Regardless
of how you look at it, the most important aspect of any
successful
mail order business is its advertising.
In fact, mail
order
success is wholly dependent, and even predicated upon good
advertising.
First
of all, you've got to have a dynamic, spectacular ad that
attracts
the eye, and grabs the interest of the people you're
trying
to sell to. Thus, unless your ad really
"jumps out" at the
reader,
your sales won't live up to expectations, and your ad
money
will be wasted.
The
eye catching appeal of your ad must start with the headline.
Use
the headline to very quickly create a picture in the minds of
the
reader - a vision of all their problems being solved, and
attainment
of the kind of happiness they seek. If
your headline
fails
to catch the attention of your prospect, you cannot hope to
capture
him with the remainder of the ad, because it will go
unread! So in writing your advertisement, put
yourself in the
shoes
of your reader. You have his attention
for just a little
while,
so you must quickly interest him in your offer, show him
how
he can get what he wants, and then cause him to send
immediately
for your "solution" to his problems.
Your copy must
exude
enthusiasm, excitement, and a positive attitude. Don't be
afraid
to use a hard-sell approach! Say what
you feel and believe
about
your offer. And use common,
"everyday", but correct
English.
Even
so, you can and must remember to be honest.
Don't exaggerate
or
make claims you can't back up. Never
make promises you cannot,
or
do not, expect to keep. To do so could
get you in trouble with
the
Trading Standards Department.
Stress
the benefits of your product or service.
Explain to your
reader
how owning a copy of your book (for instance), or receiving
your
services will make his life richer, happier, and more
abundant. Don't get involved in detailing all the money
you've
spent
developing the product or researching the information you're
selling,
or your credentials for offering it.
Stress the "sizzle"
and
value of ownership.
It
is important to involve the reader as often as possible through
the
use of the word "You". Write
your copy, just as if you were
speaking
to, and attempting to sell to just one person.
Don't let
your
ad should as a speaker at a conference addressing a huge
stadium
filled with people, but as if there were just one
individual
listening.
And
don't try to be overly clever, brilliant or humorous in your
advertising. Keep your copy simple, to the point, and on
target
towards
selling your prospect the product or service because of
its
benefits. In other words, keep it
simple, but clear; at all
costs,
you don't want to confuse the reader.
Just tell him
exactly
what he'll get for his money; the benefits he'll receive;
how
to go about ordering it. You don't have
to get too friendly.
In
fact, avoid becoming "folksy", and don't use slang expressions.
In
writing an ad, think of yourself as a door to door salesperson.
You
have to get the attention of the prospect quickly, interest
him
in the product you're selling, create a desire to enjoy its
benefits,
and you can then close the sale.
Copywriting,
whether for a display ad, a classified ad, a sales
letter
or a brochure, is a learned skill. It is
one that anyone
can
master with a bit of study, practice, and perhaps some
professional
guidance.
Your
first move, then, is to study your competition, and recognise
how
they are selling their wares. Practice
rewriting their ads
from
a different point of view or from a different sales angle.
Keep
a file of ads you've clipped from different publications in
a
file of ad writing ideas. But don't copy
anyone else's work;
just
use the ad material of others to stimulate your own
creativeness.
Some
of the "known facts" about advertising - and ad writing in
particular
- tell us that you cannot ask for more than œ3 in a
short
classified type ad. Generally speaking,
a œ5 item will take
at
least a one inch display ad. If you're
trying to sell a œ10
item,
you'll need at least a quarter page - perhaps even a half
page
of copy - and œ15 to œ20 items require a full page. If you
are
selling something for more than that, you'll need a four-page
sales
letter, a brochure, separate order coupon, and a return
reply
envelope.
If
you're making offers via direct mail, best get your letter into
the
post on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, to be sure it does not
arrive
on a Monday, the first and busiest day of the week. And
again,
unless you're promoting an item with a large price tag, the
quality
or colour of your paper won't have any great effect on the
response
you'll get, but the quality of your printing definitely
will,
so bear this in mind when you place your printing order.
One
final point to remember: The summer
months when people are
most
apt to be away on holiday are usually not good months for
direct
mail. But they are good for opportunity
advertisements in
publications
often found in holiday resorts, and in hotels.
Again,
it cannot be stressed too much or too often:
Success in
mail
order does, indeed, depend upon advertising, and as with
anything
else, quality pays off in the long run.
Read this report
again;
study it; let it sink in. Then apply the
principles
outlined
in it. They have worked for others, and
THEY CAN WORK
FOR
YOU!
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