Two Direct Mail Copywriting Strategies

Is your direct mail piece not getting the response you hoped for? Take a moment to review the copy and offer. Direct mail should sell a single offer that leads the recipient to respond. The offer must have value, and it’s best if it relates directly to the product you’re selling.

Here are two key copywriting tips:

1. Use an interrogative headline. Questions force the mind to engage and respond. Asking questions is important in walking the recipient down the path to a close (call to action). For example: “Where would you fly with a free airline ticket? London, Barbados, San Francisco?” Questions stimulate the imagination.

2. Sell the offer, not your product or service. Too many marketers use direct mail to sell their products and services. They often load the direct mail piece with too much copy and attempt to sell everything their business has or does. Remember, the offer should dominate the copy.

By the way, the offer doesn’t have to be a free el-cheapo item. Offer a valuable white paper that solves a problem, and require recipients to complete a form to get this white paper. Or offer an add-on item, such as a gift with purchase (buy the item and get a free travel case for it). No matter what, spend more time explaining and promoting the offer than the product or service.

You can also use these strategies for other types of push media, like email, for example. Email is primarily a retention medium (verses an acquisition medium) because it requires opt-in to be effective. If you want to push out an offer to your list of loyal customers, that’s fine, so long as your offer is strong and has value!