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| Q: CAN A DENTIST AND A GASTROENTEROLOGIST WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE ENDS MEET? |
Sales letters always thrill me, and I am always learning from them. This article will tell you a lot more about how to write a winning sales letter as part of your email marketing campaign. You'll learn to grow your list, maximize your "letter open rate," and dramatically increase your conversions by merely writing (and sending/broadcasting) better letters.
The latest letter which caught my attention (although the subject matter wasn't of great interest) is a fairly good example of what one of these scrolling screeds should look like. You can download a copy of it (just to read, or even to print, if you hate trees and are ecologically insensitive) by just clicking on http://bit.ly/SuperSalesLetter.
After you've had some fun with it (the fellow who writes these sounds like a genuine biker bar brawler -- I picture him in my mind as someone who looks rather like the TV celebrity "Dog, The Bounty Hunter" with saddle sores), please come back [smack that "BACK" arrow on your browser or other navigation instrument] and read the key ingredients to include in your letter, as well as some other tips, tricks, tools and resources to make the job easier and even enjoyable.
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Your letter should contain each of the following devices, or possess each of the following attributes (as appropriate):
1) It must be in plain, conversational speech;
2) It must contain some visually evocative imagery (graphic descriptors);
3) It must repeat its offering of benefits;
4) It must emphasize how the benefits are greater than the cost to the customer;
5) It must contain a bonus, linked to a time-sensitivity element;
6) It should contain some testimonials (in italics);
7) It should be either in limited supply or available for only a limited time (even if it isn't really -- the sense of urgency is crucial);
8) It should have a number of spots throughout the narrative where there is a PURCHASE NOW! button, and a popover, dropdown, or embedded minimalist form to get any prospective customer to "sign up" -- you build your list, and the customer becomes an insider, eligible for future offerings that are exclusive or special;
9) It is always helpful to have an embedded video;
10) It should not use any flash graphics or type;
11) It should be plainly typed, but in a slightly larger than typical font size;
12) The yellow "highlighting pen" can be used to great effect, as can the embedded handwritten or marker-drawn margin notes and arrows;
13) It should reveal "secrets" which are not common knowledge, and tempt the reader to purchase so that he or she can see more.
14) It should always mention something about not wasting the buyer's time or money, especially at the outset and before the order button/s;
15) It should always be signed (handwritten or facsimile) by a person -- as if the correspondence were from one friend to another.
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What is also recommended is a money-back satisfaction guarantee. To make this work for your campaign, you must A) have a decent product or service, and B) understand that if the expenditure on the product or the service is minimal, the customer seldom wants to be bothered with the process of returns and refunds.
Thank you, as always, for reading me and for re-tweeting me.
Douglas E. Castle for The Mad Marketing Tactics Blog
#MadMarketing
November 6, 2012
