4 Tips for Money-Making Direct Mail

Writing for direct mail isn’t the same as blogging, or writing the great Canadian novel. Direct mail has a specific purpose – usually convincing the reader to hand over his or her hard-earned cash for your product or service – and there are proven techniques for making it work.

It would be impossible to explain all the intricacies of writing a winning direct mail piece, but here are a few tips to help steer you in the right direction:



1. Begin your writing on the envelope. A brief “teaser” on the envelope can go a long way toward persuading the reader to open it. Because remember, zero per cent of all mailings that don’t get opened result in sales.

2. Write about the reader, not about your company or product. Sure, you do have to mention what it is you’re selling at some point, but do it in a way that emphasizes benefits rather than features. For example, you’re not selling a shoe with an air-cushion sole; you’re selling relief from aching feet.

3. Offer something for free. “Order now and get my free report!” “Let’s meet for coffee – on us!” “Call now for a free trial!”

4. Include a postscript (P.S.) where you re-state your offer. Studies have shown that when people read letters, they read the salutation first and the postscript second. So state your main benefit, your call to action and, if possible, some sort of guarantee.



To learn more about how you can use direct mail to turbo-charge your marketing, or if you'd like help with any of your marketing materials, please call 250.702.1103 for a free consultation.




To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

How to Boost Your Profits With Direct Mail

January to March is the most profitable time of the year to launch a direct mail marketing campaign, according to Jay Conrad Levinson, best-selling author of Guerilla Marketing. So what are you waiting for?

Here's why direct mail is one of the most valuable tools at your disposal:

1. It's easy to track, meaning that you can see very clearly the response rate to a particular campaign.
2. You can target any specific market and personalize your message like crazy.
3. It's cheap as borscht, costing as little as 13 cents per prospect.
4. Done properly, you can achieve some of the highest response rates of any form of marketing.

To help you get started, I've compiled five tips to creating a successful direct mail campaign and 3 valuable tools to get you started.




5 tips for making the most of your direct mail campaign:


1. Ensure that you’re targeting the right audience. If you don’t know your target market, it’s time to give it some serious thought. Remember, if you try to speak to everyone you usually end up speaking to no one.

2. Send a letter along with your rack card or promo piece. Mailings with letters are more personal, and they almost always outpull mailings without letters.

3. Make your envelope (or subject line on an email) interesting. Zero per cent of mailings that don’t get opened result in sales.

4. Success in direct mail comes with the cumulative effect of repeat mailings. Make each mailing distinct, but always drive home your key message or branding.

5. Always, always ALWAYS tell the recipient what to do next. “Call now,” “Visit our Web Site” or “Download our free guide” are examples of what’s known as the “call to action.” It seems obvious, but too many advertisers forget this crucial ingredient.


And now a few tools to get you started:

1. CanadaPost.com – Your friends at Canada Post will help you hone in on your target market, make your mailing stand out from the rest, and give you detailed pricing information.

2. Me! I’m a professional marketing copywriter, and I can help you craft your marketing letter or direct mail pieces so that they speak directly to your target market in language that will compel them to buy, Buy, BUY! Call me at 250.702.1103 for a free 30-minute consultation.

3. If you decide to do it yourself, check out "4 Tips for Writing Money-Making Direct Mail."


To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

I'd Like to be BC's Regional Director of the Professional Writers' Association of Canada (PWAC)

The BC Regional Director position with the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) has become vacant, and I've decided to throw my hat in the ring.

Why? Because I think I can help provide a fresh perspective on the issues surrounding PWAC.

I'm always following the discussions that go back and forth on the PWAC business listserve, and the thing that keeps coming up again and again is the need for writers to gain recognition as respected professionals, and to be treated as such. What's needed in a lot of ways is a change in perspective, as contractors need to recognize the value of professional writing and aspiring writers need to recognize the value of their own talents.

There are too many bad contracts (see badwritingcontracts.ca), too many disrespectful editors, too many rights-hungry publishers and too many starving writers wiling to prostitute themselves for a byline.

Although I've spent time as a freelance journalist, I now run a full-time copywriting business. As a marketer, I think I may be able to provide some insight on how PWAC could better promote the respect of professional writers. And hey, if I'm able to contribute in other ways, that would be icing on the cake!

I'm not saying that I could necessarily do a better job than other PWACers who may be considering the posting. I'd just like the opportunity to try. I don't have a lot of board experience, but I have worked with a board of directors as marketing coordinator with Comox Valley Tourism and I did sit in on several Tourism Vancouver Island board meetings. I also started up a nationally incorporated charity several years back.

I'm excited about the opportunity to become more involved with PWAC and I really think this could be a great opportunity to give back.

I'm currently seeking nomination by two PWAC members, and I'll keep you posted on my progress.




To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.