A
advertising
brand-building and, 43–52
clarity in, 30–35
copywriting, 65–72
customer-focused, 68–69, 111–114, 193–200
formatting ads, 74–81
reasons for, 6
traditional vs. direct-marketing, xiv–xvi, 5, 178–180, 190–193, 195, 205
urgency of response in, 22–28, 201–202
USP messaging in, 140, 193–196, 208–212
affluent consumers, 132–135
almost persuaded market, 23
anxiety, 31–32
auctions, 25
auto-reponder emails, 160, 163
B
back-end direct marketing tools, 106–107
big company agenda, 6
boomers, 132–135
brand-building, 43–52
Brinkley, J. R., 60–61
Buffett, Warren, 15
C
calls to action, 141, 199, 222–224. See also directions, clear
Cesari, Rick, 49
compelling offers, 12, 182–183, 196–198
competition, differentiating from, 140, 193–196, 208–212, 224–225
consumer knowledge, presumption of, 30–35
conversion strategies, 144–147
copywriting, 65–72
customer acquisition tools, 106
customer retention tools, 106–107
customer-focused marketing, 68–69, 111–114, 193–200
D
deadlines in offers, 24, 60. See also urgency of response
demand, 201–202
desire, burning, 100–101
differentiation strategies, 140, 193–196, 208–212, 224–225
digital direct-response marketing, 137–138. See also websites, direct-response
direct purchase offers, 15–17
directions, clear, 30–35. See also calls to action
direct-marketing businesses, 4
direct-marketing rules, xviii–xix, 9–10
direct-marketing tools, 102–103, 106–107
direct-response advertising
brand or image ads vs., 46–48, 111, 119
formatting ads, 74–81
lead-generation ads, 46–48
offers in, 12–22
testing, 84–89
USP messaging in, 193–196
direct-response digital
marketing, 137–138. See also websites, direct-response
direct-response postcards, 130–132
direct-response websites. See websites, direct-response
dissatisfaction, consumer, 33
distractions to your marketing, 105–106
E
email capture, 147
email capture systems, 147
emotional-benefit ads, 198
E-Myth (Gerber), 14
engagement, 148
exclusive offers, 25–28
F
facts vs. fads, 7
failed marketing strategies, xiii–xv. See also traditional vs. direct-marketing
feature-driven advertising, 196–198
final notices, 60–61
follow-up, 54–59, 148, 186–188
follow-up campaigns, 59–62
formatting ads, 74–81
free information offers, 19–20
front-end direct-marketing tools, 106
funeral home advertising, 20
funnels, 157–171
about, 157–159
benefits, 158
building, 162–171
how they work, 159–161
narrow-funnel ads, 198
product-based, 162–163
wide-funnel ads, 198–199, 200–201
G
geographic area exclusivity, 26
H
halo effect, 27
headline pages, 164–166
headlines, 68–70, 139–140, 150
Heaney, Conor, 207–217
high-threshold offers, 18–22
holes in the bucket, 56–59
homepages, 74–75
How to Win Friends and Influence People (Carnegie), 129–130
hybrid approach to offers, 20–22
I
ideal customers, 157–158, 180–188
image advertising, 190–191, 193
in-bound call scripts, 106
information, free, 19–20
information marketing, 214–215
information-first marketing, 118–119
instructions, clear, 30–35. See also calls to action
K
keywords, 142–143
knowledge, presuming consumer, 30–35
L
Laws of Success (Hill), 14
lead generation, 15–16, 17, 196–201
legal services marketing, 178–188
attracting ideal clients, 182–188
calls to action, 222–224
creating compelling offers, 182–183
differentiation strategies, 224–225
follow-up systems, 186–188
identifying ideal clients, 180–182
leveraging everything for results, 221–222
messaging, 183–184
moving parade of interest, 184–186
traditional vs. direct-marketing, 178–180
letters, sales, 75
limited supply, 24–25
list building, 153–156
low-threshold offers, 19–22
M
magnetic marketing, 118–121, 179–180
mail-order ad formats, 74–81
management by objectives, 39
marketing plans, 102
marketing tools, 102–103, 106–107
marketing-mind muscle, 104–105
markets, 110–117
Marks, Kristen, 219–221
measuring results, 13, 38–43, 84–89, 103, 142. See also testing
media, 120–121
message-market-media
triangle, 109–121
markets in, 110–117
media in, 120–121
message in, 117–119
message-to-market match, 119, 130–134
messaging, 51–52, 117–121, 140, 183–184, 193–196, 208–212
mobile-friendly websites, 140–141
modeling marketing after others, xii–xiv, 5–8
money pyramid, xiv–xv
moving parade of interest, 184–186
N
narrow-funnel ads, 198
newspaper ads, 132–134
non-direct marketing businesses, 3
O
offers
changing, 61–62
compelling, 12, 182–183, 196–198
direct purchase, 15–17
exclusive, 25–28
extending again, 59–60
free information, 19–20
hybrid approach, 20–22
reverse, 202–203
threshold resistance and, 17–22
tracking and, 42–43
urgency for immediate response to, 22–28, 201–202
one-of-a-kind offers, 25–26
online direct-response marketing, 137–138. See also websites, direct-response
open houses, 201–202
optometry business marketing, 208–216
book publishing in, 212–214
differentiation strategies, 208–212
information marketing in, 214–215
relationship building in, 215–216
order forms, 32
over-the-phone homeseller seminars, 204
P
persuasiveness of mail-order ads, 77
postcards, 130–132
pricing, 224
Proctor, Craig, xix, 189–190, 205–206
product-based funnels, 162–163
purging old marketing collateral, 102
R
real estate marketing, 190–205
creating compelling offers, 196–198
creating urgency in, 201–202
driving prospects to websites or hotlines, 199–200
getting prospects to hunt you, 202–204
offering what prospects want, 198–199
traditional vs. direct-marketing, 190–193, 195, 205
USP messaging in, 193–196
wide-funnel ads in, 198–199, 200–201
referral nurturing tools, 106–107
relationship building, 17, 58, 148, 159, 163, 215–216
re-selling, 59–60
response, generating, 129–136
results, xvii–xviii, 13, 38–43, 84–89, 103, 142. See also testing
results triangle, 109–121
markets in, 110–117
media in, 120–121
message in, 117–119
reverse offers to buy, 202–203
reviews, 149–151
rules of direct marketing, xviii–xix, 9–10
S
sales funnels, 157–171
about, 157–159
benefits, 158
building, 162–171
how they work, 159–161
narrow-funnel ads, 198
product-based, 162–163
wide-funnel ads, 198–199, 200–201
sales letters, 75
sales presentations, 141–142
sample ad files, 76–77
satisfaction, consumer, 33
scarcity, urgency by, 26–27
second notices, 60
self-promotional ads, 190–191, 193
seniors, 132–135
social media, 89–93
Social Media Is Bullshit (Mendelson), 91
split testing, 31, 84–89, 146–147
stampede effect, 24–25
swipe files, 76–77
T
ten commandments of direct marketing, xviii–xix, 9–10
thank-you pages, 163, 166, 169
Think and Grow Rich (Hill), 14, 100
threshold resistance, 17–22
toll-free phone numbers, 203–204
tools for marketing, 102–103, 106–107
tracking results, 13, 38–43, 84–89, 103, 142. See also testing
traditional vs. direct-marketing, xiv–xvi, 5, 178–180, 190–193, 195, 205
traffic, tracking, 147
Trust Me, I’m Lying (Holiday), 91
U
un-branded advertising, 46–48
unique selling propositions (USPs), 140, 193–196, 208–212
urgency of response, 22–28, 201–202
V
value of direct marketing, xvii
W
warning ads, 47
website homepages, 74–75
websites, direct-response, 139–151
calls to action in, 141
conversion strategies on, 144–146
conversion-oriented, 147
designing, 143
email capture on, 147
follow-up email systems for, 148
headlines in, 139–140
keywords in, 142–143
lead magnets on, 143–144
mobile-friendly, 140–141
must-haves for, 140
purpose of, 138–139
reviews and testimonials on, 149–151
as sales presentations, 141–142
testing, 146–147
tracking results, 142
tracking traffic to, 147
updating, 148–149
USP messaging in, 140
wide-funnel ads, 198–199, 200–201
will to win, 100–101
writing ad copy, 65–72