By Brian Darrow
Feb. 2005
© R-Design, Inc.
In my brief introduction to direct mail marketing, I mentioned the three basic fundamentals of direct mail marketing: The mailing list, the advertising copy, and the offer. I’ve already briefly touched on the importance of the mailing list, so how do you turn those promising prospects into paying customers? It starts with the advertising copy. What is advertising copy? It’s the written word on the direct mail piece that persuades the prospect to patronize your business.
When you’re beginning to formulate advertising copy, it’s important to get inside the head of your customers. Ask yourself what their main concerns are. What frustrates them? Do they have any specific problems that you can solve?
For instance, a new business owner might be happy with all the new business he’s getting (from his great direct mail marketing campaign), but he’s spending hours every evening trying to get his books in order. On top of that, tax time is coming up and he’s worried sick that he’ll make a costly mistake when he’s figuring his taxes.
It’s important to realize early on that the people who receive your direct mail piece likely don’t care much about your business. Their lives are full of problems and annoyances. If they open a letter that’s all about you, it’s just another annoyance. If the letter is about their problems and how you can solve them, your letter becomes a welcome addition to their day.
You see a lot of sales letters that read something like this:
“I’m Bob Jones, certified public accountant. I went to Harvard and I’ve been an accountant for over 45 years. I’m a partner in Jones, Smith and Hackensack, the most respected accounting firm on the planet earth. We’ll take care of all of your accounting needs. Give us a call today.”
I’m certain that Bob is a fabulous accountant and I’m very proud of his many accomplishments, but when our frustrated business owner opens this letter, he’s not thinking, “I need an accountant”. He’s thinking, “I’d much rather be out spending my hard earned money, instead of spending all my time on bookkeeping.”
Something like this might work better for Bob:
“Would you rather enjoy your money, instead of spending all of your time keeping track of it? Are you confused by all of the new tax laws? I can help. I’ve been working with small businesses just like yours for over 45 years. I will quickly and efficiently get your company’s books in order, recommend and implement money saving tax strategies, and make sure your business finances run as smoothly as possible. I’m backed by Jones, Smith and Hackensack, the most respected accounting firm on the planet earth, so you can be sure that your business is in good hands. Give me a few minutes of your time this week and I’ll show you how you can save hours next week.”
The important difference between the two pieces of advertising copy is that the second emphasizes the benefits to the customer, not the features of the service. Advertising great, Leo Burnett once said, “Don’t tell them how good your goods are; tell them how good your goods make them.” That idea still holds true today, and probably always will.
Aside from their fears, frustrations and problems, it’s also a good idea to think about how the lives or businesses of your target customers might be changing. This will tie in directly to the list you purchase. Our friend, Bob the accountant may have purchased a list of businesses owners whose companies grew a certain amount in the past month. He knows that they likely have more to keep track of now than they did before and less time to do it. Alternatively, Bob might contact a list of high income Floridians and emphasize the new sales tax deductions in his letter.
In general when writing advertising copy, you should try to sound as personable as possible. You want to make it clear that there is a real person communicating with the reader. You should definitely gear your writing style toward your target audience and what affects their decision making, though. A story that tugs at the heartstrings might be effective for pet owners, while concise point by point analytical copy may appeal more to scientists.
Always remember that effective advertising copy begins with knowing your customers. What is appealing to you is not always what is appealing to them, so check your ego at the door and get inside their skin. Above all, sell the benefits of your product or service over the features.