On Direct Marketing: Foolproof Holiday Marketing
9 Proven Tips for Productive Direct-Mail Campaigns
BY JOY GENDUSA
Published in the November 2013 issue
Here are nine simple and proven design and copywriting strategies to improve the response to your holiday direct-mail marketing.
1 Crystal Clear Headline: When writing or approving a headline for any ad, the temptation is to opt for something clever. But what you really need is a crystal clear headline that explains simply what you have to offer the reader. People are not looking to be entertained at their mailbox. You need a headline that communicates the value you have to offer immediately.
Good Headline: “50% off Entire Stock on Black Friday!”
Bad Headline: “Add More Bling to Your Ring This Christmas!”
2 A Reinforcing Graphic: The first purpose of your postcard’s graphics is to reinforce the headline’s message. For example, for the good headline above, you wouldn’t just want images of beautiful jewelry; you would also want images of prices slashed in half. This drives home the message of your half price sale.
3 Eye-Catching Colors: A professional graphic designer can help you choose colors that complement each other and grab attention. The key is to avoid bland color schemes. Tans, browns and grays aren’t ideal but they can work if the contrast is enough. Ideally you would have pops of bright color to grab attention.
4 Transitional Sub-Headings: If the graphics and headline work, the reader will flip over the card, and you need to lead into the copy on the back with a sub-heading that builds on the theme of the main headline and transitions into the body text.
Good Sub-Heading: “50% off the Brands You Love…”
Bad Sub-Heading: “We Have All the Brands You Love…”
5 Bulleted Benefits: A benefit is something the prospect gets from doing business with you. A feature is something about you or your store. There is an important difference. You want to tout your benefits. Benefits sell. Features don’t.
Benefit: “Extended hours to meet your shopping needs.”
Feature: “We’ve been in business for 26 years.”
6 An Enticing Offer: One of the most important aspects of the card is the offer. In the case of the headline above, the offer is built right in. But you want an offer that adds extra incentive to take action. This could be something like, “Bring in this card for free engraving!”
7 Call to Action: If your offer is “Free Engraving,” you should not just put a box on the back that says, “The card is good for 1 free engraving.” Rather, you need to put something like, “Bring in this card this week for free Engraving!”
8 Business Logo & Contact Information: Your card must include your logo. This helps build name and brand recognition. Don’t make it the focus of the card, but make sure it’s there. And your contact information is vital if you want business out of your marketing rather than just interest.
9 Your Return Address: A legitimate return address (not P.O. Box) increases your credibility in the eyes of a prospect.
Now you have the knowledge you need to create a successful directmail postcard and drive your revenue sky high this holiday season.