’ll experience the true meaning of Christmas.

And of course, I want to wish you a prosperous and joyful New Year.

Count on your next issue of Direct Marketing Update the second week of January when we can again explore new ways to help improve your marketing efforts.

Action Items

Click the Forward to a Friend button in the upper-right corner to pass this Direct Marketing Update on to interested friends and business associates.
Check your direct mail and web campaigns. Are you violating any direct marketing rules? Are you experiencing loss of leads or sales? Contact me at craig@cdmginc.com
Do you have an SEO success story you’d like to share? Just email me at craig@cdmginc.com and I’ll include it in my next issue.
Questions about any of these articles? Email me at craig@cdmginc.com. I'd be happy to answer your questions.
And the last action item for this issue is...have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year!

Yours for direct marketing success,

Craig A. Huey signature
Craig A. Huey
President
Creative Direct Marketing Group, Inc.
email: craig@cdmginc.com
phone: 310-212-5727
http://www.cdmginc.com/

Click here to visit the Direct Response Library. You’ll find numerous articles from past issues of my Direct Response newsletters that provide even more valuable direct marketing help.

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