Yes!

During a recession, it is imperative that you continue to market. Although you must maintain an acceptable cost per lead and cost per sale, this is not the time to react in fear and cut your budget arbitrarily.

Because that’s what your competitors are doing. And that means it’s an ideal time for you to capture new clients and expand your market share.

(more…)

3-d · 3d · Direct Mail · Direct Marketing · recession survival tip · three-dimensional direct mail

The Super Bowl was a lost opportunity for marketers who violated direct marketing rules. Lost sales. Lost time. Lost marketing dollars.

But it was a great day for advertisers who used mobile direct marketing.

(more…)

Direct Marketing · mobile marketing · Web strategy

Another key to being successful in a recession is making sure your marketing really stands out from your competition. That’s why I recommend using a video spokesperson on your landing pages and microsites.

A video spokesperson helps you cut through the clutter by combining audio and video to engage your prospect…instead of sending him or her to a static landing page. It’s a personal, powerful way to connect with prospects on the web and create the one-to-one communication that is so critical to direct response marketing success.

If you haven’t seen a video spokesperson, also known as a walk-on, you can find one on my agency’s home page .

I use this technique to introduce visitors to the site and dynamically point out the different types of information they can find there.

Here are 3 more ways your site benefits from a video spokesperson:

1. Your offer. A strong offer is even stronger when your spokesperson or representative walks onto your webpage and explains it in a simple, direct way.
2. Your product explanation. Complicated products or services are suddenly made clear and easy to understand with video demonstrations.
3. Your credibility. When you showcase an expert witness or your company’s CEO, you’re demonstrating to your prospect that you’re a leader in your field. You can easily build credibility with statistics, examples or testimonials delivered person-to-person.

If your script is well written with direct response copy and well executed, you’ll convince your prospect to spend some time on your page—rather than click your page into cyberspace.

Although this technique is becoming more popular, it is far from mainstream. Click the links below to see more examples.

• Verizon FiOS
• The Home Depot
• Dream Turf
• Turner Eye Institute

If you want to learn more about video-spokesperson technology, and how it can double your impact, call me at 310-212-5727 or email me at craig@cdmginc.com. I’ll explain in more detail how it can work for your website. In fact, we will be shooting a series of walk-ons shortly…and it would reduce your costs if you join in now.

Direct Marketing · video spokesperson · Web strategy · websites

Writing subheads may seem like a quick-and-easy task. You may be tempted to throw down a few punchy words and move on. But these phrases contribute a lot more than you think—and every piece of marketing copy needs them.

Subheads are mini-headlines. They grab the reader’s attention and guide him along. They break up large chunks of text and improve your piece’s overall appearance. They even help convince those who are just scanning that they want to read more.

Your very first subhead should tie in with your main headline, reemphasizing its strongest points.

(more…)

Copy tip · copywriting · Direct Marketing · subheads

Did you know that paid search ads are a great way to test headlines and subheads for your print campaigns?

Take a look at this paid search test, which used three different headlines paired with the exact same copy and URL.

(more…)

copywriting · Direct Marketing · headlines · paid search · Testing corner · Web strategy

As I discussed in the last full issue, the bookalog is the ultimate sales piece in disguise. It looks and feels like a book…but it’s actually a credibility-boosting direct mail miracle that can skyrocket your response.

(more…)

bookalog · Direct Mail · Direct Marketing

You may be like many clients who come to me with websites that produce disappointing results…have a confusing checkout process…or, worst of all, are static antimarketing sites that do nothing to encourage sales.

Take a look at how we were able to help one entrepreneur’s budding pie business become a well-oiled e-commerce machine.

(more…)

Direct Marketing · landing page · microsite · Web strategy · websites

There’s no doubt that direct response copy is the most important element of every campaign…but direct response design is not far behind.

The power of your words can be dramatically affected by their visual appearance. Even the strongest headline can lose impact if it’s not broken correctly.

Each line should be a complete phrase—its own little thought capsule.

(more…)

Copy tip · copywriting · Direct Marketing

In my last full issue of Direct Marketing Update, you learned how to beat spam filters in one easy step: Just ask your email recipients to whitelist you.

But your efforts shouldn’t stop there. The next thing you must do is check your email blacklist reputation. How? Try http://www.senderbase.org/. It’s a free resource that lets you search by IP address and domain.

(more…)

Direct Marketing · spam filters · Web strategy

Your email subject line is the only thing that stands between your recipient and the “delete” button. Right now you should be planning your upcoming holiday promotions, with Valentine’s Day, Easter and Presidents’ Day fast approaching.

Take a look at this test. It was for an email promotion announcing free shipping on GourmetStation.com.

(more…)

Direct Marketing · subject lines · Testing corner