Often, what you think will generate a higher response, is not always the case.

That’s why testing copy concepts is crucial to improving your response.

One concept is that using a question in the headline is dangerous. Unless your audience can only answer “yes,” (or at least in your favor) you should avoid questions.

So, we put that concept to the test …

The Test:

We tested two magalog covers for a client (click here for a video briefing on magalogs).

Both covers targeted men and women age 60 years and older, and both covers promised prevention methods and remedies for arthritis, back pain, stroke, and heart attack.

Cover A read:

“Do you have any of the illnesses that these stars had?”

Cover B read:

“Discover the amazing health secrets of today’s ‘over 60’ Hollywood stars …”

Can you guess which one generated the highest response.

The Result:

If you guessed Cover A, you are right!

It was the winner by 39%.

This is unusual because typically questions within the headline copy don’t do well. But in this case, the question was very powerful and created a great deal of curiosity.

The other cover, which specifically called out to people age 60 and older – the target audience – wasn’t compelling enough to beat out Cover A.

If you have any questions or would like help creating and/or testing any of your direct mail pieces, call us at 615.933.4647 or email [email protected].