Paul Maxey’ latest ‘Total Package’ article is titled “Sell the Premiums, Not the Newsletter”. [‘Profitable Campaigns’ Article]


Paul Maxey’ latest ‘Total Package’ article:

Sell the Premiums, Not the Newsletter

by Paul Maxey

ear Business-Builder,

As a copywriter, I’m on a lot of mailing lists. Much to my wife’s dismay.

I’ve purposely seeded my name on a number of lists to keep an eye on what’s working and what’s not … what’s become a “control” and what hasn’t … and where the trends are pointing in the industries in which I write.

It’s what’s commonly known as “competitive intelligence.”

Short of subscribing to a high-priced service that compiles direct mail promotions ““ and provides you with access to a database of key information ““ there’s no better way to keep an eye on the competition.

Still, there’s often no clear-cut way to determine which promotions you receive are working and which one’s are falling flat on their face. In the end, it just takes a healthy heaping of common sense.

If you receive the same promotion several times over a period of months, you can surmise it’s profitable or they wouldn’t continue to drop a small fortune on mailing it.

And that brings us to today’s Swipe of the Week …

“How to Make Your Body Heal
Itself 35 Times Faster”
I’ve received this particular piece in the mail no less than three times over the past year, and that tells me this promotion is clearly getting results.

It’s easy for me to see why.

When I get a promotion in the mail, my initial reaction is generally to throw aside for later reading. But this is one of the few promotions that instantly grabbed my attention and drew me into the package.

I don’t know if it’s the direct, straightforward style it’s written in … the fact that it reads almost like an editorial, with very little in the way of fancy graphics … or that it’s a virtual case study in how to write copy that injects a heaping helping of personality and story into the mix …

Whatever the reason, it hooked me from the very first page.

Just glance over the first few pages and tell me ““ as someone who’s a chronic sufferer of arthritis, insomnia or diabetes ““ and has been bounced from doctor to doctor over the course of many frustrating years ““ that you wouldn’t be just a little bit intrigued by the copy?

Tell me that ““ even if you were skeptical ““ you wouldn’t be tempted to trade such an insignificant amount of money for the hope and relief it promises to deliver to your life?

See for yourself …
First, download this week’s Swipe of the Week here: How to Make Your Body Heal Itself 35 Times Faster. Then, be sure to share a heaping helping of your own creative genius with us by letting us know what you think below.

In my mind, there are a number of valuable lessons to be gleaned from its pages for anyone crafting a new promotion.

Namely …

– “Show, don’t tell”: Never forget the power of a story to help your prospect “experience” the promises your product delivers in advance …

– Sell the premiums, NOT the newsletter: As Gary Bencivenga pioneered, focus the lion’s share of your promotion on selling your premiums, rather than the newsletter itself …

– Exploit the secret of the “achilles heal”: Inject a little humility into your copy to help increase your spokesperson’s credibility …

– Simpler is often better: Fancy graphics and a four-color spread do not necessarily make for a more successful promotion (especially when ROI is taken into consideration) …

– Push the highest-cost option: If you’re offering two-year and one-year subscriptions, for instance, push the two-year term primarily and offer the lesser term as a secondary option.

So, could you use any of these secrets right now in your own promotion?

Oh … I almost forgot ““ if you’ve ever wondered how an offline promotion gets repurposed into an online one, here’s your chance to find out …

I’ve included a link to this publisher’s live, online version at the end of the swipe file. So download it now by clicking here!

Until next time …

Yours for kick-butt profits!

Paul Maxey

Makepeace “Copy Cub”

THE TOTAL PACKAGE

Attribution Statement: This article was first published in The Total Package. To sign-up to receive your own FREE subscription to The Total Package and claim four FREE money making e-books go to www.makepeacetotalpackage.com.

The Total Package

*IMNewsWatch would like to thank Clayton Makepeace for granting permission to reprint this article.

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