content boosts direct mail success

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Content Marketing Secrets for

DIRECT MAIL SUCCESS

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Content is the New Black

• “Content is King” – even for OFFLINE marketing efforts

• Maximize the value of your Content: Use it to get your direct mail OPENED and “READ” and make attractive OFFERS

© Copyright 2012 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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DIRECT MAIL CREATIVE Challenge #1

• GETTING IT OPENED

• 44% of mail is never opened – % has stayed consistent for about last 20 years

• How much time are you spending thinking of new ways to get your envelope opened?

© Copyright 2012 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Use Your CONTENT to Get Mail Opened

• Use most relevant topics. • Find them: your web analytics, popular blog

posts, popular tweets, content that is shared, updates with comments, e-newsletter articles with clicks.

• Remember: “You are not your audience. NEVER assume. TEST.”

© Copyright 2012 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Potential Envelope Headlines: What are the Top 3 Breakfast Spots in San Diego? San Diego’s 10 Great Unknown Breakfast Spots

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More Headline Ideas Based on Content

10 Best Restaurants? 3 Accredited Sommeliers?

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Remember This Highly Successful Package? – Totally Based on CONTENT

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No Headline? This is the FRONT! (USPS delivers mail with address face up)

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Don’t Hide the Sell on the “Back”

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CREATIVE Challenge #2: Getting it “Read”

1. Intriguing Headline and “Lead” Paragraph 2. Tell me something I didn’t know 3. SPECIFICS SELL, prove VALUE 4. Scan-able: use SUBHEADS 5. Every word there for a reason 6. “YOU”-focused: talk TO your audience End result should be: “I NEED to have this. NOW.” © Copyright 2012 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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CREATIVE: Getting it Read: APPEALS

• Content Illustration • Subscriber Benefits • Identification • Secret • Story Based on Winning Direct Response Advertising by Joan Throckmorton

• Bonus • Fantasy • Exclusive Invitation • Testimonial • Question • Problem/Solution

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“Content Illustration “

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“Identification” • Offer at top • Identification

Headline • Bullets =

Scan-able • Subhead pitches

Offer

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Is this the Key Appeal for Public TV? Is it “independent voice” – or CONTENT?

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RENEWALS

1. Track topics clicked in enewsletter by subscriber 2. Drive Renewal Appeal by Clicked newsletter topics: What was of interest to THIS subscriber?

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Remind Subscribers of CONTENT: - Subscribers may

not recall every great article/show you produced

- Remind of unique features

- Talk about most popular articles or shows

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“Exclusive Invitation “: The Economist

“May I send you 3 FREE ISSUES of what may be the most influential (as well as selectively distributed) newsweekly in the world? Every Monday morning, a rather unusual publication arrives at the desks of a select circle of individuals in positions of power and influence. The readers of this discreetly (one is almost tempted to say reluctantly) publicized newsweekly include presidents (of countries, banks, universities and Fortune 500 companies) . . .”

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“Fantasy”: Martha Stewart Living

“ . . . As I grew up, my dream picture came into focus. I saw a table draped in damask, with old roses in an antique vase and candles flickering over an elegant array of sparkling silver, crystal goblets and glimmering china . . .”

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Lazy copywriting delivers weak “fun” appeal: “You’ll never know just how much fun you missed . . .” Is this why readers pay money for Golf Digest – really?

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OFFER: Is it Irresistible?

Farther from product = lower quality subscribers

• Gift Offer –High response –Higher cancellation –Lower renewal

© Copyright 2012 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Related to product = high quality subscribers

• CONTENT Offer –Good response from right

audience –Lower cancellation –Higher renewal

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CONTENT OFFERS

• From Organic Gardening: Best Gardening Ideas I Know Organic Gardening Harvest Book

• From Business Week: Executive Portfolio of 13 special reports

• From a City Magazine: Get the last restaurant survey as a bonus?

© Copyright 2012 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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From San Diego Business Journal: Subscribe @ $99– get Lists as PDF

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Past Content as Offer

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AMA Membership Offer: Content?

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But when you go to the URL: Where’s the Sample Toolkit?

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None of this is clickable? Where’s the sample toolkit?

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Content Marketing Secrets for Direct Mail Success SUMMARY . . .

• Spend more time on your envelope headline • Spend more time on your letter appeal • Craft an Irresistible offer – by repackaging

your CONTENT

© Copyright 2012 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Thank You!

www.ResponseFX.com Latest Response Stats by Medium: FOLLOW: @ResponseCoach LIKE: Facebook.com/ResponseCoach “How to”: BLOG: ResponseBlog.ResponseFX.com © Copyright 2012 Strategic Marketing and Advertising, Inc. All Rights Reserved.