Monday, May 10, 2004 – An article I wrote, 10 Ways to Grow Your Audience with Direct Mail, was just published in Perfect Register, the newsletter for employees of International Business Systems (IBS), Inc., and their associates in the business community. I am grateful to IBS (thank you, Aleka and George) for asking me to write this article, as it gave me the chance to talk shop with an audience of more than 1,000 readers. And while plans call for us to post the article on our own Web site at Yellowfin Direct Marketing, I thought I’d be remiss if I didn’t incorporate at least a piece of it in A Fine Kettle of Fish. The original article ran in the vicinity of 1,500 words, but I won’t be going into all that detail here. If you’re interested in the rest of the story, you can give IBS a call at 1-800-220-1255 and ask them to send you a copy of the newsletter. Or stay tuned to the Yellowfin Web site, where you should be able to read the whole shebang any day now.
Excerpted from 10 Ways to Grow Your Audience with Direct Mail, which first appeared in the Spring 2004 edition of Perfect Register, a newsletter published by International Business Systems, Inc. — reprinted with permission:
Today’s seasoned direct marketer knows enough to use direct mail to cultivate new business relationships and plant the seeds for bountiful results.
After all, direct mail can help almost any organization grow a fertile audience, people who will not only respond favorably to your offer, but who will also spread your message even further through recommendations and referrals.
Other media — such as print, broadcast and, of course, the Web — should be factored into any bona fide marketing plan, but even the most wildly successful campaigns can spring from a simple direct mail letter.
To get the very best yield out of your direct mail program, consider the following:
Use an offbeat word or phrase. Language that stands out will pique the recipient’s curiosity and make it virtually impossible for him or her not to open your direct mail package. For instance, in the early ‘90s, a direct mail package I wrote for Science News Magazine featured the line, “things that make you go h-m-m-m…” in big, block letters on the outer envelope. Not only was this the name of a hit song at the time, but it was also a decidedly different way of promoting the magazine. While I’ll never be able to prove the viability of this offbeat catchphrase, I can say that this package had a long run as the magazine’s control, winning a couple of major industry awards for its creativity and effectiveness along the way.
Some clichés are worth more than a dime a dozen. Some copywriters might say to avoid clichés. I say just the opposite. Clichés are well-known expressions to which everyone can relate. Used judiciously — and cleverly — they can help you establish immediate rapport with your audience and cast a wider net. For instance, one well-known lawn care company says, “Now the grass can be greener on your side.” One dog obedience school claims they can teach “old dogs new tricks.” And “the cure for the common cold” has been paraphrased by everyone from Nissan (“the cure for the common car”) to the USA Network (“the cure for the common show”) to Boston’s Samuel Adams Brewhouse (“the cure for the common cold one”).
Show appreciation. Some people are afraid of needles, but not me. So when the American Red Cross comes calling for blood, I’m an easy mark. Yet after 25 years as a donor, I still wouldn’t have expected an acknowledgement the likes of which I received from the organization recently. Calling me a “hero to more people than you ever imagined,” this big, glossy direct mail package was chock-full of praise, flattery and kudos, including several heartfelt testimonials from grateful blood recipients and a personalized certificate of appreciation that was, as they say, suitable for framing. Going well beyond expectations, the American Red Cross used this masterful effort to intensify loyalty and goodwill among donors like me.
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