Writing for direct mail success
When you send out a direct mail postcard, you don’t have a lot of room to sell your product or service. This makes the quality of your words critical because the shorter a piece of writing, the better it must be in order to produce the desired effect. So, what are some things you can do to make an impact with your direct mail message?
First, know your audience and determine your goal.
Before you start writing, these two things must be clear in your mind. Who are you writing for and what is important to them? Knowing your audience will help you determine the appropriate tone to use in your writing and how to structure your ideas in a way they will understand. Also, be as detailed as possible when identifying qualities and characteristics of your audience. For example, if you are a real estate agent directing your postcard to potential home buyers, segment that broad group into specific categories – first-time home buyers, investment purchasers, renters, expanding families, etc. Each of these segments would have different reasons and motives for potentially purchasing a new home; so, you’re message should speak directly to those issues.
Just as important, clarify your goal for sending a direct mail piece. What specific thing do you want to accomplish? Is the intention of your message to inform, provoke an action, or just to promote awareness of your business? Whatever it may be, there should only be one main idea represented on your direct mail postcard. You may have but a few seconds of your audience’s attention. So, choose one goal and drive that point throughout your piece.
Make an impact with a strong headline.
Like reading a newspaper, the headline is the first thing people see before deciding to read the entire article or direct mail piece. If the headline is strong and thought provoking, the higher the likelihood that it will capture the attention of your audience. Start your piece with a surprising statistic, an interesting fact, a question or simple statement. Whatever the structure of the headline, make sure it relates to the rest of your copy, your goal and to your audience.
Be simple, clear and concise with your message.
Often times, people make the mistake of using advanced vocabulary and being too ‘wordy’ when trying to get their point across. Ever hear of the phrase, “short and sweet”? That’s what you should strive for with your direct mail piece. Every sentence should have a purpose and support your goal. When reviewing your copy, try to read with your audience’s perspective and ask, “Why should I care? How does this benefit me?” That exercise might help you weed out any unnecessary information and keep you focused on being direct with your idea.
Be yourself.
People identify with other people, so don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through the copy you write. Write in a way that is natural for you. By doing this, the tone of your direct mail piece will probably reflect a smooth quality, one that may be difficult to attain if you tried to write as someone else or outside of your comfort zone.
Try keeping these points in mind when writing copy. It will help you develop a connection with the audience that’s reading your direct mail piece. And ultimately, a connection with your audience will put you on the path to direct marketing success.
The Little Letters - The Art of Acronyms | The Direct Marketing Voice - December 16th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
[...] list of The Worst Ad Campaigns of 2007. Now that you’ve had a laugh or three, here are some direct mail writing tips from a guy who works down the hall from me named Steve. (Hi [...]