| Direct marketing is often called a game of dollars | | | | save some money. |
| - getting the basics down and understanding | | | | The Offer |
| where to put in the time, money and effort | | | | You've got good data, good names in sufficient |
| where it will do the most good and return the | | | | quantity, and clean, accurate addresses, it's time |
| results you need. Success is often a matter of a | | | | to focus on what you're selling. The offer is the |
| fraction of a percent response, which can | | | | heart of the direct mail piece. A carefully crafted |
| represent thousands of dollars in sales. | | | | offer can make or break a mail piece's response |
| Properly aligned priorities and careful execution will | | | | rate, but not the whole program. The phrasing |
| yield profit, misplaced effort and sloppiness in | | | | and framing of that offer needs careful |
| execution can cost you. If you keep the basic | | | | consideration. |
| priority for effort at List, Offer, Copy, Design, | | | | It should be compelling, not easily obtained |
| your direct mail has the best chance for success. | | | | elsewhere, priced well, relevant to the recipient, |
| This long-held tenet of direct mail success is just | | | | easy to understand and fulfill quickly, not overly |
| as valid today as it was in the 50s, despite all the | | | | complicated, and engage the audience. A tall order |
| technological advances, postal regulations, | | | | for a few sentences, but that's where the magic |
| automation schemes, computer models and more | | | | happens. Offers should be tested just as |
| that have been introduced since then. The | | | | rigorously as lists. There are likely fewer variables |
| following shows you the basics and why they are | | | | with offer tests - there are only so many ways |
| still important. | | | | to price a product or service profitably - but how |
| The List's the Thing | | | | it is framed or presented has almost endless |
| The best product in the world, described in | | | | variation. |
| flowing, persuasive prose in a beautiful package | | | | Confusion leads to "no response" from the |
| will not sell if it is presented to the wrong | | | | audience, so keep it straight and simple as |
| audience, period. The list of recipients is the key | | | | possible. Test price only, test premiums, test |
| to moving units, triggering responses, filling seats, | | | | combinations or bundles of products, test FREE |
| and making money. Put the greatest effort into | | | | samples offers, test "'til forbid" offers (Record |
| choosing, culling, maintaining, updating, specifying, | | | | clubs raised this to high art in the 80s with "Buy |
| selecting, aggregating, deduping, merge/purging | | | | one, get 12 more for a penny for the rest of the |
| your list, and your response rate will reflect it. | | | | year unless you cancel" types of offers), test as |
| Clean accurate data is the bedrock of a | | | | many as you think reasonable to whittle that |
| successful program, driving not only your initial | | | | offer down to its most crystalline, efficient, |
| mailing, but dictating your remail schedule, your | | | | effective best. |
| test results, your fulfillment order, your list rental | | | | "Copy" Does Not Involve Toner |
| program, and more. Without clean data, you may | | | | Now you know who the product is suited to, |
| as well toss 30% of your materials in the trash, | | | | under what circumstances they will purchase it (or |
| that's certainly where they will end up anyway. | | | | attend it, or select it, or vote for it, whatever the |
| Selection is the basic starting point - the more | | | | desired response is). Now it's time to figure out |
| you know about the product or service, the | | | | what aspect of the product really lights up the |
| better you can select the list. Your testing | | | | boards, what angle to approach the audience |
| program will direct your list selection to a great | | | | regarding the product, and what benefits and |
| degree, but if you're just starting out and have no | | | | features will make it move off the shelf. |
| test data, that's the place to start. Test lists are | | | | Copy should be a persuasive description of the |
| small segments of much larger lists that on their | | | | benefits to the buyer of the product or service, |
| surface seem to fit the customer profile you've | | | | priced so that it almost appears too good to be |
| developed as part of product development. Small | | | | true, seemingly so enticing that the buyer can't |
| segments of many lists that fit the profile will give | | | | seem to do without it. Copy, be it long, short, |
| you the response data needed to narrow down | | | | poetic or workmanlike, is the grease that lets the |
| the list of lists to those that actually fit the | | | | direct mail engine turn smoothly right to a |
| customer profile adequately to mail in volume. | | | | response - it drives the reader to the desired |
| Testing | | | | action, either buy, register, attend, mail back, |
| If you are only testing lists, mail the same piece, | | | | enter, provide information, or dial. |
| with the same offer, copy, design, timing and | | | | Copy should be tested if you're promoting a new |
| other elements fixed, to the small segments and | | | | product, rebranding an existing product, have |
| the list data should be the only variable. Read this | | | | minimal data or purchasing history for the |
| response data approximately 3 weeks after drop | | | | audience, or are trying a totally new package. |
| date, and you'll know which lists really work and | | | | Copy length might also drive a format test, just |
| which ones don't. Once that data is in, review | | | | for the sheer space needed for some of the long |
| your segment descriptions, and match them back | | | | copy, a letter package might be required to |
| up to your response data, see if there is a | | | | contain it, as opposed to the more popular |
| common theme among the respondents that | | | | postcard, with its limited real estate but bold |
| may not have been anticipated. | | | | colors and low cost. |
| Lists that don't pull well at all, the lower 25%, can | | | | Talk To Me! |
| be safely dropped for the moment. Lists in the | | | | Copy should speak directly to the recipient - |
| middle 50% should be examined carefully, and the | | | | sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how often |
| selection criteria aligned more closely with those in | | | | when reviewing packages, the copy only contains |
| the top 25%. The top 25% can be mailed in | | | | the directive tense "you" in the last line, if that. |
| volume. That top 25% represent the set of | | | | Speak to the reader and they will put themselves |
| characteristics that you want to emulate for | | | | in the listening position and process your copy as |
| future mailings, providing the offer and copy don't | | | | if you were speaking to them. Make sure all your |
| change. | | | | copy answers the questions for the reader, |
| For non-profits, this universe from which to select | | | | "What's in it for me?", and it will sell. Copy that is |
| your tests is usually pretty strongly defined, | | | | benefit-laden, sings smoothly to the reader, offers |
| composed of either members, potential members | | | | undeniable benefit after compelling benefit and |
| or some peripheral group in or around your | | | | puts a couple of "early closers" in there is very |
| industry. Publications, member lists from affiliated | | | | likely to pull well - all the ingredients are there. All |
| or peripheral organizations, meeting or tradeshow | | | | other things being equal, good tight copy will |
| attendees, customer lists from affiliate members | | | | out-pull sloppy, flaccid prose every time. |
| all offer fresher data to test than your house | | | | A word about length - there are no real "rules" |
| prospect list, and there are many options beyond | | | | about copy - except if it works, use it. Copy |
| those to investigate. If your program is brand | | | | should be long enough to tell the tale to the |
| new and you're starting from scratch, try | | | | reader, and not a word longer. If it takes you two |
| anything that seems reasonable - your | | | | pages to wax poetic about the latest sewage |
| assumptions are not as valid as actual test data | | | | eradication technique using industrial solvents, so |
| (see related article on research data). | | | | be it. If you test it against stronger, shorter copy |
| Once you've assembled a set of data-validated | | | | and it loses - dump it! It's that simple. |
| characteristics from your list test, have some | | | | Copy is a subjective element, much like design, |
| reliable selection criteria, and a realistic universe | | | | where everyone has an opinion, and in most |
| from which to draw the continuing working lists, | | | | cases each is just as valid as the next. If your |
| the search is on to locate new lists that match | | | | package has been tested extensively enough that |
| those criteria as closely as possible. Get creative | | | | you can test a single word choice to make a |
| when sleuthing out where those might come | | | | definitive call, you've got other things to worry |
| from. | | | | about - don't waste time arguing, put something in |
| If money is tight (when isn't it?) you can offer to | | | | the mail! |
| swap lists with other interested parties. You can | | | | Design - Last But Not Least |
| negotiate partial swaps, ask for a net name | | | | Lastly, the design of the package, and its |
| arrangements with larger list sources are viable | | | | importance to the response rate, should be |
| once you've formed a relationship with them, and | | | | discussed. Design gets more time spent compared |
| there are a number of other approaches to | | | | to the effect on response than any other |
| procuring lists at less than full rate. All they can do | | | | element. Sometimes this is for the reason |
| is say "No." | | | | mentioned above about copy - it's subjective and |
| You've cobbled together a set of lists you feel will | | | | everybody has a way they envision the piece |
| work based on your test data, now it's time to | | | | looking. The only hard and fast rule about design |
| make it efficient to mail. The Merge/Purge | | | | for direct marketing is that it function properly. Is |
| process is the one that not only allows you to | | | | the postcard insides printed right side up? Does |
| mail only one piece per name, but the results of | | | | the response device fit easily into the reply |
| the purge according to priorities you set tells you | | | | envelope? It has to function. |
| where your "good" sources of lists are, how | | | | It also should be producible by machinery |
| much cross-over there is between list sources, | | | | currently available in mail production facilities. There |
| who really supplies the majority of your "new" | | | | are as many formats as there are imaginative |
| names, and a lot of other useful data. Be sure | | | | marketers out there, and any or all of them could |
| you work closely with your data processing house | | | | work under the right circumstances - the only |
| to achieve the merge/purge results you want. | | | | way to truly know which one is best is to . . . you |
| Clean It Up | | | | guessed it, test! Test a letter versus a self-mailer, |
| Now that you have a reliable, efficient collection of | | | | versus a magalog, versus a postcard, versus a |
| the right number of names based on your test | | | | card in a deck, versus a dimensional, versus a |
| data, it's time to do some cleaning. Good data is | | | | doormat (no longer postal legal). Test odd shapes, |
| not only the right names, but involves address | | | | test multiple pieces versus just one. |
| hygiene, salutation and gender correction, updated | | | | Since we mentioned in the beginning that direct |
| mailing addresses, zip-plus-four appending and | | | | mail is a numbers game, here's where good |
| other list cleaning chores, most of which can be | | | | design can earn its stripes. Mail the most |
| done electronically through data processing | | | | expensive package and test each element, |
| software. | | | | removing each and remailing until the response |
| All this is done to be sure your carefully designed, | | | | drops. The fewest pieces that doesn't negatively |
| well-written piece reaches its destination. Your mail | | | | affect response is the winner - you want to test |
| house will likely offer a number of list hygiene | | | | the Cadillac initially, and scale back 'til you're mailing |
| options, or know of a data processing company | | | | the VW beetle in mass quantities. Good design |
| that can perform these functions, at a per | | | | shouldn't be noticeable, it should just work to |
| thousand rate. Take advantage of as many as | | | | convey the message the copy is proposing. |
| you feel you need to get your data squeaky | | | | Now you have your priorities aligned with success |
| clean. At the very least, address standardization, | | | | - list, offer, copy, design. Focus on your direct mail |
| genderization, NCOA (National Change of Address) | | | | in priority order, and your packages will be lean, |
| update, zip+4, and postal presort should be | | | | tight, effective and profitable. That's what we're |
| applied, to help boost your postal discount and | | | | all shootin' for! Enjoy! |