Clicks 'n Conversions Blog

This article was first published  July 28, 2007on the Tatum Marketing blog

Nearly every time we conduct a marketing analysis for a new client, I’m reminded how easy it is to forget one basic rule of REAL marketing. That is: any and all marketing communications should contribute to your lead generation and/or lead development program.

Seems simple enough, yet time after time we see marketing pieces that just sit there. No call to action. No explanation of what you do. Sometimes not even a way to contact the company!

Robert Bly is one of the world’s leading business-to-business copywriters. In his book, Business to Business Direct Marketing, he lists 12 requirements for a successful direct marketing piece. They’re basic, and worth reviewing.

1. “Attract Attention with a Benefit-Oriented or Curiosity-Arousing Headline, Teaser or Lead.” This means the subject line of the email message must give recipients a good reason to read further. The same thing is true for the cover of your brochure, the headline of your ad, the title of your webinar, etc.

2. “Appeal to the Reader’s Self-Interest.” Forget what you think is cool about your product or service (unless you’re also a prospect for your product). Ask what your prospects care about.

3. “Stress Benefits.” A benefit is how your prospect comes out ahead by using your product or service.

4. “Don’t Forget the Features.” At least some of your prospects are interested in the features of whatever you’re selling. These tend to be the actual users of the product – who may or may not be the decision-makers. When you’re addressing managers, stress benefits. When you’re addressing users, provide a good balance of benefits and features.

5. “Acknowledge and Address the Prospect’s Likely Objections.” Figure out what is likely to keep prospects from doing what you want them to do, and deal with it.

6. “Clearly Identify and Explicitly State the Next Step.” What do you want them to do – visit your website, call you, request a free report, a sample, a demo? Whatever it is, make sure the copy tells the reader to do it.

7. “Give the Readers a Reason to Respond Now Instead of Later.” Studies show that if readers don’t respond immediately upon seeing the copy, they probably won’t respond at all.

8. “Prove Your Case.” Give facts, statistics, testimonials and anything else you can think of to prove your claims.

9.“Give the Prospect a Mechanism for Responding.” In fact, give them as many options as possible: your website, phone number, email address, mailing address, even reply cards in a direct mail piece.

10. “Make Each Marketing Document Self-Contained.” That is, be sure to include the company name, contact information, a description of your product or service and a call to action on every individual piece. Even if individual pieces of literature are intended to be packaged inside a folder containing all of the necessary information, they often get separated.

11. “Be Targeted.” Segment your target audiences so that you can provide a specific message to a specific audience. It’s more effective to have multiple pieces of literature, sales letters, web pages and ads that are carefully targeted to one specific group than to have a single brochure, letter or webpage that attempts to communicate with everyone.

12. “Be Personal.” You can be personable, informal and friendly while still remaining professional. And your marketing piece will get a higher readership.