Direct Marketing Creative

Quick! Grab their attention.

You typically have only three seconds to do it. Direct creative follows many of the same principles. One is the three-second rule. Prospects will invest less than three seconds when deciding whether to read or move on. If they overlook you the first time, chances are you lost them.

Get to the point.

Writers often build their content to a climactic ending. That’s great for mystery novels, but not for direct marketing! Your direct creative has just a few seconds to get the reader’s attention, so you must:

• Arouse curiosity
• Immediately state the offer, especially if it’s FREE
• Lead with an amazing fact or statistic
• Ask an intriguing question
• Create urgency for action

Copy that passes the test.

So, you’ve written the copy and covered all the key points. Now put your words to the test with these tried-and-true questions:

• Is it written in present tense? The present outsells the future because the present is NOW
• Does it use action verbs? Spotlight the benefit features to your prospects. Focus on verbs and nouns and use fewer adjectives
• Is it simple and direct? People are overwhelmed with too much information. Keep it simple and to the point. Cut out extraneous words or phrases. Prospects are more likely to read short, easy-to-scan copy

Use power motivators to heighten response.

When appropriate for the audience and the medium, power motivators such as fear, greed, guilt, exclusivity and desire for happiness are capable of eliciting enormous response. For example, "10 Foods You Should Never Eat" creates a sense of fear. If you see this message in an advertisement, it’s likely you will want to learn the answer.

Sell the time, not the watch….sell the sizzle, not the steak.

Tell the consumer how you can give them the experience they are looking for. They want to know how to read the watch that will operate with pinpoint accuracy in 200 feet of water. They don’t simply want to know the time.

Or, the diner doesn’t buy a steak at a restaurant to make him full……he buys for the whole experience it promises.

Landing pages should continue dialogue with the user.

Landing page creative should seamlessly transition the prospect from the communications ad unit to your product or service. Take them through the next step from your advertising message – not directly to your homepage. And, be sure to give clear direction so the prospect will understand what you would like him to do.

Compelling advertising copy works the same for offline and online channels.

The checklist of consumer motivators or needs pyramid is the same for offline and online media advertising:

• People make decisions emotionally
• People justify decisions with facts
• People are egocentric
• People look for value
• You can’t force people to do anything
• People are naturally suspicious
• Most people follow the crowd
• People like to feel it, touch it, smell it before they buy

Avoid Reverse Type.

Have you ever seen a newspaper or magazine printed entirely in reverse type? Very few times, if any, and there’s a good reason. Reverse type is hard to read. Even for a person with good eyesight. A dark background works fine as a design element, but it’s best to use a light background behind your selling copy/text.

Design for a response.

Remember the saying, “The eye is the window to the soul.” The eyes are also the window to your stomach, your desires, your fears, etc. We naturally filter what we see through what we believe and want. It’s crucial that your design speaks the same language as your headlines. Consider these six rules:

• Know your audience and visually speak their language
• Visuals should support your message
• Elaborate design and outrageous photography become distractions if they’re not relevant to your point
• Your goal is to make a connection and generate a response. So deliver your message in a way your audience can relate to and understand
• There are many ways to spark an emotional reaction. However, readability is critical, so allow enough room for your copy. You won’t reach your goal if your audience doesn’t know what you want them to do
• Prioritize. Response is more important than reaction

Direct Response Television Creative.

Include the product or brand name three times in the first 30 seconds of the advertisement. Accompany the offer with a strong call to action and response mechanism such as a URL or telephone number. Present the call to action both visually and verbally. Keep the number and/or URL on screen for at least 20 seconds. This information should be simultaneously stated a minimum of two times. A product or service that is demonstrable typically fares better via television than those that are not.