Some time ago, around 1995 or 1996,
I was introduced to ‘Direct Marketing’.
Very generally, this term was used to describe a mass pamphlet
drop. Referring to something as indirect
as flooding an area with tens of thousands of pamphlets as ‘direct’ marketing seemed
a little absurd, but what did I know?
Wiser people than me were directing the shots.
The same wise people also told me
that you need a minimum of 250,000 pamphlets to yield any kind of
response. And that response, the wise
people say when considering trends, is a 7% response with a 4% take-up of your
product or service. Let’s do the math
quickly on that one:
Not having ever been asked to print
250,000 pamphlets, for one client at one time, and not subsequently having had
access to the after-print stats, I really can’t testify to this particular
piece of info from the wise ones. But we
have nonetheless, over the years, created brochures – both in print and
electronic. Not only have we designed
and printed them, but we have also actively been involved in the writing, the
strategising, the ‘put-it-all-together-so-that-it-makes-sense-to-the-intended-target-market’
stuff. And over the years we have learnt
a few things. Here they are:
1. Nowadays, emailing 250,000 people is not
marketing – its spam. Don’t be a
spammer. Target your brochure at your
intended market.
2. Be conversational. Stiff and formal language, the kind they
teach you in high school or business school, doesn’t really work as
advertised. Show your target market that
you’re a human being, and that you’re passionate about your business. Don’t treat your business like a commodity,
even if you’re selling one. If you’re
passionate about what you do, and it comes through in your communications,
people take notice. You build an
audience this way, rather than a mere customer base. An audience, by the way, comes back to see
what you have to say. You don’t have to always go back and speak to
them; they’re already listening.
3. Be personal.
Use your name for your email and not the name of your company. Your email is more likely to be opened if it
comes from you, and not from ‘ABC Equipment Supply’.
4. Your subject line must encapture the soul of the
email, and the attaching brochure. Avoid
words like ‘new’, ‘astounding’, ‘amazing’ and so on. That sounds like a miracle cure, and no one
will open it.
5. The longer the document, the more it
matters? No no no. Don’t be caught by that kind of
thinking. Short, punchy and to the
point. Say what you need to say in as
few words as possible. If you haven’t
got them in the first paragraph, they’re not going to read the second and
third. And remember: big words are not
impressive.
6. Imitation is NOT the sincerest form of
flattery. Looking around to see what
other brochures in your market say and copying those brochures is a bad
idea. It is not short-cutting, it is
stealing. Be you, be original, and leave
someone else’s text and images where they belong: on someone else’s brochure.
7. Finally, send your brochure out on Tuesday
morning. On Monday morning your intended
market is getting into the business of finding their feet after a weekend. Any mail not seen as directly related to
their own business is likely to be binned.
Friday is likewise a problem day: you’re in the business of winding down
to the weekend, and you’re wrapping up, NOT considering taking on a new
supplier or buying a new product.
Tuesday, we find, is best. That
way your recipient has had Monday to sort out what must be done with the week,
is is generally in a better frame of mind for opening unfamiliar mail.
A good brochure is one that comes
with experience. Don’t be afraid to mess
it up the first couple of times. If you
keep your target market small enough then the fallout will not be as bad as you
think.
Of course, you could just as easily
contact us. We’ve done brochures. Lots.
And we know a few things.
How cool is this site!
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