So, if you’re creative and a great storyteller this means you can write effective, compelling copy for your next direct mail offer, right?

Probably not.

Being creative helps, but knowing how to sell and getting the reader to take action, which is the point of direct mail marketing, is another skill altogether.

A direct mail piece has a very short shelf life. And you only have seconds to make a lasting first impression. If you lose the reader’s interest at any point, your piece is likely to get tossed in the garbage.

So it’s survival of the fittest when it comes to fighting for shelf space in the direct mail world, and knowing how to write compelling and effective direct mail style copy will suit you well.

With that in mind, here are 7 rules of thumb for compelling copywriting for direct mail. I pulled these directly from an article by Debora Kaskel (read the article here) and reprinting them word for word as she is right on in her advice for compelling DM copy:

  • Know your objective and have a clear call to action for the reader (e.g. Call 1-800-XXX-XXXX today). Weave the call to action throughout the copy, including sidebars and the P.S.
  • Always include a P.S. It always lifts response. Many people read the P.S. first, so don’t waste it.
  • Create a sense of urgency.
  • Read your copy out loud and get rid of all the extra words that you don’t use when you talk. “That” is the most overused word – it can almost always be eliminated.
  • Your high school English teacher said never start a sentence with “and” or “but.” But it’s okay in direct mail copy. And it’s often effective.
  • Keep sentences short.
  • Use bullets with active words. We’ve all learned to skim. Make it easy for your reader to receive your message and act on it quickly.