What is Direct Mail Copywriting? 3 Facts Financial Services Marketers Should Know

Direct mail is one of the most potent tools financial services marketers can have to promote their offers. That’s why you, as a financial services marketer, should understand what direct mail copywriting is.

As a direct response copywriter – verified by the American Writers and Artists Institute – I have found two articles that will help you get a grip on what effective direct mail copywriting is.

The first article came from Target Marketing Magazine. Paul McQuillan wrote it. 9 Rules for Direct Mail Copywriting Success Checklist: “The Direct Mail Rule of the 9” offers you the nine questions Mr. McQuillan answers to write his letters. Mr. McQuillan credits his copywriting success to this process.

“Direct Mail Copywriting Tips” by Chron.com is the second article and was written by Elle Smith. This article has five quick tips that will help you write personalized sales letters. You’ll learn how to keep things exciting, offer solutions, and make an impact with your message.

3 Facts You Should Know About Direct Mail Copywriting

Drawing from the articles mentioned above, as well as my experience as a direct response copywriter, I have produced three facts you should know about direct mail copywriting:

Direct Mail is More Than Sales Letters

If you think that direct mail marketing is only about sending sales letters to your prospects, you are wrong.

While the sales letter is the glue that holds the entire campaign together, there many other ways to communicate with your audience via snail mail.

Self-mailers can help you grow leads and sales. Postcards allow you to stay in your prospects’ “keep” pile. You can clearly explain how your offers help your prospects with brochures. And telemarketing offers you the opportunity to follow up on your presentation.

With direct mail, you have more than one way to communicate. Use as many of them as you see fit to keep your prospects engaged.

Direct Mail Copywriting is Very Personal

Direct mail copywriting should never use a one-size-fits-all template to communicate with prospects.

A direct mail piece should feel like it was custom-made for the recipient – attending their most essential concerns in an empathetic manner.

AWAI’s Accelerated Copywriting program emphasizes the importance of doing research and analyzing your market – something that many copywriters (flat-out) refuse to do. Before writing the first word of copy, a copywriter should fully understand who the prospect is, what the company is offering them, and how the candidate benefits from it.

Direct mail pieces should feel more like conversations instead of sales presentations. Getting the prospect engaged is vital to the success of the campaign.

Direct Mail Focuses on Persuasion

Why are you sending thousands of letters out to your market if you are going to ask them to take a step further in the negotiation?

Whether you’re running a one-step (sales order) or two-step (lead-generation) campaign, you must ask the prospect to take a specific course of action. Otherwise, the negotiation goes cold, and you will eventually lose the opportunity.

And this is such a simple step that many entrepreneurs and marketers overlook for some reason. All you must do is ask them to take the next step in the sales process.

Do you need them to fill a form? Or to sign a document? Should they send a check to you? Whatever you need your prospect to do next – just ask for it.

Without a call to action – you make your direct mail campaigns worthless. Make sure you let the prospect know what to do next to close the deal.