List, Offer, Copy - Still As Valid Today As It Was 50 Years Ago

Direct marketing is often called a game of dollars-get the basics down and understanding where to put in the time, money and effort where it will do the most good and return the results you need . Success is often a matter of a fraction of a percent response, which may represent thousands of dollars in sales. Properly aligned priorities and careful execution produce profits, misplaced effort and negligence in the performance can cost you. If you keep the basis of the priorities of the effort to list, the offer, copy, design, direct mail has the best chance of success. This long-held principle of direct mail success is just as valid today as it was in the 50's, in spite of all the advances in technology, regulations postal automation systems, in addition to computer models that have been introduced since then. The following shows you the basics and why they are still important.The List of ThingThe best product in the world, described in the fluid prose persuasive in a nice package will not sell if it is presented to the wrong audience period . The list of beneficiaries is the key to mobile units, triggering responses, filling seats, and making money. Put the largest effort in the choice, slaughter, maintenance, updating, specifying, selecting, aggregation, deduping, merger / purge its list, and your response rate do. Clean precise data is the foundation of the program's success, not only driving your first shipment, but said "dictate your schedule, your results, your order fulfillment, your list rental program, and more. Without own data so you can throw only 30% of your equipment in the trash, it is certainly where they end up anyway. Selection is the basic starting point, the more you know about the product or service, you can select the list. Your test program will be carried out by your selection list, to a large extent, but if you just started and did not test data, which is the starting point. Test lists are small segments lists much larger than on the surface appear to fit the customer profile that you developed in the context of product development. Small segments of many lists that match the profile will give you the answer data needed to refine the list of lists of those who fit the profile client adequately to mail in volume. TestingIf you are testing lists, send the same room with the same offer, copy, the design, timing and other fixed components, small segments and the list of data should be the only variable. Read this response data about 3 weeks after the fall of this day, and you know which lists really work and those who do not. Once the data are in, review your segment description, compare them and return to your response data, see if there is a common theme among respondents that may not have been foreseen. Lists that do not shoot well at all, the lowest 25%, may be abandoned for the time being. Listings in the 50% should be considered carefully, and the selection criteria more closely aligned with those in the top 25%. The first 25% can be shipped in volume. That top 25% represent the set of characteristics that you want to emulate for future mailings, the provision of supply and copy will change.For nonprofit organizations, this universe from which to select is your tests generally strongly defined, composed of two members, or potential members to certain devices group in or around your industry. Some publications, lists of affiliates or peripheral organizations, meeting or trade show participants, customer lists of all affiliates provide fresh data to test your house prospect list, and there are many options other than d 'investigate. If your program is brand new and you are starting from scratch, try anything that seems reasonable, your assumptions are not as good as the actual trial (see related article on the research data). Once you have assembled a validated set of data characteristics of your list of test, have some selection criteria reliable, and realistic nature of the universe, which continues to draw work lists, the search is on to locate new lists that match these criteria as closely as possible. Be creative when sleuthing which could come from these. If money is tight (when it is not?) You can offer to exchange lists with other interested parties. You can negotiate partial swaps, ask for a name list net arrangements with the major sources are viable once you have established a relationship with them, and there are a number of other approaches to the purchase lists unless full rate. All they can do is say "No" You have packed a collection of lists you feel for your work on the basis of the test data, it is now time to make it effective at the post office . The Merge / Purge process is that not only can post only a piece by name, but the results of the purge according to the priorities that you have set tells you where your "good" sources of lists, how cross là- The list is low among the sources, who really supplies the majority of your "new" names, and many other useful information. Be sure to work closely with your house data processing to achieve the merger / purge results you want. Clean It UpNow that you have a reliable and efficient collection of the right number of names based on your test data, it is time to do a little cleaning. Good data is not only the right names, but implies address hygiene, greeting and correcting gender, updated mailing addresses, zip and adding four more-list cleaning and other tasks, most of which can be done electronically through the data processing software. All this is done to ensure that your carefully designed, well-written piece reaches its destination. Your message will probably house offers a number of options from the list hygiene, or know of a business data processing, which can perform these functions at a per-mile rate. Enjoy all that you need to access your data recrimination. At the very least, address standardization, genderization, NCOA (National Change of Address) update, zip +4, and postal presort should be applied to increase your postal discount and save some money.The OfferYou've good data, good name in sufficient quantity, and clean, accurate addresses, it is time to focus on what you sell. The offer is the heart of the piece of mail. A careful offer may make or break a piece of mail response rate, but not the whole program. The wording and definition of requirements that offer careful consideration. It should be binding and not easily obtained elsewhere, a price much interest to the recipient, easy to understand and respond quickly, but not too complicated, and mobilize the public. A daunting task for a few sentences, but that's where the magic happens. Bids should be tested just as rigorously as the lists. There are probably fewer variables with offering tests - there are only so many ways to price a product or service profitable, but the way it is written or presented almost infinite variations. Confusion Leads to "no response" from the public, so keep straight and simple as possible. Test prices only, bonuses test, testing or combinations of bundles of products, test samples FREE offers test 'to prohibit "offer (Record clubs mobilized for this great art the 80's with a "Buy one, get 12 more for a penny for the rest of the year, unless you cancel" types of offerings), to try as much as you think reasonable to whittle that offer its more crystal, efficient best. "Copy" Does Not Involve TonerNow you know who is the product for, under what circumstances they buy (or participate in, or select it, or vote for it, whatever the answer is desired). Now, it's time to find out what aspect of the product actually illuminates the stage, what approach angle of the hearing on the product, and what advantages and features will move off the shelf.Copy should be a description of persuasion benefits to the buyer of the product or service, a price so that it seems almost too good to be true, seemingly so seductive that the buyer does not seem possible to do without it. Copy, either long, short, poetic or professional, is the grease that allows the engine to run direct mail right to a response-it leads the reader to the desired action, either to buy, store, assist, mail back, to enter, provide information or dial.Copy should be tested if you are promoting a new product, rebranding of an existing product, a minimum of data or buying history to the public , or seek an entirely new package. Copy length might also drive a test format, just for the sheer space needed for some of the long copy of a letter package might be needed to contain it, as opposed to the most popular postcard, with its limited assets real estate, but low in fat and colors Cost.Talk To Me! Copy should speak directly to the recipient sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many times during the examination of packages, the copy contains only the directive tense "you" in the last line, if that. Talking to the reader and they put themselves in the position of listening and processing your copy as if you are talking about. Make sure all your responses to questions copy for the reader, "What's in it for me?" And it will sell. Copies of the benefits, which is responsible, sings harmoniously drive, offers clear advantages and benefits after appearance puts a couple of "early closure" it is very likely to draw well all the ingredients are there. All things being equal, a good copy will be on tight sweater rushed, the prose flaccid each time.A word on the length, there is no real "rules" on the copy unless it works, the use it. This copy must be long enough to tell the story to the reader, and not a word longer. If it takes you two pages with wax poetic on the latest techniques for disposal of industrial wastewater using solvents, either. If you test against stronger, shorter copy, and he loses the bowl! It's that simple.Copy is a subjective element, as the design, where everyone has an opinion, and in most cases, everyone is just as valid as the other. If your package has been tested widely enough that you can test a single word to make a final choice call, you have other things to worry about, do not waste time arguing, to put something in the mail! Design - Last But Not LeastLastly, design of the package and its importance to the response rate, should be discussed. Design gets more time compared to the effect on the response as anything else. Sometimes it for the reason mentioned above about copying it is subjective and everyone has a way they consider the room looking for. The only hard and fast rule on the design of direct marketing is that it works properly. The postcard will be printed inside right side? Is that the answer device fit easily in the reply envelope? Its function. It should also be exploited by machines currently available in electronic production facilities. There are as many formats imagination because there is marketing, and all or part of them could work under the right circumstances, the only way to really know which one is better is'. . . You guessed, test! Test of a letter against a self-mailer, compared with a magalog, a postcard, with a card in a pack, compared with a dimensional against doormats (no longer legal postage). Test odd shapes, multiple pieces of test against one. Since we mentioned at the beginning that direct mail is a numbers game, this is where good design can earn its stripes. Mail package the most expensive and test each piece, removing each and reposting until the response drops. The fewer parts, which will not affect the answer is a winner: you want to test the Cadillac initially, and reduce until you sending mass quantities of VW beetle. A good design should not be visible, all you can do is work to get across the message that the copy is proposing.Now you have your priorities successfully aligned the list, offer, copy, design. Focus on your direct mail in order of priority, and your package will be lean, tight, efficient and cost effective. That's what we all shootin '! Enjoy!
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