Direct mail must avoid these 10 pitfalls in order to produce significant profits. A smart direct mail marketing communications strategy will produce loyal customers who are ready to buy your products and services. At Covenant Designs, we have been doing direct mail and postcard campaigns for 17 years and typically product 3-6% response rates with some responses even higher than 10%.
As we have all experienced, lots of sales letters are regarded as junk mail these days. When was the last time you opened a sales letter in the mail and actually read it? Why not? Because the letter did not entice you, didn't speak to you – didn't give you a reason to care.
Remedying these 10 deadly sins will release thousands and thousands of dollars that are otherwise missing from your direct mail and marketing campaigns.
#1. Vague Targeting
Your letter doesn't speak to anybody in particular. Have you identified your ideal customer and made sure your mailing list targets them? Companies fail to get to know their market, and it undermines, not just their sales letters, but their marketing as a whole.
Take some time to study your target audience - what makes them tick? What problems do they face? What are their values? What motivates them? Only then can you send a sales letter that speaks directly to their wants and desires.
#2. Missing or Poor headline.
Sales letters need to attract the eye – to grab you. Without a headline, a sales letter is just a chunk of words that can easily be ignored. Just look at the headline of this post: it speaks directly to YOU, doesn't it? It speaks in the present tense, and it implies that there is information in this article that you need to read now (true). That's a big reason why you are reading this, isn't it? So do the same – motivate your readers to keep reading!
#3. Failed to Focus on BENEFITS and are bogged down in Features
If you do not understand the distinction between benefits and features in marketing, then you will experience frustration and struggle in your marketing. This is the biggest, most common mistake that companies make in their sales letters.
If you get a letter that says, "Hey! Look at what we've got! Look what we've done! Aren't we great?!?", you're going to throw it away in a heartbeat, right? What do people want to hear about? Themselves. It's simple human nature – our focus is on our present needs.
Instead, your direct mail needs to talk about them: "Hey! You know that problem you have? This is how we can help you out..." If you are writing about your business, you are writing a FEATURE. That's not what you're supposed to be writing. If you are writing about the consumer, you are writing a BENEFIT. That's what people want to hear about - what's in it for me?
#4. Failure To Motivate A Response
If your response rates are down, you may not be giving your market enough of a reason to contact you. Where's the offer? Give them a discount or some form of special offer for responding to the letter. If the consumer reads your entire sales letter, but they are not motivated to take action IMMEDIATELY, you did it wrong. (Tip: pinpointing the exact benefits that matter most to your prospects is essential to motivating a response)
#5. Assuming they'll simply take your word for it.
Face it, you need proof. That means statistics that show it works. That means testimonials from people who have enjoyed the benefits. People won't just listen to you based on what you say - show them what others are saying.
#6. Unattractive Design.
How is your communication formed? Is it just a mass of words? Then forget it. You may as well have mailed them a letter in Chinese. At least put in some sub-headlines or lists. Photos are even better! They need something they can easily scan to get the gist of the letter beforehand. It will encourage them to read, to understand the benefits, and to respond.
#7. You didn't Break Down the Barriers.
This is a biggie. Barriers are things that keep prospects from doing business with you. Usually RISK is their barrier – they worry that they are investing their time or money in something that won't work. You need to guarantee them that it will be worth it. Offer them a 30-day, money-back guarantee. Give them a reason to take the plunge, risk-free, and there's a good chance they will.
#8. You don't have a "P.S." at the end.
The "P.S." is a great way to hit the last few skimmers - people who aren't reading. Sum up your biggest benefit, combine it with your offer, and throw it in as the last line in your letter. Then watch those response rates soar!
For example: "P.S. Stop wasting your time resharpening old kitchen knives! Order your complete set of Mighty Sharpy Steak Knives and use them for 60 days at no cost!"
#9. Nothing makes you stand out.
Who are you targeting and why? You need to position yourself as something unique. Differentiate yourself from the competition. What's your advantage? If you are just like the others, why should anyone choose to do business with you?
#10. They're not even opening the envelope.
If your letter comes in a plain white envelope, you're going to lose. One way around this is to use oversides postcards with color printing on both sides. We've had great success with these.
But for letters in an envelope, print your strong headline on the outside of the envelope. Consider hand-addressed envelopes. Make it distinctive in color, size or shape. Or, as many companies do, take advantage of the "lumpy mailer", where you put something in the envelope that makes it feel bulky - so people will tear it open – intrigued just to find their free gift. Your visual presentation needs to stand out from the rest of the mail. How is your sales letter standing out?
P.S. For professional results from your direct mail or postcard campaign let the experienced marketing communication experts at Promise Productions position you for massive success. Call 972-822-3587
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