Creating special offers that get your readers to take action
Take action. Isn't that what you want your readers to do when they receive and read your emails? You may want them to buy a product, pay for a service, come to a special event, or volunteer for your organization. Whatever your goal may be, you are looking for a "direct response" from them.
When you email the people on your list, you engage in some level of "direct response" marketing—marketing that requests an action on the part of the recipient. One element of good direct marketing is an offer that engages the reader (or watcher, or listener) to take action.
Why is the offer so important? The 40/40/20 rule of direct response marketing says that the success of a campaign (in this case, an email communication) is based 40 percent on targeting the right audience, 40 percent on the offer you make, and 20 percent on your creative execution (including copywriting and design). This month's article reviews different types of offers—and the common characteristics of all great ones.
Offers that Prompt an Immediate Sale
The first question to ask yourself before you consider what to offer is, "Is my product (or service) one that I can sell directly?" Do you sell a product that people can (and will) pick up the phone or visit your website to buy immediately as a result of your email? If you sell jewelry, clothing, pet supplies, a workshop, or a host of other products, then, yes, you can expect direct sales as a result of your email. Also, if you want to get people to sign up for a special event (fundraiser, golf tournament, summer camp, etc.) then you can expect a direct response as well.
In these cases, the appropriate offer should sweeten the purchase; it should super-charge your readers' desire to buy or sign up now. In a perfect world, it also creates a sense of urgency. Examples of direct sell purchase offers are "Buy One, Get One Free", coupons with a percentage off, or giveaway items with a purchase..."Buy $75 worth of flowering plants, and receive The Handbook for Gardeners by award-winning gardener and author, Bob Greenthumb."
If you need to promote a special event, you might offer an "early bird" discount or provide a price break for multiple registrations. Giveaways also work well for events. Some example offers are, "Sign up for the 5K run and receive a free t-shirt" or "Purchase the VIP package today and receive a coupon for a free limo ride to the show."
Offers that Identify Interest and Generate Leads
If your products or services require more consultation and nurturing before someone decides to buy, then the two-step lead generation approach is right for you. With this method, you make what is known as a "soft offer" with the goal of engaging your receivers, building their trust, and moving them closer to an eventual sale.
Example offers include a white paper—a brief article about a topic that is of interest to your readers and helps educate them about topics related to your product or service. For example, if you are a public relations consultant, you can offer a white paper on the "10 Tips for Getting Great PR." Or suppose you are a nutrition counselor, you can offer a white paper on "The 7 Healthiest Foods You Can Eat." Other offers include a free consultation or a free sample of your product..."Call today and receive a free 2 lb. bag of our new organic dog food."
Organizations that are not in commercial business can use the two-step lead generation approach as well. To create interest in an upcoming class or workshop, a church may offer a brief article or a podcast on a related topic to engage its members and pique their interest in the event.
Three Attributes of a Great Offer
When you've decided on your offer, run it through this checklist to make sure it is as effective as it can be.
1. Does your offer have a high perceived value? "Perceived" is the key word here. The good news is that an effective offer doesn't have to cost much at all. It just has to be something of value to your audience. If you are a professional dog trainer and send an email to your list of people who each just got a new puppy, a valuable offer would be the downloadable article, "How to Train Your New Puppy."
2. Is your offer easy to understand and take action on? Have you gotten a direct mail piece or an email that had an offer that was so involved, so convoluted, that you just said, "forget it!"? You don't want people to be overwhelmed and forget your offer. Make it simple. Don't add a lot of conditions or steps. If you can, stick with one step...call this number, click here to download this whitepaper, type in this discount code, or register here.
3. Is your offer relevant to the product, service, or event you are promoting? A great offer isn't just good for the person who receives it; it's good for your business or organization too! Especially in the case of lead generation, you want your offer to tie into the product you're selling, event you're promoting, or service you're providing. That way, it will help advance the sale, or—better yet—inspire your audience to take immediate action. A white paper or a "10 tips" list are both great examples of this. They keep your reader focused on areas in which you are an expert and can be of further help to them.
Think of the 40/40/20 rule when you prepare your next email. Remember, 40 percent of your direct response success depends on your offer, so it's well worth giving some careful thought to what you want that offer to be. Also, have some fun testing different offers to see which ones get better responses. This will help you understand what your audience values.
Do you remember going to the grocery store as a kid and begging mom to buy you that box of Lucky Charms—just so you could get the toy inside? That was the power of the offer in action! Somehow the toy was never as exciting as it appeared to be, but you were eating Lucky Charms that next morning.
Take a lesson from the cereal aisle and create an offer your readers won't refuse.
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