gripmarketing

3 Mail Copywriting Techniques that Work

Most direct mail should be designed to bring back your inactives, actives, and get new prospects.

But many salon marketers are unaware of which direct mail techniques increase response, and which ones discourage it.

Here are 3 techniques guaranteed to make your next mailing more profitable:

Talk about the reader's needs.
Too many mailings are salon-oriented. They talk about the salon owner's pet interests rather than the reader's problems and needs. But the reader is more concerned with what's on his mind than with what is on yours. Talk to the reader instead and tell them what they want to hear.

"5 Levels of Tanning”
This lead is advertiser-oriented. It boasts about the advertiser's firm, but fails to tell the reader why she should care or how the having 5 levels can solve her problems.

Compare this:

"5 Levels of Tanning for all skin types and every budget."(copyright Grip Marketing 2004)

This lead succeeds because it addressed a need - the reader's need to be treated special because people do have different skin types and differing budgets. It is also effective because it gets right to the point.

Start off with a strong 'lead.'
Experienced direct mail marketers know that the average reader scans a letter for just seconds before deciding whether to read it or throw it away. So if your opening doesn't hook the reader within seconds, you've lost him. So it pays to put your strongest sales argument right up front. Don't "warm up" with chitchat or secondary sales arguments. Don't hold back the most important point for the "big finish." If you do, most readers will never get to it.

For example:
“5 Tans for $5” doesn’t tell the reader WHY they’d want to tan.

Instead:
“Summer. Time to add the #1 Fashion Accessory. A Gorgeous Tan.”
“5 Tans for $5”

Get personal.
Your copy in direct mail, unlike an ad or TV commercial, is a personal communication. And that's how it should sound - like a letter - one person talking to another.

A formal, uncaring, stiff, corporate tone is inappropriate for direct mail. Arrogant writing alienates the reader; friendly conversational writing wins him over. People don’t want to do business with a cold, uncaring business, people want to do business with caring people!

Of course, you can't fool the reader into thinking direct mail is personal mail. But, if you write warmly, sincerely, and naturally, the reader will react as if you had sent a personally written letter...even though he knows you haven't.

summerbreeze

Great advice, thank you!

crazy44

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to need to change a few things on my postcards.

tanu01

One thing to remember is that post cards are not normally first class mail. If your doing a special with time limits,
Stuff envelopes and go first class. Your mail will get there on time and more likly to be looked at.
Flick

lil_missfit

Another way to save is to check your area Chamber of Commerce. As a member, I am able to use their bulk mailing stamp for a small fee with the cost of each mailer being (I believe) around 5 cents. That's a big savings. You can also take your flyer and fold in half or in thirds and tape and mail in the fashion and save yourself the cost of envelops.

tanu01

During the postal busy seasons, bulk mail goes LAST. Keep that in mind.
Flick.

gripmarketing

Flick and lil-misfit:

There is no need ever to use first class postage for time-sensitive sale events unless 1)you didn't plan properly and need a rush job (better planning solves this), 2)the USPS is overwhelmed during a mail period (only Xmas), or 3) the USPS BMC (Bulk Mail Center)or DDU (Destination Delivery Unit) in your area is having personnel problems (like any business). Since 2) and 3) are highly unusual and you wouldn't find out about 3) until you experienced it, standard mail (or what you are calling bulk) is the answer.

lil_misfit is using someone's "indicia" (in-dee-sha) so she doesn't have to do a "postage-on" mailing where she'd have to spend cost or time to put a stamp on each piece. The cost of each mailer couldn't be 5 cents as there is no such postage rate. Postage would have to be $.37 for first class letters and $.23 for first class postcards. IF you CASS certified (Coding Accuracy Support System)or in plain english - address corrected with the USPS through a USPS certified software program, presorted, sorted, provided POSTNET codes, bar codes, automation or saturation, the USPS will give you discounts from first class rates and slightly slower delivery in exchange. But since she is doing this herself without the help of a mail fulfillment company, she would not be entitled to any discounts. At Grip, we do it all to insure you get the maximum postal discounts.

Secondly, unless you are Cass'ing your database addresses, a rather large percentage (10%-40%) will not get delivered due to bad addresses: misspellings, typos, you couldn't read the customer's handwriting, bad address on driver's license (states don't check the address they just print it), or omitted information (apt #). You're always better off to use a mail fulfillment company. Don't step over dollars to pick up pennies unless you like to turn dollars into cents.

Postcards and folded letters are all called "self-mailers" because there is no envelope needed. However, due to USPS MERLIN (Mail Evaluation Readability Lookup Instrument) rules that went into effect last year, the USPS will no longer accept self mailers or if accepted accidentally will most likely just return the pieces or trash them if your self-mailer doesn't have a USPS-approved seal: wafer seal, tape, or staples.

The reasons for this rule are that self-mailers lacking a seal will at worst harm USPS equipment and at best slow down processing as many pieces are destroyed in processing (a lot of your pieces didn't get delivered). Besides postcards will be much more effective than letter mail for the tanning industry.

Overnight mail goes first, then priority mail, then first class mail, then standard mail (this is most likely how she is mailing), then periodicals. This is the order of delivery regardless of time of year.

The procedure to move the mail through the mailstream is pretty simple: Since the USPS doesn't have room to store any mail, as long as the truck isn't full, standard mail goes on it to be delivered along with everything else. First class is usually delivered in 1-3 days and standard mail 7-10 days. At Grip, due to special arrangement with the USPS we are able to cut delivery time for standard mail to only 4-7 days.

lil_missfit

Grip, I'm not for sure on the postage, but remember it being very low compared to regular postage rates. As to the self mailer you say are no longer allowed, I receive them every day from distributors and even my own Chamber of Commerce, so these must still be available. I will check and find out the current cost of the postage and post.

gripmarketing

I'm wondering if the Chamber is registered as a non-profit (non-prof's pay almost half of what for profit companies pay for postage) - if so and you are using their non-prof indicia - that's illegal with the USPS and the chamber risks losing their non-prof indicia and non-prof status - both with the USPS and the IRS - if found out.

Otherwise, you would pay standard rates.

According to USPS Merlin rules, self-mailers are still allowed but only if the self-mailer is stapled, wafer sealed, or taped, otherwise they can refuse them, disallow all discounts, or return them.

The fact that your local BMC (Bulk Mail Center) or other BMC's around the country are still accepting self-mailers that violate Merlin rules is immaterial and only means that some USPS BMC's are still not in compliance. That will change shortly as the USPS bears down on Merlin compliance nationally. If I were you, I wouldn't take any chances.

Your local USPS BMC doesn't always send out notices letting you know they are now in compliance with Merlin. Be careful.

They were all supposed to be in compliance along with mail fulfillment companies last Nov. Grip was compliant years ago. Our automated equipment wafer seals.

tanu01

Has there ever been a study conducted as to witch gets more attenion, first class evelopes VS post cards ?
Flick