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DM Tips #24 - SCREAM once in awhile! early September, 2003 Published as a resource for your direct marketing work. Depend on FCC for imaginative, results-producing creative work, including direct mail - web - e-mail - ads - more! http://www.fried-cas.com ______info@fried-cas.com |
IN THIS ISSUE:
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Dear Friend, Enjoy this issue. In it, I encourage you to scream once in awhile. Don't fret about where you happen to be at the time. Just do it. And tell your friends and co-workers that "Albert said it was good for my direct marketing skills and for my lungs." They'll love you for it!  |
 SCREAM once in awhile! ...and other polite tips for fighting the mid-letter blahs by Albert Fried-Cassorla Do you have a lot to get across in your sales letter? Maybe too much? Much has been written about how to start a letter, or an e-mail. But not as much advice exists how to keep the reader going, especially over "long-form" communications, such as a 2-4 page letter, an extended e-mail, an in-depth web page, or even an infomercial. And yes, "scream" has its role to play, as you will see farther below. For the most part, I have in mind the letter as the model communication, though other some of these ideas apply to other media and situations. Here are some tips: 1. Be a friend to the reader. Being a friend means more than simply adopting the pose of a friendship. Get yourself into the psychology of the customer to the extent that you have something important and exciting to share, peer to peer. Think: Would you let a life insurance salesman into your house and let him drone on for an hour about term vs. whole, and the many choices you have in death benefits? Probably not! But with a friend, you might be more indulgent. If a proven friend wants to rattle on, you'll grant him some space. 2. Sequence your sales points in advance. Yes, do an outline --or at least have a mental road map for the verbiage ahead. This will also give you the confidence you need to write with authority. 3. Know when enough is enough. Just because YOU have all of these great sales points doesn't mean they want to listen to them. 4. Avoid mechanical language. Normal human speech has undulations, rhythms. Within limits, write the way you talk. 5. Break it up. Use sub-heads liberally. Try one-sentence paragraphs.
Yes, even non-grammatical, no-subject sentences have a role in advertising communications. Ain't nothing' wrong with vernacular, either. 6. Use script margin notes. This is a technique, not a strategy. User it sparingly. 7. SCREAM once in awhile. Your mother did now and them, right? It got your attention, and you turned out to be a good person, or so I hear! On the other hand, if you're writing about "solid financial investments for persons of substantial net worth, managed by the Glenmede Trust"… you may want to skip the screaming. Of course, what I mean by screaming is getting passionate about the product and what it does for you. Enthusiasm is communicative but not a disease --at least not as of the last time I checked with the CDC. Screaming does get attention, so be sure you have something worthwhile to be yelling about. Otherwise you may be regarded as the boy who cried wolf, or "Giant Sloth" (see my play below). 8. Tell a story. Or two. People just love good stories. You may find one story that's strong enough to propel the reader through your entire letter, making your sales points part of the fabric of your tale. Random DM notes: "Extreme checking" - When I first heard this slogan from Sovereign Bank, I cringed. Are they kidding? How could checking be extreme? What's next? Rad call waiting? Jiggy garbage disposals? But I was wrong. It's grown on me. Part of advertising is about cashing in on hot phrases, even if some stretching is required. Glue guns for psychologists? - My wife the psychologist recently received a mailing
for Glue Guns, with which to re-seal her beer cartons. Somehow, she got
on a beer distributors list. And so we have another clear winner of this
month's Database Marketing-Not Award! Albert Fried-Cassorla is a direct response copywriter and president of Fried-Cassorla Communications, a direct marketing agency. He also serves as a board member and newsletter editor of the Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association and has won their Best of Show Benny Award. Reached him at albert@fried-cas.com or 215-635-5189. Find out how Fried-Cassorla Communications has used direct mail, e-mail and other media to achieve spectacular results! Visit www.fried-cas.com -- read our Success Stories on our work for Merck & Company, UNISYS, GMAC, CIGNA, Scott Paper Company and others! Then contact us at info@fried-cas.com to see how we can help you with your challenges! |
Add muscle to your direct response creative work! Let us help boost your response with powerful copywriting and design! Contact Fried-Cassorla Communications, Inc. now at 215-635-5189 (USA) or info@fried-cas.com |
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Fried-Cassorla Communications helps grow Melrose Park Neighbors Association Helping a fledgling neighborhood association take wing requires hard work. Direct marketing expertise can help, too. In 1999, the quiet Montgomery County suburb of Melrose Park had many assets -- but a strong civic association was not one of them. |
Neighbors planting at Melrose Park's SEPTA Station |
Several neighbors gathered to address pressing concerns, including stream water quality, traffic, the status of the local SEPTA station, beautification and more. From the beginning, Fried-Cassorla Communications took an active role, with Albert Fried-Cassorla serving as president and leading an active board of directors. The group has moved forward by setting up a membership and prospecting database, building a web site and regularly communicating with neighbors. Colorful, monthly e-mails have built attendance and membership to the level of 60 paid member households. In addition, 250 households receive the regular e-mailed updates. These communications help in getting turn-outs for meetings, plantings, clean-ups, dues drives, and more. For more information, visit www.fried-cas.com/mpna. For examples of prior successful campaigns in varied media by FCC, visit www.fried-cas.com/Success. Fried-Cassorla Communications, Inc. is a full service advertising agency specializing in direct marketing, electronic marketing, e-mail, and web design. Since 1988, the company has generated over $220 million in sales for such prestigious clients as Merck & Co., UNISYS, GMAC, CIGNA, and firms of every size. 03:5 ____________________________# # # |
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Want to boost your e-mail results? Let us help you turn pixels into profits! Call Fried-Cassorla Communications at 215-635-5189 or e-mail info@fried-cas.com! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ |
Return of the Giant Sloth - a short absurdist comedy by Albert Fried-Cassorla And you thought life in suburbia was free of pre-historic, surrealistic surprises? Think again! |
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 Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association
Cruise on the Delaware! Join us for PDMA Networking Evening Under the Stars! Leave those grounded to tradition and the four walls behind and break out to the open seas with The Spirit of Philadelphia! Docked adjacent to the South Street Bridge & Lombard Street, the Spirit features an outdoor observation deck and two climate-controlled decks. This luxurious ship will surround you with spectacular views of Philadelphia
& New Jersey's harbors and the most breathtaking skyline views of the
Delaware River. While cruising, savor the exotic flavors of their new tantalizing
Ports O'Call buffets - all freshly prepared in their galley. And best of
all, spend time with your DM colleagues. It will be a great time to renew
old friendships and make new contacts. More details will follow but for
now, sign-up before all our reservations are full! Don't miss this exciting event. For full information and registration for this event click HERE. |
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Movie Comments I've been busy this Summer, seeing both the wonderful and the weird! To see my takes on MOVIES, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Whale Rider and Capturing the Friedmans, and more, click HERE. |
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We've helped many companies successfully reach B2B and consumer markets with our power-packed direct mail. We base the appeal of our communications on delivering value, not hype. That means results for you. See the Success Stories on our web site, or even better... give us a call! 215-635-5189 (USA) or info@fried-cas.com |
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Humor: True Legal
Quotes and Martha
Stewart's Bowling Alley |
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To be removed from our mailing list, just write back and ask us to do so. On the other hand, why not pass around the helpful info? We welcome new subscribers! "Imaginative Direct Marketing and Advertising" e-mail: albert@fried-cas.com Discover resources for marketers at www.fried-cas.com ---phone: 215-635-5189 fax: 215-635-0461 © Copyright 2003 by Fried-Cassorla Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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--SCREAM once in awhile!
...and other polite tips for ______fighting the mid-letter blahs by Albert Fried-Cassorla
Original Play