Inside this post…
Here’s a simple way to boost your response on your next promotion…
I’ve used it in the “old days” offline, on-line, for small businesses, for Fortune 100 businesses. Time and again it’s proven to boost response by 20%, 47% and up. It created a 38% response rate for one direct mailer.
Let’s say you are a Fortune 100 retailer and your big back to school weekend sale is coming up. Your direct mail is lined up, radio ads, TV, and print campaigns. But, you want to insure you maximize your sales–and minimize your competitors success.
Simply do an inexpensive, 20 - 30 second voice marketing call to your customers.
“Hi, this is Susan over at “Fashions” and I wanted to give you a heads-up that today or tomorrow you’ll be getting a postcard from us with exclusive, customer only savings. You can’t miss it, the postcard is gold and purple and says, “Fashions” at the top. Anyway, I didn’t want you to miss the savings. Bye now.”
That simple message will cause your direct mail response will jump 20-50%. And as a nice bonus, your average purchase amount will jump 5% to 10%.
I call it the “Paul Revere” method. You send a messenger in advance of your message.
I had a client that used to drop 20 page, $2 a piece mailers out to his list. Before he spent the big bucks, he sent a postcard ahead telling them an important package would be arriving in a few days.
I’ve had clients pre-call on faxes and emails, send postcards in advance of major mailings, email announcing an important email, Radio and TV can be used to drive people online, to direct mail, etc. The ways and media you choose to use for this strategy are limitless.
In fact, many of the online “product launch” strategies we see these days are extended versions of this simple strategy.
I’ve had clients get through to “inaccessible” Fortune 500 execs by first calling receptionist and saying they just needed to leave a message, no need to talk to the executive. Then on the message alerting the executive that an email with an important white-paper, research report, etc. was coming through his or her email. In one case, the sales reps got conversations with 25% of these high level executives.
Two cautions:
First, your teaser message must tease.
If it reveals too much you can actually reduce your response rate. I analyzed a bunch of campaigns and discovered that the poor performers all revealed too much in the message. A natural reflex by many advertisers was to try to make a complete sale - reveal all the information in both messages. But when the results came in, the messages that teased, won. Those that revealed - lost.
Two: It has to be cost effective. The teaser message carries a cost. The increase in response and ROI has to cover the additional cost of the teaser message.
This is one of the quickest “non-copy” ways to boost response.
How can you use a “Paul Revere” message to increase response on your next project?
P.S. If you haven’t explored it, I would strongly suggest you take a look at voice marketing. And I would encourage you to use SmartReply as your provider. Minimal cost. Maximum impact.
Members who read this post also enjoyed the ideas on “knocking your competitors out in 30 seconds” and this post revealing “8 fast-start copywriting formulas“.
P.S. Doh! After a year, I’ve finally put some info in the “About” section of this blog — so, if you’ve been wondering who I am, what I’m about and how to contact me, you can view it here…
http://www.copyideas.com/about
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