Continuing earlier article on common mistakes
in direct mail campaign - here's more common mistakes:
Mistake No 4 : Indifferent Copy
Nothing is more damaging in a business-to-business mail
campaign than to have a letter that lacks the punch and
poor in content. Direct mail is not meant to be good-looking
and pretty but to create an impact and GENERATE
A RESPONSE
Some of the best ways to make a poor copy are:
- Talk vaguely on benefits - no specific facts Your customers
rely more on facts than flowery language. Try to put more
facts and figures substantiating your claim than using
vague words on how useful your product or services are.
- Use large graphics/images, too many colours, fonts and
styles. In Business-to-Business correspondence, your recipient
is likely to be a hard-headed businessman who has no time
for such superfluous techniques - content is the most
important driver here. Use graphics/fonts etc. to highlight
content - not the other way round.
- Lack of research on recipient's needs. To write effective
sales letter with strong content - rely on specifics,
facts. You must study the product, potential customers
and the market context. There is no short-cut, no way
around. Without facts, you cannot write good copy but
with facts, even mediocre content can stand out and make
an impact
Mistake No 5 : Saving the Punch Line for Last
A major mistake in writing effective content is to save
the strongest sales pitch for last. We tend to write in
a logical manner - starting slow and hoping to build to
a climactic conclusion.
This is a major mistake as a typical reader decides whether
to read or trash your sales letter in 5 to 7 seconds. If
you are unable to hold on to his/her attention within first
few lines - your mail is heading for trash folder.
