Expert advice from the Fresh team

When working with direct marketing, every word counts.
Here’s how to make your words work harder.

As with most things, there’s a right way and a wrong way. A quick scan will give the reader good reasons to either keep reading or toss it. That’s why the words you use can benefit greatly from the skills of a professional copywriter. It’s tempting to think you can write it yourself (“ Hey, I did english in high school” ), but the ability to write compelling communications is best left to those that know how to tap into the psyche of the customer. Good copywriters are marketing strategists, behavioural psychologists and savvy sales people.

Writing successful direct marketing copy is more than just stringing words together. Here’s ten tips from one of the best in the business ...

	Cut to the chase State your major benefit in the opening sentence. Even if the reader doesn’t get through it all, you’ve got a good punch in early.
	What’s in it for me? Always write from the customer’s point of view. They may not be as interested in every step you took over the last 10 years to perfect the product. They want to know how it will improve their life in just 10 seconds.
	Where, When, How? Highlight important deadlines, limited quantities or how to obtain your product.A clear call-to-action is vital for sales success.
	Alliteration aids Attentiveness Using alliteration (ie: starting two or more words with the same letter) can contribute to eye-catching and memorable headlines. Some say it’s sensible to use this sparingly.
	Feel the Rhythm Headlines shouldn’t be sharp, bland statements of fact. Good rhythm sets up an emotional, friendly and human feel. Compare "Price is a priority" to "When it comes to price, we know it’s a priority".
	Short but Sweet Don’t waffle on. People often have little time to read your material. They appreciate the short shot and will reward you with loyalty.
	The Queen’s is Dead (her English, that is) The rules of the Queen’s English are important. But so is being understood. And that means you can even commence sentences with the words "But" and "And" (like we’ve done here). Using today’s conversational language is relevant, not what was taught 30 years ago.
	Be Snappy Sentences and paragraphs? Short and snappy is simple. Big slabs of text? Too hard. Use bite-sized portions.
	Bullet Points for Straight Shooters Bullet points, sub-heads and indented paragraphs can break up copy. And steer the reader directly to major benefits and important information. If the target market wants to read a book, Borders is just down the road.
	Go Full Circle You’ve kicked off with a brilliant headline. Now finish with a line that ties it all back to the start. This gives the reader the satisfaction of completing a journey and leverages your headline to make the whole communication resonate with meaning.

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