Price, Premium, Copy Tweaks Lift Acquisition Mailer

While many direct mailers focus on the secret to millennial response, it's good to keep a close eye on mail tactics that work well with older and general audiences, too. A case in point is a recent Target Marketing magazine case study sharing the Mayo Clinic Health Letter's expertise in testing toward maximum acquisition response for its control. With its huge 2 million to 5 million mail pieces per quarter, Mayo has a lot of room for testing! Targeting an older audience (age 70 and up), the Mayo Clinic mailer has long used an oversized kraft outer envelope with a simple teaser that appeals to the older market preference for courtesy: "Please favor us with a reply within 10 days." Successfully tested changes include shifting the envelope size from 11"x 14" to a 10" x 14" to save money, but inside-package tweaks have delivered the response boosts. For example, the letter now leads with pricing, a "tough times" stress on the per issue $1.97 over an annual savings. But one of the most significant response-getters has been the addition of a premium in the form of existing internal special reports--on weight loss or arthritis, for example--offered for free. The control has also increased its lift by moving to an eight-page letter, up from the original four-page pitch. The results are proof that longer copy can outdo short copy when it comes to self-help offers and older markets. For one, the long-form letter allows marketers to pack in more benefits. Second, it allows for a larger type size. For example, the Mayo letter has shifted to a 14-point type as a boon to aging eyesight and a way to distinguish its approach as more personal and less corporate. Meanwhile, the mailer's reply card page has three-in-one power: reply form, premium stuffer and a BRE, in yellow to stand out in the package. For more, see http://www.acculistusa.com/how-acquisition-mailing-won-with-price-premium-benefits-copy/

Subscription Marketing Basics Still Win Audiences

Despite modern publishing's multi-platform environment (print, web, mobile), many long-time subscription marketing rules retain their relevance. A recent post from Bill Dugan, for niche magazine consulting firm Mequoda, stressed just that point by reminding audience development pros of the fundamentals for price, offer and creative. As a list brokerage with many paid or controlled circulation clients, AccuList USA would, of course, add another important component: quality data. As Dugan stresses, the art and science of pricing still counts. In pricing, whether for print, online, tablet or combination packages, subscription marketers actually have an edge over many other products by being able to sell the same product at different prices each time it’s purchased, from a new subscriber to each subsequent renewal. Pricing strategies can include 1) simply the same price at every stage of buying or renewing; 2) giving the more price-sensitive new subscriber an introductory discount and then selling renewals at full price; 3) maximizing response and profitability with a step-up program from a low introductory price through gradual renewal increases to maximum; and 4) rewarding subscribers with a lower monthly price for selecting a longer (annual) term. Next, marketers can build a range of offers. Based on testing, Dugan reports that the best response is earned by a "soft offer," meaning a trial free issue or more, plus a premium and a bill-me-later for a full subscription. The lowest response offer is the old-fashioned hard offer, requesting up-front credit card payment with no trial or premium,per his testing. And finally, direct marketing success requires wrapping the offer in effective creative. A key to creative response today, whether direct mail or e-mail, is personalization that focuses on the target customers’ needs. Of course, effective personalization requires targeted, quality data! So while Dugan didn't talk about the paramount importance of data, we remind marketers of the continuing relevance of either the 40-40-20 rule (40% of response success from audience/list, 40% from offer and 20% for creative) or the 60-30-10 formula (60% from targeted audience/list). Bottom line, good audience data is key. For more on our proprietary research on market-tested data and selection parameters most likely to boost response, go to http://www.acculistusa.com/subscription-marketing-basics-still-create-winning-formulas/

How Mailings Won 650% ROI for Data Backup Firm

Even high-tech firms can sometimes get bigger results from traditional direct mail than their usual digital efforts. Intronis, a 12-year-old cloud-based data protection service, is a case in point, as recently reported by Advertising Age. Intronis, which serves 50,000 small-business customers and sells through a network of 2,000 managed IT service providers, wanted to reach larger IT service providers. But e-mail and calling weren't getting the desired attention. So the company launched a two-part mailing campaign: Based on the demographics of the IT audience, the first piece hooked attention by including a "retro cool" Atari game player with the promise that if users spent 30 minutes on the phone with an Intronis salesperson, they would get a free gaming platform, with a choice of XBox, Wii or Sony Playstation. The company started small, sending out 50 Ataris and won meetings with 25 recipients, a 50% conversion. After 20 more waves, allowing for testing of messaging, packaging, timing and mail volume, the campaign had garnered an average 35% conversion rate (meetings) and an ROI of 650%, based on the value of deals generated divided by all campaign costs. Among the lessons learned per Ad Age reporting: With high-end premiums, send out relatively small numbers in each mail wave to reduce fulfillment costs. Put a lot of thought into the mail creative in terms of messaging and packaging; for example, the mailing worked best with a box that opened in one direction and with the brand message and cover letter on top and visible before the enclosed Atari. For the complete article, see http://adage.com/article/btob/data-backup-company-650-roi-atari-campaign/298195/

How Direct Mail Beats E-mail in 4 Basic Ways

Despite the predominance of e-mail marketing articles, direct mail is still a key marketing tool, and mailing lists and direct mail support continue as a thriving part of AccuList USA's services. So we naturally welcome mainstream business media support from other champions of direct mail's virtues. For example, Entrepreneur magazine recently published an article by Craig Simpson, owner of Simpson Direct, Inc., titled "Four Reasons to Use Direct Mail Marketing Instead of E-mail Marketing." Simpson points out that direct mail's first advantage comes from e-mail's well-known drawback: inbox overload and the high percentage of e-mails filtered out or deleted unseen. By comparison, an Epsilon study found 77% of consumers sort through their physical mail as soon as received, and USPS data shows 98% check their mail daily. Next, mail is a directly personal experience, touching consumers physically in-hand and in-home, as opposed to an e-mail subject line scrolling on the screen of a multitasking computer or mobile device user. Third, direct mail avoids the growing trust problems of digital marketing. Because of online security hacks and phishing scams, people may avoid even opening an e-mail much less clicking on links or attachments. In contrast, consumers know they can safely open and browse a direct mail piece, where bells and whistles are bonuses not red flags. Finally, direct mail has more tools for standing out in the inbox and inducing an open and response: colored or oversized envelopes, personalized messaging, intriguing dimensional mail, and even physical inclusions such as premiums. "When was the last time you got a pen in an e-mail?" Simpson asks. For the full article, go to http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242731