When I got the call from TheStreet.com, they were unsure what to do. Sales were going down. Competition was increasing. It was the middle of a recession/down market. Plus, TheStreet.com saw existing ad revenue drop when the market dropped…and that’s what happens [...]
As a marketer, it’s important to understand your prospects by anticipating their needs, objections, and apprehensions. We call this, “Preemptive Copy”: In a time of high prices and business/economic uncertainty, your prospect or customer may cut back on a new [...]
When writing copy for your direct response campaign, you only have a few minutes or even a few seconds to grab the attention of your prospects. That’s why you must choose your words carefully. Online or print, words have a [...]
Most marketers are so excited about their own product or service that they’re convinced the prospect should be as well. They ignore the pervasive problem of disbelief. Of course, disbelief kills leads and sales, so marketers should do everything they [...]
Writing an ad or direct mail piece requires a balance between facts and emotions. In writing to certain individuals, specific facts are needed, or the sale/lead won’t be generated. Others will respond best to a highly emotional piece. Some of [...]
In today’s fast-paced, low-attention-span environment, simple, visual displays of information are very effective. That’s why it’s especially important to reinforce your copy (specifically comparisons, ratios and percentages) with a chart or graph that visually represents your content. It will increase [...]
Inflation… recession… politics… bad weather…? These are challenging times. These 11 direct response copy rules will get you through any external (or internal) challenge that may come your way… and help you increase response. Remember, great copy improves your response. [...]
When you are writing any kind of marketing material, don’t keep your readers waiting to discover your intentions. Many copywriters make this fatal mistake – writing a long, cute introduction without telling the reader the point. Don’t make your prospect [...]
How can you increase direct mail response by 25-50%? Teaser copy. Teaser copy is the copy on the outside envelope of your direct mail piece. I’ve tested multiple outside copy versions for Humana, for example – because I want to [...]
To increase your response, copy should use the word “now.” It’s a power word often overlooked, so check your copy for how often you used “now.” “Now” creates a sense of immediacy and action. To stress immediacy, use the word [...]
