Effective Copywriting

There is not a lot of room for 'expansive verbiage' on even the largest postcard, so you don't need to write volumes of copy when you are creating your Direct Mail campaign. There are four critical components of effective postcard copy:

1. The headline
2. The copy that follows the headline (or the sub-head)
3. An offer and call to action
4. Contact information.

Your #1 benefit should be in the headline. Follow that with copy that is short, and to the point. You don't have a lot of time to attract a reader's attention, so simplify your communication and don't bury the benefits in lots of text. Put the most important information at the top of the postcard or in the subheads.

Once you've shared the benefits, make sure to clearly tell people what you want them to do, and what you'll do for them if they'll do it. The call to action is where the effectiveness of direct mail advertising is won or lost. Too many times we see postcards that are mailed with a weak or non-existent offer. Don't waste your marketing dollars!

And finally, let people know how to contact you. Phone numbers, email addresses, websites, fax numbers... all should be clearly visible on the card.

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