A copywriter's take on a taxing direct mail problem

Ivan Levison —
Direct Mail, E-mail and Advertising Copywriting

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THE LEVISON LETTER
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Action Ideas For Better Direct Mail,
E-mail, Web Sites & Advertising

Published by
Ivan Levison, Direct Response Copywriting

September, 2007
Volume: 22 Number: 9

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A taxing direct mail problem
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I live in the Ross Valley, an area about ten miles north of San Francisco's
Golden Gate Bridge.

Recently, I received a ballot sent to all Ross Valley residents, that allowed
us to vote (by mail only) on a new flood-control tax measure.

I took one look at the ballot and instantly smelled BIG trouble. You see,
in order for your vote to count, you had to sign the front of the ballot. However,
the directions, which stressed the importance of the signature, were
printed on the reverse side, on the bottom, and in tiny type.

My thoughts, at the moment, ran something like this: "Whoever put this together
didn't know what they were doing. Nobody's going to sign this thing. The
copywriter should have put the directions on the front. The line where you have to
sign should have said, 'You must sign here for your vote to count!' and
there should have been a red arrow pointing to the signature line labeled,
'IMPORTANT! You must sign your ballot here!'"

That's all I thought about the matter until the headlines started to appear in our
local paper, the Marin Independent Journal. It turns out that 20% of voters
(1,600 out of 8,000 people) failed to sign their ballots and the flood-
control tax passed by just 65 votes. Needless to say, as per the American Way,
suits have been filed and the matter is in the courts.

So what's the moral to the story?

Simply that, when you're copywriting a direct response vehicle, be it an email,
lead-generation letter, ad, . . . or an election ballot, the details matter big-time!

For example, suppose you're copywriting or evaluating copy for a flyer/brochure
that's going into an envelope along with a lead-generation letter. What are
some of the details a copywriter should pay attention to? Here are just a few of the
things I ask myself along the way:

+ Is the flyer a good match for the target audience I'm trying to reach?

+ Does my flyer educate and really motivate the reader?

+ Are the creative approach and my copywriting tone appropriate for
the product I'm selling?

+ Is the flyer a good fit with the other elements of the mailing?

+ Are my headlines communicating clear benefits?

+ Are my subheadlines working together to tell a complete story to readers
who are just scanning?

+ Is there a way for me to show the product or service in use?

+ Can I offer a persuasive guarantee?

+ Should I add a "Questions & Answers" section?

+ Should I add a testimonials section?

+ Do the typography, photography, and illustrations used, effectively
support my copywriting?

+ Have I included full contact and ordering information for pass-along readers?

+ Does it make sense to run a split test and see if the package does better
WITHOUT a flyer?

And that's just for starters . . .

The take-away message this month? When you're copywriting (or approving)
copywriting, pay close attention to the details. They can spell the difference
between direct response success and failure.

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How To Get In Touch
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Ivan Levison
Direct Response Copywriting
14 Los Cerros Drive
Greenbrae, CA 94904

Phone: (415) 461-0672
Fax: (415) 461-7738
E-mail: ivan@levison.com
Web Site: http://www.levison.com

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