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Bob Bly's Direct Response Letter: Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to business-to-business, high-tech, industrial, Internet, and direct marketing. May 26, 2003 ------------------------------------- You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on www.bly.com or because you are one of Bob's clients, prospects, seminar attendees, or book buyers. If you would prefer not to receive further e-mails of this type, go to www.bly.com, enter your e-mail address, and hit Unsubscribe. ------------------------------------- UPCOMING SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS WHERE YOU CAN PICK BOB’S BRAINS (SUCH AS THEY ARE) FOR FREE! I will be speaking on e-mail marketing at the NEPA (Newsletter & Electronic Publishers Association) annual meeting on June 3 in Washington DC. For more information call NEPA toll-free 800-356-9302. Or click on: www.newsletters.org The very next day, I will be giving my talk "The World’s Best-Kept Copywriting Secrets" in New York City at DM Days. For more information call 212-790-1500, or visit: http://www.dmdays.com If you’d like to schedule a free 15-minute consultation with me at either event, please call Fern Dickey at 201-797-8105 or e-mail her at dickeybf@aol.com. Time slots are extremely limited, so please do it today. Thanks! ------------------------------------- DO WHITE PAPERS WORK? Do White Papers still work as a direct response offer? Yes, says Nick Copley, Vice President of Bitpipe. "The big [magazine] publishers are scaling back the amount of editorial space they have to offer," he explains. White papers allow marketers to bypass the trade press and reach their prospects directly, and the IT audience is receptive. "People are looking to get up to speed on technology any way they can, and a little bias seems to be okay." Here are a few of Copley's tips for writing effective white papers: * Determine the objective: Decide up front the one goal you are trying to achieve with this document. Save all the other nuggets of ideas for other white papers. * Add a case study: When your white paper is too abstract, adding a case study or two, perhaps as sidebars, "can bring the paper back to reality." * Address competing technologies: Show how your solution maps against the competition. Make sure your white paper addresses the major issues your competitors raise. * Have a call to action: You’ve educated and persuaded the reader. Now spell out the next step. Source: Software Success, Vol. 16, No. 22 ------------------------------------- STEAL THIS MARKETING IDEA! How about using a scratch-off business card? My local Chrysler-Plymouth dealer handed me a yellow card that said, "Scratch off to see if you are a winner!" There were 7 options listed on the card, e.g., "(A) Free Oil Change, (B) $25 Off Next Required Service," etc. When you scratch a silver circle, the letter of your prize is revealed. This could be a great idea for ANY business. For instance, a dry cleaner ("A. Free starch"), computer dealer ("A. Free screen saver"), real estate agent ("A. Free home buying seminar"), or just about anything you can think of. ------------------------------------- DOUBLE YOUR E-MAIL RESPONSE WITH A NEW SUBJECT LINE I have seen enough tests to know that you can increase click-through rates on e-mail marketing messages up to 50% and sometimes as much as 100% just by changing the subject line. Now I am looking for 3 clients to help me prove this. If you are one of the first 3 people to respond to this offer, I will write an e-mail marketing message for you at 33% off my regular rate AND give you two subject lines to split test. All I ask in return is that you share the results with me. To find out more about this offer, call Fern Dickey at 201-797-8105 or e-mail her at dickeybf@aol.com. ------------------------------------- WRITING TIP OF THE MONTH "Don’t assume that every thought you have is fascinating to others. Your job is to give people a reason to keep reading." --Dave Barry Source: The Writer, May 2003, p. 66 ------------------------------------- NOW YOU CAN WRITE COPY THE WAY YOUR PROSPECTS TALK!
Copywriters are always searching for those perfect words that will help sell a product or service by painting a favorable picture in a prospect's mind. However, no one, until now, has ever taken the approach of determining what specific words and phrases have worked best in terms of selling to, negotiating with, or motivating specific occupational groups.
After 20 years of research entailing over 12,000 interviews, The Brooks Group has put together a set of profiles showing what words in copy work best for specific target audiences. These guides cover how to write to lawyers, doctors, accountants, entrepreneurs, engineers, CEOs, CFOs, and dozens of other markets.
If you wanted to write a sales letter or advertisement for a certain group of career professionals, doesn't it make sense to know the specific words and phrases that most appeal to that group? I’ve read most of these guides and they are a goldmine; I wouldn’t part with my collection for a new BMW! For more information, click on: http://www.thewordsthatsell.com ------------------------------------- 60-SECOND COMMERCIAL FROM FERN DICKEY, OFFICE MANAGER: Bob is available on a limited basis for copywriting of direct mail packages, sales letters, brochures, white papers, ads, e-mail marketing campaigns, PR materials, and Web pages. We recommend you call for a FREE copy of our updated Copywriting Information Kit. Just let us know your industry and the type of copy you’re interested in seeing (ads, mailings, etc.), and if Bob is available to take your assignment, we’ll tailor a package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Fern Dickey at 201-797-8105 or e-mail dickeybf@aol.com. ------------------------------------- Bob Bly Copywriter/Consultant 22 E. Quackenbush Ave. Dumont, NJ 07628 http://www.bly.com rwbly@bly.com phone 201-385-1220 fax 201-385-1138 ------------------------------------- |
