Direct Mail Postcards – Fast tips to get your mail read

January 25th, 2010 by JeffreyDobkin | No Comments | Filed in Business, Direct Mail

Face it: most people sort their direct mail over the trash can.

This process works fast, like flipping channels on tv. Or better yet, think back: you’re a kid and a friend is showing you baseball cards for possible trades: gottem gottem needem gottem gottem needem gottem. 200 cards, 50 seconds.

Todays direct mail… Post Cards… Same thing: Direct mail credit card offers, direct marketing magazine subscriptions, direct selling insurance solicitations, and junk mail penny stock hawkers all get the briefest attention before being trashed.

But wait, there’s more! Post card marketing adds another dimension to the view-and-toss direct mail sorting process. Create your card right, and post card readership can be quite high, instantly. Because – it’s all right there, right in front of the reader—and in his hand.

Post card readership is defined by how great the direct-selling copywriting and graphics are for your card. So the fate of your direct mail post card starts in the hands of the creator, which I believe is you, isn’t it?

I call it “Instant Readership;” a term I coined, well… just now, to explain what happens the moment a reader glances at your direct mail post card that has just landed in his hands. Instant readership is the 2-seconds readers spend upon their initial glance on your post card: one second on headline and topic, one second on copy and the blink of an eye on graphics — unless they’re really dazzling.

It’s the same thing as in life! Like, when I meet a new woman: one second on headline and topic, one second on copy and a blink of the eye on graphics, unless they’re dazzling… Hey, maybe this is a pattern of ALL life, and everything can be described by this phrase?

Wow, this is like discovering plutonium… maybe I’ll get a medal! The Nobel Peace Prize – yes, I’ve always wanted one of these, especially since Obama received one for doing, well… I’m not sure – so they can’t be that hard to get. Or a Pulitzer! Yes, for writing this direct marketing article! OK, I’m pretty safe here saying this won’t happen. Or, maybe, just maybe I’ve just discovered all this writing is just a soliloquy for my own life? Help me out here, wouldja…

Glance readership of a post card is like seeing the headline of an ad in a newspaper (remember them?): you only get a second or two to capture the attention of a fleeting reader, before they continue on to the obits, the comics or the TV page. Or is that just me?

Failure. Post card readership reviews can be fast and brutal and end in the briefest of time; failure resulting in the sudden spiral of your direct marketing mailpiece directly downward into the circular file below. And your money following suit. Ouch.

Success. Or, you can instantly get an extremely high-rated review and have your post card placed in the highly coveted pile of “read later with the rest of today’s important mail.” It’s your choice. Right now, you’ve got to ask yourself, “Am I feeling lucky?”

Rule Number 1. Write and design everything in your post card for the first two seconds.

When your recipient gets a good look at your post card, you get the immediate opportunity to pass or fail. So… what’s it gonna be? Coveted pile, or circular file? Yea, or Nay? Success, or failure? Prosper, or fludghum? OK, I might have made that last word up, but you get the idea, and the reader’s decision is immediate. Your choice.

The bright side: For us on the creative end of direct mail, it just can’t get any better. Buy the right mailing list and get your post card into the correct reader’s hands: I’ll get him to read it. Your direct marketing agency will too… and if they can’t, find another agency – plenty of good ones out there. Or call me – writing post cards is a favorite pastime of mine, like monopoly or tractor racing – but it pays better. A well written and well designed post card can enjoy exceptionally high readership – and get exceptionally high response.

OK, so your potential reader is now standing there with your wonderfully written, dazzlingly designed, properly prepared post card in his hot little hand and that, my friend, is great alliteration. It’s where the rubber meets the road. Or hit the road, or something about the road. I forget——I have Alzheimer's. But… at least I don’t have Alzheimer's!

Rule 2. You need to force the reader to read your post card.

How? Compelling headline. Followed by intriguing subheadlines. Brilliant body copy and great, great graphics. Spend a little more time (and money) here and what happens? Yes, the coveted “read later” pile. As in paragraph 6a above, subsection 254: The reader brings the card to his desk, and with no other option handy, reads the card you forced him to read.

Now, some nitty-gritty of how to do it.

“Instant readership” is based 100% on your headline hook, appropriateness of subject to your audience and dazzling layout. It’s followed shortly by the value created in your offer, if they get that far. Wrap all these elements in sparkling printing and nice paper and now your direct mail post card presents itself in a glancing, fast 2-second visual bite.

Direct mail post cards are the visual versions of the sound bits you hear on MTV or promos for the evening news; which, come to think of it, appear to be written by the same writers. Designing for instant readership has the singular objective of drawing the reader into the post card, no more, no less.

On the immediate receipt of your post card, each reader has his or her own mental preference files that compels him or her to stay tuned into your card, yet some commonalities exist. Wait. Wait just a moment. This gender thing of saying “Him or Her” all the time has got to go—it’s too clunky to keep saying “him or her, him or her,” – so let me clear this up once and for all. I’ll just place everything in the male gender until I get complaints from, well, you know… Hey, do you know how many men it takes to change the toilet paper roll? No, me neither.

Post Card Instant Readership & The first round of sorting

So right on the top section of your post card, as in all highly responsive direct mail, your headline needs to be great. If you have a “good” headline, no! NO! That just won’t work. Strangely, “good” is actually not good enough. You need something more than just good, you need “exceptionally great!” Create this one line correctly, viola – instant readership on a maximum level. That’s how important this single line is.

The first work-order of the day is to create an unbelievably great, maximum-interest headline so the reader is instantly hooked into staying in the copy and continues reading. So…

Rule 3. The goal of the headline: keep the reader reading. Nothing more. Nope. No selling.

Rule 4. Invoke The 100-to-1 Rule:

Since your post card headline needs to be G-R-E-A-T, use the Jeff Dobkin 100-to-1 rule for creating G-R-E-A-T headlines (as found in Dobkin’s book, Uncommon Marketing Techniques): write 100 headlines, go back and pick out your best one. Oh, you like this idea! Plan to use it? OK, it’s copyrighted. Send me Ten Bucks. And you’re getting away cheap. OK, jest kidding. Just send $5 bucks. Make that a Starbucks Card — they were going to get it anyway.

Rule 5. The founding principle of high readership: Headline = G-R-E-A-T, or else.

The objective of any direct marketing or direct mail headline is to grab the attention of the reader and yank him so far into the copy that if he throws your direct mail piece into the trash, he’ll come back later and route though the trash to dig it out. Yes, and a really great headline is when the reader digs it out of the trash even though he dumped his kitty litter in there on top of it.

Rule 6. The headline is NOT the time to sell your product.

The reason? The first glance is a pivotal point in your presentation because the reader has no investment of time in your direct mail piece and so no commitment to read further.

Initially, your recipient isn’t intrigued by whatever you’re selling, at whatever price; because he hasn’t seen your electrifying offer, hasn’t seen any of your product benefits, and hasn’t followed your compelling story line for 10 paragraphs and wants to see how you close the sale, or how your storyline finishes.

So right now, at this first glance – nothing: no commitment, no involvement – right now you’re just another blah blah of direct mail; a piece of paper with no message, no heart, no soul. Man, these first 2 seconds are critical. And without any involvement, your reader is ruthless.

If the headline sucks at first glance the card can be tossed without regret. Kindly recall the reader has lots of other mail, and has years of practice at “getting fast” at his standing-there-over-the wastebasket first sorting time. You need to instantly connect and deliver: survive this cut OR your direct mail piece suffers death by wastebasket. Cruel. And buried along with your post card, your money. Whoa… Crueler still.

Rule 7. The rule of readership survival.

The rule of readership survival as it relates to the first glance of your direct mail post card: it’s the critical changeover point where unless your headline and graphics are G-R-E-A-T, your loss of readership stops your post card from being your “investment” and shifts it to an “expense.” What’s it gonna be — Pass? Or failure? Good headline. Or great headline. Good graphics. Or awesome graphics. Your choices.

The second round of sorting

Ok, enough blah blah about Instant Readership of post cards. Like my first wife said about our marriage certificate, let’s just get past this. Oh well; I thought we had a pretty good week. Evidently she didn’t think it went that well. But opinions are like smelly feet — everyone has their own. I then discovered while only some women may marry you for your money, they all divorce you for it.

OK, so you and your post card made the first cut. Congratulations, y’old direct mail guru. Great graphics, hellatious headline, compelling, convincing copy; opulent irresistible offer. Having survived the first cut following the “Instant Readership” rules, your card now sits comfortably at the reader’s desk with the rest of the “important” mail. Nice. But you’re not out of the woods yet. Check your balance sheet.

This “Second Look” opportunity gives your direct marketing post card the luxury of more time — now that the reader has taken it back to the comfort of his office, a comfortable chair, a couple of beers, some good smoke and a little more time to invest in reading it. Or is that just me? Anyhow, to survive the first glance means the reader has made the decision he has an interest in whatever you’re hawking, or at least in what you have to say. Congratulations. Welcome to Level II.

Jeff Dobkin will now take your questions.

Final tip: If you're struggling with poor response from your direct marketing campaign, you can solve this problem and get help fast for your next direct mail postcards. Gain an advantage – and get amazing results by reading practical how-to marketing tips. Immediately increase your phone calls – and customers – read articles you can trust by Jeffrey Dobkin.

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Postcard Mailers – How to get new customers with a postcard

January 14th, 2010 by JeffreyDobkin | No Comments | Filed in Business, Direct Mail

Let's see, where were we… oh yes, you were, er… complaining that your direct mail post card wasn't large enough to sell your products, and I said you're right – it isn't. The ONLY job of your post card is to make the reader pick up the phone and call YOU. Then, YOU sell your products.

To do that, I suggested you offer something FREE. You remember all that – or, were you sleeping like the rest of my students? Or whatever they're doing when they have their hands in their laps and there is the gentle glow of a cell phone coming from under the desk. Texting perhaps? Playing Tetris?

Offer something FREE

OK, so a FREE CAR is good – everyone would call! But wait… it's expensive. Darn, I knew there was a reason we didn't use that. A FREE Mont Blanc pen is nice – but wait, heck that's expensive, too. I mean, not like a car, but still it's pretty pricey when you're sending out a few thousand direct mail post cards. Or a few hundred thousand post cards.

Offer something FREE that's not so expensive.

Hummm… if there was only something that we could pique the reader's interest in so keenly, and drive him to the phone. If there were just something, anything, we could describe in one or two lines, so that we made the free offer the reader would want it, need it so badly that if he threw out the post card, he'd wake up in the middle of the night and come running down to get the card out of the trash… and respond.

Oh, if there were only some bit of information that we had, a small piece of the puzzle, some crucial information that he needed so badly that he would call and ask for it; critical information that… what? Wait. Wait just a darn minute here. Information? Did I say "Information?" "Information the reader needs?" That's it! Information the reader needs. Information he needs badly! By Jove, I think we've got it!

Offer Free Information

We'll offer FREE information. We'll offer an informational booklet! A FREE informational booklet. They'll call for that, hummmm… if we can just make it sound useful and incredibly interesting. Maybe there's a way…

Offer a FREE informational booklet with a catchy title.

Maybe if you write a catchy title — something your clients really, really want… and need. A title so compelling they'd gladly dive in the trash can to recover if they inadvertently tossed it out earlier. More than that… Something they'd drive across town to find out!

Maybe… Information they'd want so badly they'd swim across the English Channel to get! Information so valuable they'd take my wife… and keep her. OK, never mind that. This last idea was asking just a little too much from anyone.

But certainly offering information readers need and want would generate a phone call.

So, settled! Offer information. Information about how readers can easily resolve their wants; and satisfy their needs, if they just call now. It's a good thing your products and services can do exactly that. If only we could figure out – how to make them pick up the phone and call…

But wait – How about offering a FREE booklet that has valuable information specific to the needs of your market? Yes!

Yes, with "FREE" written in all capital letters, like this: FREE! Because would you rather have a free booklet, or a FREE booklet. See what I mean. Maybe offering a FREE booklet with a title that has a number of ways readers can solve their most pressing problems?

"How To Solve your 9 Biggest Headaches concerning______." Excellent! How about "FREE BOOKLET shows you 9 ways to solve your______!" Yes, even better! Just fill in the blank part yourself-with exactly what your customers are looking for, what they need, or how to resolve their areas of pain.

Solve a specific problem: "9 Ways to cut your employee payroll without layoffs!" Yes! "6 Ways to increase your profit in a down economy!" Yes! "12 Different Ways to Find a Leak in your Roof!" YES! "7 Things to Check when your Car won't Start… and 5 ways to Get it Started!" Yes, yes, and yes!

Don't forget to tell readers exactly what you want them to do: "Just Call Now and get your FREE booklet!"

Booklets are cheap to produce, easy to change, light to ship and make excellent giveaways that your customers will hold onto for years if you provide valuable information. And they'll call if you can create the booklet title on target by offering the specific information your direct response market of readers really want.

It's the TITLE of the booklet that makes it valuable.

The better the title, the better the response. A very simple formula. A FREE booklet with an irresistible title makes readers call.

It's not really the booklet itself – just the title. They don't see the booklet until much later, way after they've called – so frankly, the booklet doesn't need to be that great. People call just because of the title. So the title needs to be exceptional.

When readers call, the post card worked. The booklet title made readers pick up the phone. The better the title, the more phone calls you get. The more phone calls you get, the better your direct mail post card worked. And the more opportunities YOU have to sell your products or services. The success of your post card is measured by how many readers call. Simple formula, isn't it?

Offering a booklet eliminates call reluctance.

Many people are afraid to call you. Some think they're going to get a high pressure telephone salesperson on the phone and will be coerced into buying products they don't need. Others feel they will be uncomfortable about asking questions. And some people just don't have much to say on the phone and are uncomfortable making calls to strangers. So offering a FREE booklet on your post card works quite well to eliminate these fears. More people call.

Here is the number ONE great formula for creating the best headline to increase your success:

Rule 100. Well, Rule 100-to-one, revisited.

The best way to create a title for your FREE informational booklet? Yep… Same way you came up with your headline, and your subheadlines: The 100 to 1 rule: Write 100 titles, go back and pick out your best one. (Remember we struck-up a deal in the first article of this series – you were going to send me 5 bucks each time you used this?) The 100 to 1 Rule is taken from the book, "Uncommon Marketing Techniques." It's the best way to create the best headline – and also the most irresistible booklet title. Yep.

7 Point Article Summary

1. Get your post card through the first critical 2-second round of Instant Readership: by having a super-compelling headline, tightly written sub-headlines and outstanding graphics.

2. Get the post card objective right: The objective of the direct mail post card is NOT to sell your product or service, it's to generate a phone call.

3. Make the phone ring by offering something for free. I mean for FREE (all capitals)!

4. FREE informational booklets work really well.

5. The booklet TITLE drives the response: the number and quality of calls. The title owns 100% of the responsibility of getting the reader to the phone to make the call. The better the title = the more calls.

6. When the phone rings, the post card worked. It did everything it was supposed to do: make your phone ring.

7. Finally, when the phone rings, YOU sell your product or service.

Abstract

Post card marketing and Instant Readership: The better your graphics and the better your headline, the more people will read your post card. The more readers, the more opportunities you have to offer something for FREE. Offering a FREE informational booklet is one of the best, lowest-cost ways to drive maximum phone calls.

The TITLE of your booklet determines the response. The better the booklet title, the more calls you receive. The more calls you receive, the better your direct mail post card has worked. The success of your direct mail post card is determined by the number of your phone calls. The more phone calls, the more opportunities you'll have to sell your products and services. Any questions?

This is the third and final installment of the direct marketing article series on post card marketing, "Instant Readership, Increasing Readership, and Increasing Response." The article series was written to help you create highly responsive direct mail post cards.

If you're struggling with poor response from your direct marketing campaign, you can solve this problem and get help fast. Gain an advantage – and get amazing results by reading practical how-to marketing tips. Immediately increase your phone calls – and customers – read articles you can trust by Jeffrey Dobkin. Dobkin has written 4 books on direct marketing (including the cult classic, How To Market A Product for Under $500!) that feature his practical marketing tips and successful direct marketing methods, all scribbled in his own brilliant conversational style of writing. Jeffrey Dobkin can be reached at The Danielle Adams Publishing Company, Phone 610-642-1000. Read more of his articles at http://www.danielleadams.com.

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