How I raised myself from failure to a Direct Mail Ninja

“It’s not how good you are.
It’s how good you want to be.”

~ Paul Arden

Despite the rise of digital advertising, direct mail remains the unbeaten champion of business to consumer communication. According to the latest research from the Data and Marketing Association (DMA), the response rate for direct mail stood at 2.9% for prospect lists against a response rate of 2% from all other digital channels combined.

Simply put, direct mail is still your best shot at getting a response from your customer. But, if you’re on this page, you already know that, don’t you?

If you’re discouraged with your recent direct mail campaigns, trust me, I have been there. I know exactly how it feels to send out 1000 postcards and not to get even a single response.

Unlike other marketers, who might have given up on direct mail, I stuck around and tested, tested, and tested. I’ve confirmed that it works. Just like your car, a direct mail campaign has several working components, and if any of them aren’t functioning properly, you won’t get anywhere.

I am going to show you how to create direct mail copy that interacts with your customer, entices them, and makes them pick up the phone.

6 Secrets to a Direct Mail Copy That Converts

Write like people speak: Treat your direct mail copy as a conversation you are having with your end customer. It should be respectful and avoid using pushy statements or crass humor. Speak at the level your customer understands. The key is to use simple words and convey your message successfully rather than to show off your vocabulary.

‘You’ is the golden word: Don’t you enjoy hearing about yourself? Everyone does, and that’s what you’d want to exploit. Make your customer the center of attention and tell them how your product can improve his/her life. Be very specific about the problem you intend to solve and it will help your prospect. In the words of Ann Handley, “Make the customer the hero of your story.”

Follow Alec Baldwin’s AIDA approach: If you haven’t seen Glengarry Glenn Ross, buy a copy and watch it right away. Alec Baldwin laid out the AIDA approach to customer conversion, with A standing for Attention, I for Interest, D for Decision, and A for Action. Your direct mail piece should put a strong case for your product/service, and drive your customer towards a call-to-action.

With images, less is more: Images are powerful triggers and having one in your direct mail piece is awesome. However, you don’t want to use too many images in your letter or postcard. Go with one powerful image and let your copy do the rest.

Is your copy scannable? With the social media and digital advertising, people are bombarded with endless information every single minute. Your direct mail copy should be scannable. A single look and a couple of seconds should give your prospect the entire picture. Use a powerful headline, concise sub-headings, and an interesting P.S.

Never lose a creative angle: To sum it up all, always maintain a creative angle in your copy and don’t be afraid to break some grammar rules. It’s the message that matters not the grammar.

P.S: If you aren’t fit for the writing world, hire a professional and do what you do best, Strategize & Execute!