Charlie Cook's MArketing for Success Insider's Club

Direct Response Marketing

Five Fast Ways To Power Your Direct Mail Response

By Charlie Cook   |   April 13, 2012

With everyone focusing their marketing online, direct mail is one of the easiest places to get attention.

Think about how many emails you get each day, versus mail when you get home. Hint – Google uses direct mail to sell it’s advertising. Use these 5 ways to power up your sales with direct marketing. Read More »


It Pays To Do What Most People Don’t

By Amanda DiSilvestro   |   March 16, 2012

When I was a kid, and I went away to camp, my parents sent me postcards.

Now, I hardly ever get one but when I do, I read it.

Everyone’s gaga about the Internet, texting, their smart phone, and the result is… Read More »


The Two Paragraph Rule For Direct Mail Copywriting Success

By Jeffrey Dobkin   |   March 7, 2011

If you owned a restaurant, you’d only be as good as your last meal.  If it wasn’t any good, your customer won’t be back.

If you owned a print shop, you’d only be as good as your last job. Deliver poor printing, or deliver late—you’re outta there.     In direct mail, you’re only as good as your… Read More »


3 Easy Ways to Reach B2B Customers With Direct Mail

By Jeffrey Dobkin   |   September 19, 2010

Marketing is selling to a defined audience. Sales are to anyone, but marketing is devoted to finding and selling to the group who is most likely to make a purchase.

Reaching business to business (B2B) customers

There are three ways to reach B2B customers and prospects: Magazines, Direct Mail, and Trade Shows. Of course, there’s salesmen, and then there’s the phone, but I hate making selling phone calls almost as much as salesmen “just stopping by” my office. Read More »


12 Direct Response Marketing Tips

By Jeffrey Dobkin   |   August 5, 2010

Didn’t get the response you wanted on your last direct mail campaign? Here are 12 marketing tips to help increase response.

Start by writing your objective in the upper right hand corner of a blank sheet of paper.  Then write your direct mail marketing letter to achieve this objective.

Is your objective to generate further interest in your product or service?  Generate a phone call?  Have customers place orders by direct mail or phone?  Generate phone calls for inquiries or product sales?  Fill in the BRE for a follow up sales call?  In store visit?  Whatever your objectives, state them in writing – then draft your letter to fulfill those objectives. Read More »


How to Increase Direct Mail Response

By Jeffrey Dobkin   |   July 19, 2010

Here, we discuss increasing mid-level readership and increasing direct mail response.  Learn to fine tune the body of your letter, paragraph by paragraph.

The opening paragraph

The opening paragraph of your direct mail letter is the place to show your biggest benefit.  Lead with your best stuff first – or did you want to wait and take a chance you’ll lose readers?  This should be your hottest copy and your most exciting benefit. Read More »


Elements of Successful Direct Mail Campaigns

By Jeffrey Dobkin   |   July 5, 2010

All direct mail marketing campaign packages have common elements: outer envelope, letter, brochure; most have a reply card or reply envelope.  While a 4-color brochure can supply the glitz and glamor, it’s the letter in today’s direct mail marketing campaign that brings in the orders.  Examine the letter in your direct mail campaign with an eye towards generating higher readership, which means more phone calls and orders.

Once people open your direct mail package they glance at your brochure, but they read the letter. But is it really a letter?  Read More »


15 Top Post Card Direct Mail Offers

By Jeffrey Dobkin   |   May 19, 2010

Post cards are excellent direct marketing vehicles. Because of their short format, they’re not great at closing sales, but they’re awesome at flushing out people who are interested, generating inquiries and making your phone ring with very warm prospects.

This is the fourth article in the series on increasing response by Jeffrey Dobkin on creating effective post cards. The first article set the goals and objectives of your post card marketing campaign. The second and third articles examined how to write and design post cards that draw maximum response and make your phone ring. Here are 15 offers you can make to get your phone to ring. Read More »


7 More Steps to a Successful Postcard Campaign

By Jeffrey Dobkin   |   May 5, 2010

This is the third in the four article series by Jeffrey Dobkin on creating effective direct mail marketing campaigns with post cards. The first article listed 5 objectives and goals of your direct mail post card campaign. The second article on post card marketing highlights 5 ways to create your postcard campaign to make your phone ring with maximum response.

This article continues with 7 more new ways to increase response from mailing post cards. Read More »


5 Ways to Increase Post Card Response

By Jeffrey Dobkin   |   April 19, 2010

Post cards are one of the easiest direct mail marketing campaigns to create.  No folding, stuffing, sealing, stapling, affixing – just print, address and go.  Postcard postage is cheap compared to the rest of direct mail, and delivery is fast because mailing first class can cost the same as bulk mail when post cards are bar coded and mailed in zip sequence. Read More »