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Copywriting Tips For Medical and Dental Offices

What do I say on my mailing piece? This question is one that frequently causes concern among medical professionals as they begin to prepare a mailing.

There has probably been more written on copywriting than on any other part of the advertising process.

When it comes to writing a postcard nothing is more important than the headline. You need a simple very clear statement that immediately gets the attention of your recipient. Your headline should contain a benefit if at all possible or should at least get the interest of your reader in learning more. Examples include such statements as “Now, Emergency Medical Care is available to you 24 hours a day” or, “Now there’s a dental office just a few miles from your home”. Assuming you’ve directed your mailer at the appropriate audience, people who live within the vicinity of your practice, you are very likely to get their attention and cause them to want to learn more.

Once you’ve gained their attention, you then need to move on to telling them more.
Back up the statement you made in your headline with additional benefits to drive home your point. Expanding upon our medical example, we might make a couple of statements accentuated by bullet points.

*Our Emergency Medical Center is staffed with a physician 24/7.

*Just walk in. No appointment is necessary.

*We accept Medicare and most major insurance.

Keep your body copy short. People won’t take the time to read long detailed copy so make your points quickly.

Make good use of graphics. If you have a photo or illustration on your card, be sure that it reinforces your message. Again, using our emergency medical example we might include a picture of our center or of a physician caring for a patient.

Be sure your mailer has an offer. By an “offer” we mean......”if you do what I want you to do for me, here is what I am going to do for you”. The medical mailer mentioned above wants to gain patients. In order to entice people to respond, they therefore need to offer something of value. Among offers they might consider the following:

*Bring in this card and receive a free thermometer or first aid kit.

*Redeem this card for a $10 discount on your first visit.

Unless there is something “in it” for your recipient, they are not likely to take the time to respond to your offer.

Make good use of white space. Don’t feel that you need to fill every inch of your postcard with copy. White space makes your headline, copy and illustration stand out.

Be sure that you write like you talk. Use simple straightforward language to get your story across. You probably don’t use complicated words when you talk so don’t put them into your copy. When people don’t easily understand what you are saying you fail to communicate and failing to communicate will definitely lower your response.

Tell your readers what you want them to do. Ask them to take action now. Consider statements like:

*Save this card for your next visit.

*Call us now to schedule a no obligation appointment.

Be sure that your office is well identified with complete information on how you can be contacted. Include your name , your complete address, your phone number, hours of business operations, etc. Don’t assume that everyone knows you and where you are located. Make it very easy to contact you and more people will do so.

By observing these simple steps you’ll find that writing copy is easier than you might have thought. Try them and see how they affect the results you achieve.

A Direct Mail Promotional Idea for Restaurants

We recently received a postcard in our mailbox from a well known restaurant in our community.

The postcard suggested we come in for dinner and gave us a phone number to call to make a reservation. They also made the offer that if we mentioned the postcard when we made our reservation, we’d be entitled to complimentary deserts for everyone in our party.

We took them up on their offer and our party of six had a wonderful dinner plus desert.

This mailing accomplished several things for the restaurant:

We made a reservation and brought four other people with us, two of whom had never had been to the restaurant before.

The dessert offer gave us a reason to want to respond, a “benefit”, while providing the restaurant with a simple way to measure the effectiveness of the mailing.

By incorporating the offer for the free desert into the reservation process, it eliminated our need to bring in the card.

We suspect that many others took advantage of this offer resulting in a very successful promotion at a nominal cost.

Why not test this approach for your own restaurant? Of course you can vary the offer in a number of ways.

You may want to offer a bottle of wine or perhaps a complimentary appetizer or even a free meal when another meal is purchased. If you’re not sure which offer will work best it is easy to test the idea by mailing half of your postcards with one offer and the other half with a different offer. If you do this, be sure and provide a key number so you can distinguish which postcard they are replying too.

When you’re ready to try this idea contact the folks at Avery Print and Mail Center. They’re available to assist you in all aspects of completing your mailing. You can reach them at 877-AVERY PMC (877-283-7976 or visit www.printandmailcenter.com.

Grow your Web Business with Direct Mail

A couple of quick web facts,

1) Though visitors to your site are taking less time to decide if you have what they need or can provide the solution they’re looking for (2 years ago we had 14 seconds, now we only have 8 seconds).
2) Visitors to your site are taking longer to make a purchasing decision. They are spending more time researching, comparing and making a decision. So how do you make sure you’re top of mind when they’re ready? Use direct mail marketing as well as online marketing to support your business message.

Step one for creating a direct mail campaign to promote your website involves answering this very important question: What do you want people to do once they get to your website? Whether it's capturing a qualified lead, a white paper download or a direct sale, define this before starting your creative.

Step two, remember to create a relationship for tracking offline advertising to an online purchase or action. Promote your website on a large postcard and create a URL that’s specific to an offer so you can track your return on investment, for example “Visit www.website.com/mailspecial today and when you buy one small red shoe we’ll throw in the second shoe for free!” Okay, maybe you’d sell the shoes as a pair, but you get the point. Get your potential customers to go online and take an action, you measure that action and calculate your ROI. One of the nice things about direct mail advertising is that it is easily tested. You can try a mailing or two and learn for yourself how effective it is for your offer.

Step three, another exciting aspect of direct mail marketing is that you can reach out to your current customers and prospect list, but you can also use a mailing list service to reach out to potential new customers. This is accomplished by proper list selection, Avery PMC can help you identify new leads geographically and demographically. For example, if you sell siding and you’d like to target customers in a 50-mile radius who own homes, you can do that (contact our list people at 877 AVERY-PMC or 877-283-7976.) Then you can send a direct mail piece to these customers and ask them to take an action on your website that requires them to leave contact information (download a white paper about the benefits of siding and require a name and email address). Now you have a highly qualified prospect that your sales force can contact and begin the sales cycle.

So you’re ready to target and acquire new customers with direct mail, now what? Create your direct mail postcard online at Avery Print and Mail Center If you’d rather get professional help to layout your postcard, contact our Layout Services department at 877 AVERY-PMC or 877.283.7976.

Direct Mail-No Offer Equals No Results

A mailing we received last week reminded us of the importance of having an offer.

We received a mailing from a major national bank announcing the fact that they were opening a new branch in our town. That was it....just an announcement. No invitation to come in, no special offer if we opened an account, no invitation to a grand opening celebration. Nothing. This mailing was simply an announcement that they had opened a bank branch and our reaction was typical....who cares?

When we finished looking at the mailing we did just what they asked us to do. Nothing. And we suspect that few others who received the mailing did anything either.

One of the most important elements of a successful direct mail package is the offer. By offer, we mean something of value to the recipient. Most people look at a direct mail package with a question on their mind....what’s in this for me? Why should I do what the mailer is asking me to do?

If you don’t offer something of value to the recipient he or she is very likely to not be interested in it.

The bank mailing we’re referring to was probably mailed to everyone in our market, 30,000 to 40,000 households. It represented a significant cost to the bank. How unfortunate they didn’t include something of value.

What might they have done?

How about an offer of a free checking account? Perhaps your first order of checks at no charge. How about a discount on a safety deposit box for the first year? Perhaps an invitation to stop in and get acquainted.

When you prepare mailings for your business be sure that you have an offer of something of benefit and value to your reader. Something that will likely cause them to do what you’d like them to do. The better your offer, the more results you are likely to achieve.

The Importance of Knowing Your Target Audience

Did you ever get a piece of direct mail that caused you to say, “I wonder why they sent this to me?” That happens much more often then it should and it’s easy to avoid.

Consider a mailing for a summer day camp sent to an older aged audience of grandparents. Or perhaps a mailing for home improvements sent to someone who lives in an apartment.

The best mailing piece in the world with the strongest offer, the most beautiful graphics and the best copy isn’t going to stand a chance if it is sent to an audience of people who have no interest in the product or service.

Whenever you contemplate a direct mail program ask yourself the question...”who am I trying to reach with this mailing?” Be sure you select the appropriate audience and eliminate lists of people known to be outside of your target audience.

List selection is as much an art as it is a science. There is no such thing as a perfect list, but you can take some precautions to get as close as possible to your ideal target audience.

Consider some of these points when considering your list:

What is the best age group for my product or service?

Does their living in a home or an apartment make any difference?

Is my product or service particularly suited to married people or single people or does it make any difference?

Should my idea prospect be a parent? A grandparent?

Is my product or service aimed at people with special interests such as a particular hobby?

Is educational background an important factor in whether or not someone is likely to buy my product or service?

Chances are you can come up with other questions of your own. Using the answers you provide to these questions will go a long way in guiding you toward your best prospects.
Take the time to ask and answer them.

The folks at Avery Print and Mail Center can help you locate just the right lists for your target audience. Feel free to call them without obligation at 877-283-7976. (877-AVERY-PMC). Your list is one of the most important elements for the success of your direct mail campaign.

Welcome to Your Mail Box-4 Lessons for Learning How to Build Direct Mail Campaigns

I’m often asked for a recommendation on where people can learn more about direct mail advertising. My advice is always the same....the best place to learn is your own mail box.

In my almost 45 years in the business I never found a better source of knowledge than to review the mail that comes in my mailbox six days a week. Like most people, I discard many items I receive but, unlike most people, I never discard a single piece of direct mail advertising without first having read it.

What can you learn by doing this? Here are some of the valuable lessons you can get:

1. What are my competitors doing?

Chances are you will receive mailings from others who are in the same or a similar business to yours. Reviewing their direct mail will keep you up to date on the competition and is likely to provide you some valuable ideas on how you adapt things they are doing to your own needs.

2. Ideas for layout, format and design:

You will often a layout or a design element that you find quite attractive. Chances are you can adapt some of these ideas to your own direct mail and even improve upon them. Are you receiving lots of jumbo postcards or are most people mailing standard size?

3. Offers:

Study the offers you see, particularly if they are from a competitor. If you are a dry cleaner and you offer $2 off on a cleaning job and your competitors are offering $3, you are likely to lose business to them if they are mailing in your same market. You will also find offers from other businesses that can be adapted to your own. One example that most people are familiar with is the offer made by Bed Bath and Beyond where they regularly send coupons worth a 20% discount on a single item. You don’t have to be a linen store obviously to use this idea. It can be applied to almost any retail business.

4. Frequency:

How often are people mailing? Study mailings being made by people in businesses that are similar to yours to see what their frequency is. This can give you an idea on how often you should be mailing to keep up with your competition.

You may want to start keeping a file of mailing pieces that you find attractive and interesting. This will serve as a valuable resource for ideas when you sit down to plan your next mailing.

Finally, a word of caution. Be careful to analyze mailings you receive from others in light of your own business needs. Don’t assume that because a competitor is doing something in his mailings that he is necessarily successful. His requirements may be different than your own. His mail may be part of a larger promotional program that is different from your own. So don’t blindly follow someone else.

When you’re ready for your next mailing don’t hesitate to contact the people at Avery Print and Mail Center. They stand ready to assist you with all aspects of your mailing program. You can reach them at 877-Avery-PMC (877-283-7976.

Direct Mail Copywriting Tips

What do I say on my mailing piece? This question is one that frequently causes concern among advertisers as they begin to prepare a mailing.

There has probably been more written on copywriting than on any other part of the advertising process.

When it comes to writing a postcard nothing is more important than the headline. You need a simple very clear statement that immediately gets the attention of your recipient. Your headline should contain a benefit if at all possible or should at least get the interest of your reader in learning more. Examples include such statements as “Cut your heating costs by 30%”, or “Want to save 50% on the cost of your prescriptions?” Assuming you’ve directed your mailer at the appropriate audience, homeowners or people who take prescription drugs, you are very likely to get their attention and cause them to want to learn more.

Once you’ve gained their attention, you then need to move on to telling them more.
Back up the statement you made in your headline with additional benefits to drive home your point. Expanding upon our heating example, we might make a couple of statements accentuated by bullet points.

*A new furnace can pay for itself in as little as 5 years.

*Let us give you an estimate at no cost.

*Take up to 24 months to pay for your furnace at no interest.

Keep your body copy short. People won’t take the time to read long detailed copy so make your points quickly.

Make good use of graphics. If you have a photo or illustration on your card, be sure that it reinforces your message. Again, using our heating example we might include a picture of a new furnace or an illustration that shows an estimator furnishing an estimate.

Be sure your mailer has an offer. By an “offer” we mean......”if you do what I want you to do for me, here is what I am going to do for you”. The prescription mailer mentioned above wants to gain customers for discounted prescription drugs. We can assume that what they want is for people to inquire about how much they can save. In order to entice people to respond, they therefore need to offer something of value. Among offers they might consider the following:

*Send us a list of your prescription drugs and receive a $5 discount on your first order.

*Send us a list of your prescription drugs and receive a copy of our valuable booklet.

*Let us transfer your prescriptions at no charge.

Unless there is something “in it” for your recipient, they are not likely to take the time to respond to your offer.

Make good use of white space. Don’t feel that you need to fill every inch of your postcard with copy. White space makes your headline, copy and illustration stand out.

Be sure that you write like you talk. Use simple straightforward language to get your story across. You probably don’t use complicated words when you talk so don’t put them into your copy. When people don’t easily understand what you are saying you fail to communicate and failing to communicate will definitely lower your response.

Tell your readers what you want them to do. Ask them to take action now. Consider statements like:

*Mail in your reply today.

*Call us now to schedule a no obligation appointment.

*Stop in by Friday and you’ll receive an extra 10% discount.

Be sure that your company is well identified with complete information on how you can be contacted. Include your name and logo, your complete address, your phone number, hours of business operations, etc. Don’t assume that everyone knows you and where you are located. Make it very easy to contact you and more people will do so.

By observing these simple steps you’ll find that writing copy is easier than you might have thought. Try them and see how they affect the results you achieve.

copywriting for direct mail

Using Large Sized Postcards to Promote Real Estate and Mortgage Lending

Realtors and mortgage lenders are among the largest users of direct mail advertising. If you study your own mailbox you’re likely to receive several mailings per week.

The newspapers tell us, almost daily, about housing sales being slow as well as how changes in the credit markets are affecting sales everywhere. Sub-prime and adjustable rate mortgages have caused many homeowners to be concerned.

These changes in the real estate and mortgage markets offer good reasons to contact your prospects now.

Postcards are a great way to accomplish that contact at an attractive rate.

While the cards we receive come in all sizes, we notice the large ones first. They command attention among the various pieces of mail in our mailbox. Avery Print and Mail Center Sumo Size® postscards are particularly suited to a realtor or mortgage lender.

Sumo sized cards, 6” x 11”, have some great advantages.

They are the largest sized card that can be mailed at the same rate as a first class letter

They offer a very large space to get your message across

They command attention in your mailbox

Want to make your postcard as effective as possible? Here are some ideas.

Many of the cards we receive from realtors can be made much more effective by paying attention to copy.

Ever notice that realtor’s cards often show a picture of a home, a picture of the realtor and a comment such as “Just sold” or “in Escrow”? While that may make the realtor feel proud, it does little to impress the recipient. Why? There is no benefit offered to the recipient of the mailing. It’s just an announcement.

How about adding some copy that would make the realtor stand out such as:

Just sold in 10 days for full asking price

We had 5 offers on this home and sold it in less than a month…we can do the same for you.

Call and get the full details on our unique marketing plan that can achieve similar results for you.

For the mortgage lender, statements such as:

Afraid of that adjustable rate mortgage? Let us show you how you can convert to an attractive fixed rate loan and have the same payment for the life of your mortgage.

Want to make your monthly payment more manageable? Let us show you how.

As in all mailings, list selection is critical. You must get your mailing into the hands of someone who is likely to be a prospect. For the mortgage lender interested in promoting re-financing, the appropriate audience would obviously be homeowners. Lists are available for almost any geographic area by type of dwelling unit. Avery’s list experts can assist you in finding them.

Similarly, the realtor looking to acquire new listings would also want to contact homeowners, particularly those who have lived in their home for several years. Lists can be selected on the basis of how long someone has resided at his address. The realtor might also want to contact apartment dwellers who could be ready to move up to a home. Young families with children might be appropriate and those lists are also readily available.

Keep your card simple. Look at it like a billboard. An eye catching headline, a few points about your offer, an attractive picture or two directly related to your product or service and, most important, asking people to take an action and telling them how to do it, will help you to make your mailing effective.

Don’t forget to keep track of the results. In the field of real estate and mortgage lending where the dollar amounts are high, you don’t have to make too many sales to have direct mail pay off handsomely.

Avery Print and Mail Center can give you full details on Sumo cards as well as assisting you with an attractive layout and complete mailing services. You can reach them at 877-AVERY-PMC or 877-283-7976.

real estate marketing postcards

Direct Mail Tip of the Week

People tend to see color before they see black and white. It costs very little more to use color in your postcards. Using it will attract more attention and improve your results.

Designing a Postcard that Sells

For your direct mail to be successful, people have to read it. It’s been said that you have about 3 seconds to get your recipient to decide if he or she will read it or if it will be thrown into the wastebasket. So how you do you get your reader to read your direct mail piece?

With a direct mail postcard, design is critical. Here are some ideas for you to keep in mind as you design your direct mail postcard.

1. The headline is critical. Think of a postcard as a small billboard. You’ve got to grab your reader’s attention quickly. Make your headline stand out with a clear, straightforward statement that inspires your reader to read on.

A heating and air conditioning contractor, for example, might make a statement such as…”We can cut your cooling costs by 40%”. With today’s high energy costs, that statement will likely grab attention.

2. Make good use of color. We live in a world of color. You’re competing for attention in the mailbox and a colorful mailer is much more likely to be read. Be careful of what colors you choose. Reverse type, that is white copy on a dark background, is hard to read. So is copy printed in light colors.

3. Be sure you choose graphics that are appropriate to your business. Realtors want to show illustrations of homes; retailers may want to show specific products. Don’t distract from your message by using pictures that have nothing to do with your product or service.

4. Make good use of white space. Don’t feel that you must fill up every available space on your postcard. Less copy and fewer illustrations will standout and make your message more readable.

5. Be sure that your mailer has an offer. By offer I mean, “If you do what I want you to do for me, here is what I am going to do for you.” Typical offers include such things as these:

Send in the card or call us for a free estimate

Come in for a test drive

Bring in this card and receive a discount or free gift

6. Keep your postcard focused. Emphasize only a single idea or product. When you emphasize everything you end up emphasizing nothing. You don’t have space on a postcard to discuss multiple topics and to do it well. So stick to your main product or service.

7. Be sure to include your company name and address. Everyone wants to know who they are doing business with. Avoid the use of P.O. boxes….they suggest that you are a small business. Use a street address. If you want phone calls or email replies, also include your phone number and email address. Make it simple and easy for prospects to get in touch with you. Your response will improve.

8. Know the difference between benefits and features. A benefit is what’s in it for me. If I do what you want me to do, what benefit do I get? If I don’t get a benefit, I’m not likely to be interested. Saying that a camera weighs 3 pounds is a feature. Saying that the camera is lightweight and easy to hold, is a benefit. Always think…what will my product or service do for the prospect?

We’ve outlined some important elements of designing a successful postcard. If you aren’t a layout artist, and most people aren’t, don’t be concerned. Avery Print and Mail offers complete postcard layout design services at no charge when you place an order.

By using Avery’s design services you will have the benefit of their professional experience in producing thousands of postcard designs. They’ll maximize your use of typefaces, layout, good placement of your photos or illustrations and they will be sure that your design meets all of requirement of the Postal Service.

You can reach Avery Print and Mail Center by calling 877.283.7976.

designing a postcard