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Archive for December 19th, 2009

Direct Mail Mailing Lists Copywriting : Bda.me.uk

You know the sort of thing: where you send out thousands of mailshots and basically get a zero response rate.

There are many reasons why this can happen. Here are some typical explanations:

• The mailers have gone to the wrong people
• This is the first time they’ve heard of you / this product
• There isn’t a good offer
• Your copy is not compelling enough
• There aren’t enough ‘reasons to buy / respond’
• The mailer is poorly produced
• The price is too high “It’s far too expensive”
• The price is too low “It must be rubbish”

And so on and so forth. Like so many things in life direct mail looks deceptively simple. However making it work effectively is a combination of art science trial error and perspiration! Actually this holds true for most things in life.

Your Mailing List
The foundation for any long term direct mail campaign is your mailing list. From bitter experience I can tell you that no list will ever be as good as your own list.

The Offer
A great offer comprises a good perceived price and the way in which you package up your proposition. The offer will be based on your knowledge of your market. What factors are they likely to respond to? Have they bought this type of product or service before?

If you don’t know do some research and try testing your offer.

Copywriting
Well written copy can of course make or break a direct mail shot. My advice is to use a professional copywriter. They can make a dramatic difference to your business results.

I’m always amazed that so many of my clients feel that they are naturally able copywriters. Many of them will spend ages tinkering with professionally produced copy. The key problem is that all too often the message then becomes diluted.

If you would like me to recommend a copywriter to you send me an email.

Long Copy or Short Copy?
This is an old chestnut if ever there was one. The simple answer is that long body copy i.e. lots and lots of words does indeed sell better. The reason lies in the selling process itself. You and I know that most of your letters will go in the bin because your offer isn’t of interest to most readers at that particular time.

However if someone is in the market or suddenly decides to become so because they are intrigued by your mailer they will be happy to ‘read all about it’. If you think about your last significant purchase you may well have spent quite a bit of time researching it. So if a prospect gets a fascinating mailer which sparks their interest they will be happy to read every single word you send them particularly if the product is highly priced or there is a significant commitment or some sort.

Be Emotional
Time and again direct mail results prove that the emotional appeal will outsell cold logical argument. So become passionate about what you do! Your audience will love you for it as long as you ‘do it right’. If you are selling something you really believe in and I hope for your sake that you are tell the readers of your direct mail about it with enthusiasm and passion.

For more information kindly visit our website : http://www.bda.me.uk/directmail.php

About the writer:  bda.co.uk are business development experts based just outside Guildford in Surrey. We work with small and medium sizes companies to rapidly grow their turnover and more importantly their profit. We generate new customers for our clients and make sure that they retain and maximise the value of their existing customers.