Continuing
earlier article on common mistakes in direct mail
campaign - here's more common mistakes:
Mistake No 4 : Indifferent Copy
Nothing is more damaging in a business-to-business
mail campaign than to have a letter that lacks
the punch and poor in content. Direct mail is
not meant to be good-looking and pretty but to
create an impact and GENERATE A RESPONSE
Some of the best ways to make a poor
copy are:
- Talk vaguely on benefits - no specific facts
Your customers rely more on facts than flowery
language. Try to put more facts and figures
substantiating your claim than using vague words
on how useful your product or services are.
- Use large graphics/images, too many colours,
fonts and styles. In Business-to-Business correspondence,
your recipient is likely to be a hard-headed
businessman who has no time for such superfluous
techniques - content is the most important driver
here. Use graphics/fonts etc. to highlight content
- not the other way round.
- Lack of research on recipient's needs. To
write effective sales letter with strong content
- rely on specifics, facts. You must study the
product, potential customers and the market
context. There is no short-cut, no way around.
Without facts, you cannot write good copy but
with facts, even mediocre content can stand
out and make an impact
Mistake No 5 : Saving the Punch
Line for Last
A major mistake in writing effective content
is to save the strongest sales pitch for last.
We tend to write in a logical manner - starting
slow and hoping to build to a climactic conclusion.
This is a major mistake as a typical reader decides
whether to read or trash your sales letter in
5 to 7 seconds. If you are unable to hold on to
his/her attention within first few lines - your
mail is heading for trash folder.
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