June 24, 2010
Direct Marketing Update
Creative Direct Marketing Group, Inc.
310-212-5727 craig@cdmginc.com
Nobody knows direct marketing better!

 

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Dear Direct Marketing Friend,

Welcome to this week’s Direct Marketing Update, with more tips and strategies to help you increase your response rates.

In this issue…

Little-known direct mail secret for 3-D success

Direct mail principles apply to a variety of marketing challenges. For example, direct mail can be used to make a trade show exhibit a success. If you are unknown to your attendees, you must give prospects a compelling reason to visit your booth. Let me show you how I helped one company—IPRO­—use direct mail to drive prospects to their booth.

Marketing Challenge

IPRO Tech, Inc. is the creator of the breakthrough litigation discovery software tools eCapture and eReview. They were exhibiting at a well-attended conference for top corporate attorneys.

Driving traffic to their booth was critical for generating new leads and sales. But a limited budget made it tough to compete with the expensive exhibit booths and marketing by huge companies sending top-tier professionals.

I was enlisted to create a direct mail campaign to introduce IPRO to prospects prior to the conference, without breaking the bank.

The campaign had to do 3 key things:

  1. Get past gatekeepers and into the hands of the prospects.
  2. Grab the prospect’s attention long enough to establish IPRO as a leader in innovative litigation software.
  3. Drive the prospect to IPRO’s booth at the conference.

Creative Solution

After careful analysis, I developed a 3-D mailing package. To be successful, it needed to tie into IPRO’s product and have what I call the “Wow Factor.”

Here’s how it worked...

One week before the show, packages were delivered via FedEx. This created a feeling of urgency, importance and curiosity. The package sailed past mailroom staff and personal assistants trained to filter out solicitations. (FedEx packages are also more likely to be opened promptly.)

Prospects opened the package to find something unusual: A translucent puzzle box with a dollar bill trapped inside. Their next thoughts were likely, “How do I get it out? Who sent this and why?”

The accompanying letter, set on simple letterhead, “From the desk of Robert S. Salzstein, Esq.,” clearly identified it as a personal correspondence from one attorney to another, adding instant credibility.

Strong benefit-driven copy explained the solution to the puzzle was simple if you new the secret—and how two important solutions could be found at IPRO’s booth. There, IPRO would reveal how to solve the puzzle and explain the benefits of using IPRO’s software.

The copy provided just enough information to make an impact, with specific examples of how companies had lost millions without the software. Finally, prospects were offered a valuable FREE Special Report about slashing e-discovery costs for stopping by.

As a result of this expertly designed 3-D package, IPRO’s conference appearance was a success—gleaning an above-average list of qualified leads from a very skeptical audience.

You can see this kind of success with a 3-D package for your conference as well. Call me at 310-212-5727 or email me at craig@cdmginc.com to find out how my team and I can build you a quality 3-D lead-generation campaign.

Web strategy: 3 commonly overlooked SEO strategies (Part 2)

You may remember in your last issue, I told you about embedding links in copy, the first of three key Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies that often get overlooked when developing websites and landing pages.

In this issue, we are going to talk about a second of these key strategies…

Commonly overlooked SEO strategy #2: Formatting your
key words

Whenever possible, consider making your keywords and keyword phrases bold or italic.

By adding this extra formatting, you will help search engines like Google understand that the word in bold or italic is one of your key words.

However, be careful to do this while at the same time keeping your content editorially sound. In other words, don't make it blatantly obvious to your readers that you are highlighting keywords or they may be turned off to it.

Formatting your key words may seem like a pretty simple idea, but it can make a major difference in where your site gets placed in the listings.

In your next full issue, I’ll share another highly successful but regularly unused SEO strategy.

My team and I have extensive experience creating SEO strategies that garner the maximum results. If you want to boost your response, email me at craig@cdmginc.com or give me a call at 310-212-5727.

Copy tip: Writing web copy that will ensure conversions

If you are like many readers, you haven’t read every word of this email. Instead you scanned it until something interesting caught your eye.

It works the same way for prospects reading your website. They don’t read your web pages word by word. They scan them and focus on individual words, phrases or sentences.

So, the goal is to make your copy easier to scan—so the important information is easily found. The preferred way to do this for web writing is to use what is known as “the inverted pyramid.”

The inverted pyramid uses the principle of primacy (ordering) to let you control saliency (importance). It is the same principal that is used in writing a newspaper article.

The most important information is presented first, with information decreasing in importance as you move down the page.

Also, remember to keep your paragraphs short—with only one main idea per paragraph so the information is quickly digested.

Finally, use the same inverted pyramid strategy when creating bulleted lists or lists of navigational links—put the important ones on top.

Writing your copy in this manner will help your prospects move quickly and easily through your sales story and come to the logical conclusion to take action.

My team and I have extensive experience writing winning direct response copy that pulls strong results. If you want to boost your response, email me at craig@cdmginc.com or give me a call at 310-212-5727.

Seasonality: Using it to explode your response

In last week’s bonus issue, I discussed the importance of seasonality to the success of your marketing and how to plan for it.

Today, I want to talk a little about the idea of tying seasonality directly to your marketing and using it in your emails in order to boost sales by making your messaging and your offers more urgent.

The idea is to use holidays and other seasonal events as a tie-in to your offer and a reason to purchase your product now.

Of course, to be most effective, there should be a strong reason to tie your product to the specific event.

Here is a great example of how Avon helps its distributors using seasonality in its email campaigns. Take a look:

how Avon helps its distributors using seasonality in their email campaigns

Do you have a good example you’d like to share? Send it to craig@cdmginc.com. If I get enough reader responses on this subject, I’ll share the information in our next issue.

In the meantime, if you are looking for help to add seasonality to your own campaigns, call me at 310-212-5727 or email me at craig@cdmginc.com.

Testing corner: Turning conventional wisdom on its ear

Looking to double sales for their Personal Choice program, Blue Cross and Blue Shield United of Wisconsin created a new direct response program. They tested two different direct mail options.

The first solution was a traditional mailing package. It made use of a 2-color, 2-sided, 9 x 6 envelope; a 2-color, 2-sided letter with a detachable response form; and a glossy 4-color, 3-panel brochure. The package also included a 2-sided lift note and a business reply envelope.

Even though they knew traditional direct mail packages with a letter and additional components almost always outperform other mailers, this package was tested against a 3-panel, 4-color self-mailer.

The mailer was designed using straightforward copy and appealing photography. It incorporated a pre-addressed, perforated and postage-paid business reply card for easy response.

The placement of images, headlines, subheads and bullet points led readers through the piece left-to-right to where the offer was featured. In contrast to the glossy brochure in the traditional package, the mailer was printed on matte-finish paper stock.

Coming in at less than 40¢ per piece (lists, creative, printing and mail) the self-mailer concept offered an inexpensive alternative to the traditional mailing.

Results: Surprise! The self-mailer out-pulled the traditional mailing package almost 2 to 1—receiving a 2.18% response to the envelope package’s 1.14%.

The self-mailer not only beat the control, but it also exceeded Blue Cross’s weekly lead-generating goal, and at the same time, cost 4 times less per lead (just $17 as compared to $75 for the control).

Let me and my team create a direct mail package to test against yours. I know we can help you boost your response. Email me at craig@cdmginc.com or give me a call at 310-212-5727.

Action Items

  1. Calculate your campaign’s success. Is your current campaign profitable—or does it fall short of breaking even? Use my FREE ROI Calculator to find out. If your results are less than desirable, give me a call at 310-212-5727 for a no-obligation critique and see what I can do to help.
  2. On July 10, I will be speaking at FreedomFest in Las Vegas. Go to http://www.freedomfest.com/ to check out the program. I’ll be there for the entire event (see sidebar), so email me at craig@cdmginc.com if you’d like to meet up.
  3. 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.
  4. Direct Marketing Update subscribers can save $15 on a new subscription to Direct Response, the nation’s leading direct marketing newsletter. Click here to subscribe now.

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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This direct marketing newsletter has been prepared by and is the property of Creative Direct Marketing Group, Inc. The information contained herein has been carefully compiled from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All photos and graphics are used by permission of their creators. Reproduction or electronic transmission of information contained in this report in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

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About Craig Huey

Craig Huey

Craig Huey is the #1 authority on accountable advertising.

He’s recognized as one of the top direct response marketing experts in the nation.

In addition to publishing Direct Marketing Update and the industry newsletter Direct Response, Mr. Huey is president of Creative Direct Marketing Group, Inc., a full-service direct response advertising agency, and InfoMat, Inc., a postal and email list brokerage and management company.

Email Craig at craig@cdmginc.com.

FreedomFest
Las Vegas, NV
July 8–10, 2010

12 New Marketing Trends and Strategies for Business Owners and Organizations: How to Profitably Grow in an Age of Obama

Here’s what you’ll discover:

  • How to stay profitable despite Obama’s anti-business legislation
  • 3 “marketing evils” you need to address right now
  • What’s really wrong with your current offer
  • #1 mistake business owners and administrators make
  • Costly and common shopping cart blunders
  • And more

If you’ll be at this event or in the area, email craig@cdmginc.com if you’d like to meet up.

Smartphones love YouTube

  • Number of mobile users watching video: 10 million
  • Hours spent watching video: 3:37
  • Gender breakdown: 60% men, 40% women
  • Mobile video powerhouse: 30% of mobile viewers are aged 25–34 and watch 4+ hours per month

—The Nielsen Company

Did you miss the last few issues of Direct Marketing Update?

Catch up here:

Discover new profit-boosting direct marketing secrets

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Direct Response is the nation’s leading direct marketing newsletter. In each issue, you’ll catch up on the latest test results, breakthrough strategies and techniques to get you the most return for your dollar.

You’ll discover…

  • 15 critical video marketing rules
  • How click-to-chat can lower costs and boost conversions
  • 3 ways to strengthen your offer without going broke
  • Recession outlook: A reality check for retailers
  • Little-known secrets to international marketing
  • Twitter: 5 rules for beginners

Direct Marketing Update subscribers can save $15 on a new subscription. Click here to subscribe now.

Here are just a few of the clients Craig has helped.

B2B

800 DIRECT
Compusource
SurfControl, Inc.
The Weather Channel
See more B2B clients

Consumer

Baby Lulu
Chevron Oil
Hooked on Phonics
Weight Watchers
See more consumer clients

Health and Wellness

Blue Cross Catalog
Health Alert
Metagenics, Inc.
Sun Chlorella
See more health clients

Publishing

Agora Publishing
The Hollywood Reporter
VNU Publishing
See more publishing clients

Investment

Barry Kaye Associates
The Motley Fool
Standard & Poor's
VectorVest, Inc.
See more investment clients

Fund-raising/Political

Biola University
Athletes in Action
Jews for Jesus
Save Proposition 13
See more fund-raising/ political clients

Direct Mail

Intelligence Digest
The Dines Letter
TheStreet.com
See more direct mail clients

Paid Search

Constitution Mining
Retirement Watch
The CHEAP Investor
Vestopia

Websites/Microsites

Downey Savings
FamilyLife Canada
Mommie Helen’s Bakery
RealMoney.com
South Bay Back
Spectrum Holdings
See more website clients

TV/Infomercials/Viral Videos

Dr. Bruce West
DTN
Fawn’s Secret Stock
Swiss Confidential
Variel Health Spas

Radio

Education Connection
Reagan for President
Saturday Night Singles
Sun Wellness

Reach Craig Huey now at 310-212-5727 or craig@cdmginc.com to discuss how he and his team of marketing professionals can create the same profit-exploding results for your next campaign.

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