| Good Advertising creates more production, thus | | | | the product, preferably in use, or in action and should |
| greater consumption, faster turnover and lower sales | | | | state the price...or the entire message will wind up in |
| price per unit. To a great extent it determines the | | | | file 13! |
| success or failure of the mail order operator! | | | | |
| | | | The Final Portion of your letter should strongly urge |
| When working up an advertising program remember | | | | the prospect to act and tell him how to order or the |
| that what is genuinely desirable to you may or may | | | | entire message will go to file "13"! |
| not appeal to the majority of your prospects! | | | | |
| | | | You don't have near the space for your message |
| Different types of merchandise or services demand | | | | with classified and small display ads, as you do with |
| completely different advertising media. Your ad must | | | | the sales letter so unless they are well presented |
| be built around the ADVANTAGES of the product | | | | they may make a faster trip down the tube to file |
| and designed to APPEAL to the specific customers | | | | 13! |
| who will BENEFIT from your offer! | | | | |
| | | | Always use TOP QUALITY letterheads, mailing |
| Since you MUST spend advertising dollars in order to | | | | materials and supplies...This is your BUSINESS IMAGE |
| make money in the mailorder business be sure you | | | | in mailorder! |
| spend WISELY and with CONFIDENCE. | | | | |
| | | | It could be good policy to place your ads through a |
| RETAIN all advertising information, brochures, sales | | | | legitimate advertising agency...It costs no more than if |
| letter, catalog, etc., you receive. USE THE IDEAS | | | | you place your own. Before doing business, get full |
| from this information as a guide in formulating your | | | | information about the agency, its services and rates. |
| various advertising programs! | | | | |
| | | | Since you must get your message across in top |
| There are thousands of top mail order products to | | | | form, in order to pull inquiries and get orders, the |
| choose from, more than you can every use so | | | | ideal ad made just for the particular item being for |
| choose the right ones for your programs! | | | | sale is another great secret for mail order |
| | | | profits....Many times just one little word will change a |
| If the product or service can't stand the Truth do | | | | dead ad to one that pulls thousands of orders! |
| not advertise it...Don't handle it! Truth in advertising is | | | | |
| a must!Your FIRM NAME, preferable, should be | | | | Since you do not have a "window display" to use for |
| SHORT, DESCRIPTIVE AND EASY TO REMEMBER! | | | | mailorder advertising you must either draw pictures |
| | | | or use picture words to describe your product. |
| When you find the item that is a mail order "HIT", | | | | Prepare advertising copy so that your prospects can |
| repeat your ads on the product in a number of | | | | "visualize the product" in their mind and "see" |
| magazines and other productive advertising media in | | | | themselves using it to good advantage. |
| order to PYRAMID YOUR PROFITS TO THE | | | | |
| MAXIMUM! | | | | The headline of your ad must be powerful enough to |
| | | | catch immediate attention. |
| Advertising cost divided by inquiries = Ad cost per | | | | |
| inquiry!Advertising cost divided by orders = Ad cost | | | | Use words that emphasize your product or service |
| per order!Orders received divided by readership = | | | | at the beginning or end of sentences! |
| percent of response!Number of pieces mailed + by | | | | |
| orders received = Percent of return! | | | | Another gimmick for obtaining name lists for |
| | | | nothing...An ad such as..."?BIG MAIL? Send 200 of |
| Continuously use the simple formulas (above) so you | | | | your address labels and 50 cents. We will send to |
| will know who your advertising dollars are paying off! | | | | mailorder dealers, wholesalers, distributors, etc....!" |
| | | | |
| Ad to find new Products:"Calling all manufacturers, | | | | "Before and After" type ads get great response on |
| importers and suppliers ... We will feature and sell your | | | | certain products. |
| new products in our catalog ... Send your information, | | | | |
| sample products and programs to.....!" | | | | Test and compare with different worded ads on the |
| | | | same type of merchandise in the same media. |
| Test the position of your ads in the various Media! | | | | |
| | | | When advertising make your most important points |
| Test one ad against another on the same offer! | | | | first! |
| | | | |
| Make your sales letters friendly, clear, simple and to | | | | When you find a new product that has possibilities |
| the point! | | | | for mailorder, test it! Prepare an ad for a quick test in |
| | | | a magazine or in a paper with a fast closing date |
| Your potential customers are more interested in | | | | (time from date ad is received to date it is published). |
| themselves than in your product, consequently your | | | | As your test prove out "HIT" that particular item |
| ads and sales letter must be directed toward their | | | | hard and heavy in other publications! |
| point of view and their self-interests! Make them | | | | |
| want your product because it will benefit them or will | | | | Test various price levels for the same product. |
| do the job better for them! | | | | |
| | | | Qualify your prospects with proper classified ads. |
| Powerful attention getting words include: Free, | | | | |
| Amazing, Weird, Odd, Strong, Rare, Big, Secret, | | | | Get the prospects confidence by offering free |
| Latest, Easy, Fortune, Now, New, How-to! | | | | samples, by allowing a full money-back guarantee, by |
| | | | building your business image without exaggeration, |
| You must put yourself in the place of your prospects | | | | and by showing proof of satisfied users. |
| and know how they feel, think and react to your | | | | |
| ads! If "you" were the customer would your ads | | | | Use the P.S. in sales letters to gain added attention! |
| persuade "you" to buy? | | | | |
| | | | When using an illustration or picture of your product |
| Your Ad must have a strong headline! It must tell the | | | | in an ad, have one that shows the product in use! |
| prospect what to do, such as: Order Now! Rush | | | | Picture the merchandise in use giving the owner |
| $5.00! Use order form and reply envelope! Act Now! | | | | profit or pleasure thus generating a positive, |
| Action words that urge the prospect to order. Explain | | | | confident "YES" attitude. Remember that a picture |
| with simple words JUST WHAT THEY WILL | | | | will often sell better than 10,000 words. |
| RECEIVE FOR THEIR MONEY! What the product will | | | | |
| do for them. Use believable testimonials. Appeal to | | | | Command attention to your ads or mailing pieces by |
| their reason and get their confidence, then use a | | | | marginal sketches, cartoons, different size and type |
| powerful close. You can get the order! | | | | styles of various words and/or paragraphs...Take the |
| | | | monotony out of the ad! |
| Repetition is one of the secrets of making a lasting | | | | |
| impression on the memory. | | | | Consider greater pulling power of colored ads on |
| | | | many kinds of products. Test for added response |
| Use coupons in some of your ads! | | | | and sales, as balanced against the much higher |
| | | | printing costs for color!The use of borders, lines, etc., |
| Since Suspense is a strong force in advertising, | | | | can enhance your ads but be certain they are not |
| consider entering the name of your product toward | | | | placed in such a way that they detract from your |
| the end of your ad! | | | | message. |
| | | | |
| Most everyone wants prestige, confidence, money, | | | | Type is expressed by "points". For example, one |
| security, advancement, leisure time, good health, | | | | point equals 1/72 of an inch. A pica is 1/6 of an inch. |
| popularity, less worry, happiness, success, more time, | | | | Learn the various type styles and sizes. Use the right |
| recognition, improvement, business ownership, | | | | print in your ads to emphasize the best features of |
| independence, more knowledge, satisfaction, savings | | | | your product. |
| ... Appeal to your prospects... use such appeals in your | | | | |
| ads! | | | | Don't bore the reader; Keep the sakes letter to one |
| | | | page whenever possible. |
| Quality, usefulness, reasonable price, up-to-date, and | | | | |
| appealing to the sight are points to stress! | | | | Offer something extra or something free in order to |
| | | | get immediate action! |
| Make no misleading claims about your products. | | | | |
| | | | Test only one factor at a time in order to determine |
| Review the many ads presented in leading mail order | | | | which "change" made the difference in the number of |
| sales magazines advertisers. Make note of the many | | | | responses received from your ad! |
| attention getting words and phrases that catch your | | | | |
| eye and cause you to read the rest of the ad! Use | | | | By the end of the first month after receipt of the |
| these same words in your own headlines! | | | | first response from your ad you should receive 60% |
| | | | of the return you are going to get from monthly |
| With certain type products, consider turning the | | | | magazines, 75% from weekly newspapers, 75% |
| picture in your display ad upside down in order to | | | | from direct mail, 80% from Sunday newspapers, |
| attract attention from the ordinary ... If handled | | | | 90% from daily papers and 100% from Radio or TV! |
| properly, curiosity will sell! | | | | Within 2 weeks...From magazines 20%; Weekly |
| | | | magazines 40%; Direct mail and Sunday papers 60%; |
| Study the operation of other firms to get New Ideas | | | | Daily papers 75% and Radio and TV 90%. DON'T |
| for sales letters, methods of handling promotion, | | | | DEPEND ON SUCH STATISTICS!!!!! Response can vary |
| nature of offers and any other details which may be | | | | drastically depending on many factors, including |
| helpful! | | | | products offered, media used, season, price, |
| | | | economy, etc.!!!! Your ad should be repeated again |
| Some programs require a good deal of literature in | | | | and again, as long as it is bringing back a profit....After |
| order to present all the facts necessary to sell a | | | | the saturation point is reached, pull the ad. Test it |
| product! With this type of product you should first | | | | again in a few months. The classified ad is the best |
| advertise for inquiries then send the full ammunition | | | | to use for testing. For fast results, newspapers can |
| by direct mail.Write up a list of important reasons | | | | be tested periodically. Magazines with the greatest |
| why a person should inquire about your offer. Use | | | | number of responses for the least cost per inquiry |
| the strongest of these reasons in your ad! | | | | should have priority for your ads. Only tests can |
| | | | prove which are the best ads and media for your |
| If you usually pay cash for your ads, why not set up | | | | various offers! |
| your own advertising agency as a secondary part of | | | | |
| your business? Your registered business name as an | | | | Have a "Built-in" follow-up program when preparing |
| advertising agency may qualify your business for the | | | | your initial advertising and promotion materials! |
| 15% discount when advertising in many publications! | | | | |
| | | | Your ad must end with words that compel |
| Direct Mail, mailing lists, not ads, are used to obtain | | | | action...Ask for the order! Now! Don't let the prospect |
| business. You determine what type of person would | | | | put the offer aside or it will usually end up in file 13. |
| best buy your product; then compile, rent or buy | | | | Notice the many ads in the mailorder publications that |
| name lists and proceed from there. | | | | close with action getting words and sentences. Use |
| | | | such ads to develop ideas for your own ads! |
| Lists compiled from business listings in the Yellow | | | | |
| Pages are good for many kinds of mailorder | | | | Use the personal touch in your sales letters! You |
| products; however the names and addresses | | | | must have a good mailing list for direct mail |
| contained in the white pages seldom get any | | | | advertising. Your sales letter should be written as |
| reasonable response. Ads in the daily paper are also | | | | though you were talking in person to the reader. |
| generally poor for mail order products. Stay with the | | | | Read it out loud...Does it sound like talk or is it |
| successful operators and advertise in the various | | | | canned? |
| media they use ... stick with quality name lists in the | | | | |
| right category for your products! | | | | Offer mailing labels with personalized pictures, photos, |
| | | | or cartoon caricatures, at cost, in order to build name |
| Unless your ad is read you will come out in the red! | | | | lists of mailorder buyers! |
| Make it clean, clear, concise, simple, professional and | | | | |
| focused to the "right market" for the type of | | | | Choose the publications with the greatest pull for |
| product being offered! | | | | your particular ad...Determine the greatest circulation |
| | | | for every dollar spent...Is it better to advertise in a |
| Always test! test! test! before spending large sums | | | | magazine with 10,000 readers at 20 cents per word, |
| to promote or advertise your product ... Be sure it is | | | | or pay $2.50 per word for one with 3,000,000 |
| a hit then go all out! | | | | circulation? Even this must be tested. Perhaps the |
| | | | 10,000 readers are buyers of the type of offer you |
| Your ad must name the product, describe it, tell what | | | | are promoting and will order more than the 3 million! |
| it will do for the reader, how he can obtain it, and | | | | |
| where to get it! | | | | Determine the kind of person who reads the various |
| | | | publications and buy your space accordingly...Advertise |
| The best part of your advertisement is the words | | | | ladies apparel in a media read by women, not in a |
| that can be read "between the lines"! | | | | science publication! |
| | | | |
| The direct mail packet consists of the sales letter, | | | | Publications which carry a large classified section |
| catalog, or brochure, order blank and the business | | | | generally produce good results. Be sure to advertise |
| reply envelope. | | | | under the right classification for your order. |
| | | | |
| The ad must attract attention and create interest | | | | Don't be afraid to ask for the order. |
| and desire before the customer will act! | | | | |
| | | | Take advantage of free advertising and publicity |
| Know your product well so that you can be specific, | | | | whenever & wherever available! |
| sincere and positive in writing your ads!Enthusiastic | | | | |
| ads properly laid out will generally get enthusiastic | | | | If practical for a given program, include a picture of |
| results! | | | | yourself, your business building, or a photo of your |
| | | | product...This, of course pertains basically to direct |
| It is simple to record test results for your ads and | | | | mail programs or for display ads. |
| programs in the various media. DO IT! | | | | |
| | | | Your ad will fail if:The program you choose has |
| If your product has distinctive features or | | | | already been worked to death: A number of dealers |
| trademarks, use them over and over again in all your | | | | had an ad approximately the same as yours in the |
| ads ... Take advantage of the repeat psychology of | | | | same publication; You are advertising an out of |
| keeping the name of your product constantly out in | | | | season product; Your price is not competitive; The |
| front of the Public Eye! If your product is familiar to | | | | offer wan not attractive; Your copy was poorly |
| the user, prove that it has better quality or price | | | | written, or it you advertised in the wring classification |
| over competing items. Educate the consumer when | | | | for the item being offered! |
| presenting brand new items. | | | | |
| | | | You generally get nothing but curiosity seekers with ill |
| Prospects are usually more impressed by what | | | | placed display ads. |
| others have to say about the product than by what | | | | |
| the dealer tells them. Write to your customers, | | | | "KEY" you ads in order to know what is the best |
| asking for their opinion on what your program or | | | | way to spend your advertising dollars. Final sales |
| product has done for them and request permission | | | | volume, is the measurement of success or failure of |
| to use their endorsement in some of your ads. Retain | | | | your advertising programs! |
| their letters as your authority for using their | | | | |
| testimony. | | | | Combine the best features of your product in |
| | | | preparing your ad. Not so much as to the physical |
| Classified ads must have a great deal of thought and | | | | characteristics but by the feeling and interest it |
| preparation! Use as few words as you can, but don't | | | | generates in others! |
| leave out image building words that tell stories, paint | | | | |
| pictures and compel action! | | | | Generally, you should $ ASK $ for the money in |
| | | | classified ads only when a small amount is required |
| One way to increase the readership of your ad is by | | | | for the product! Do not expect to get good |
| inviting persons to send in money saving ideas. Print | | | | response from a high cost item asking for money |
| the best idea each week, or month, and award the | | | | with a small classified ad. Offer free details to get the |
| winner $$$ ... They will read the ad in each issue in | | | | inquiry first, then send your direct mail packet...Sell |
| order to find out if they won and if not to see if the | | | | your low priced items direct from the classified or |
| winners ideas are better than the ones they | | | | display ad! |
| submitted! | | | | |
| | | | Build and maintain your list!!!! |
| Many products can be readily adapted to radio & TV | | | | |
| selling. This can be arranged whereby you pay the | | | | Remember....For us in the mail order industry, |
| station a percentage of only what is sold. There are | | | | advertising is a must! We cannot reach success |
| publications available which explain how to present | | | | without it! We can't operate successfully with it, |
| such offers to the stations and lists of stations that | | | | unless we do it right! Advertising is second in |
| supposedly operate on this basis. You can locate such | | | | importance, only to a high demand product at a |
| firms by a search at your local library or through | | | | reasonable price, but neither can win without the |
| salesmen and opportunity magazines....However; this | | | | other...The day we stop advertising is the day we |
| method for selling mail order products is not readily | | | | give up the mailorder business and go back to |
| available on a flexible basis, unless you have | | | | punching the old worn out time clock!!!!!!! |
| something really special. | | | | |
| | | | Copyright by DeAnna This article may be freely |
| You must be in a position to change your advertising | | | | distributed on the Internet as long as the resource |
| approach with changing times and conditions.The First | | | | box is included.DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant |
| Paragraph of a sales letter must create attention and | | | | that helps entrepreneurs run a successful business by |
| interest or the entire message will go to file 13! | | | | providing affordable administrative help. She also |
| | | | publishes a blog for small business owners. Visit this |
| The Second part, or body, of the letter must arouse | | | | small business resource today. |
| desire by pointing out the advantages and describing | | | | |