Quotations by Robert W. Bly

The headline contains an important consumer benefit, or news, or arouses curiosity, or promises a reward for reading the copy. It is the words, not the pictures, that do most of the selling in an advertisement. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

Some factors that enhance the readability and eye appeal of a layout: 1. Headline set in large, bold type. 2. Space between paragraphs increases readability. 3. Copy should be printed black on a white background. 4. Short paragraphs are easier to read than long ones. 5. The lead paragraph should be very short--less than three lines of type, if possible. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

A coupon boosts response between 25 and 100 percent. Asking the reader to send in a letter reduces response but produces highly qualified leads (people with genuine interest in the product). [2005] - Robert W. Bly

Use a slogan if your product's key selling proposition or its nature can be summed up in a single, catchy statement. The danger with slogan is that some are too narrow and pigeonhole you in a specialty, while others are so broad-based that they lose any real meaning or applicability to your business. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

Classified advertising works best when you use a two-step direct-marketing technique. In step one, you run a small classified ad to generate an inquiry, which is a request for move information about your product. In step two, when people inquire, you send out an inquiry fulfillment kid, which is a sales package promoting your product. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

The way to measure classified ad response is to count the inquiries and divide the cost of the ad by the number of inquiries to determine the cost per inquiry. For instance, if it costs you $100 to run a classified ad and you get 100 inquiries, your cost per inquiry is $1. A successful classified ad will generate inquiries at a cost of between $.50 and $2 per inquiry. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

Effective words and phrases to use in your classified ads include: free, new, amazing, now, how to, easy, discover, method, plan, reveals, show, simple, startling, advanced, improved, and you. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

Start your sales pitch right away with headlines and copy printed on the outer envelope. Use a teaser only if it contains an irresistible message that will compel the reader to open the envelope. Often a blank envelope-one with no teaser--is more effective than one with a teaser. Use a plain white or off-white envelope. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

Every direct-mail package should contain a letter; flyers and brochures are optional. Use a flyer when you are selling products that are colorful or visually impressive. The package should have a natural flow from outer envelope to letter to flyer to reply card. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

Use a plain outer envelope with no copy, not even a return address. The mystery of such a mailing is irresistible. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

80 percent of readers will read a P.S. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

Envelopes addressed with labels are as effective as envelopes individually typed with the recipient's address. Addressing envelopes by hand reduces response, perhaps because it looks amateurish. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

A preprinted postage permit or postage-metered envelope outpulls an envelope with stamps. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

Letters with indented paragraphs, underlined words, and portions of the text set in a second color outpull plain letters. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

Letters with a lot of "bells and whistles"--arrows, fake handwritten notes in the margins, spot illustrations, highlighting--can increase response when mailed to low- and middle-class consumer audiences. Avoid these techniques when writing to business executives or upper-class consumers. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

A package with a separate letter and brochure does better than a combination letter/brochure. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

People expect a "real" company to have printed product literature. Anyone can spend $50 on letterhead and business cards and call themselves a corporation. "But a brochure proves you are in business and shows you're more than a fly-by-night operation. Products that require a brochure are seldom sold in a single step. A brochure comes in somewhere between initial contact and final sale. A brochure aimed at busy executives should probably be shorter. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

Tips for raising the search engine rankings of your Web pages: 1. Feature preferably just one--and at most two--unique keywords per page. 2. The title tag should start with your keyword. 3. The first sentence of the first paragraph should start with your keyword. 4. Mention your keyword three times in the next three sentences. 5. Out of every 100 words of text on the page, between three and eleven of those words should be the keyword--a "keyword density" of between 3 and 11 percent. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

81 percent of viral e-mail recipients will pass the e-mail on to at least one other person. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

I often use the word 'Team' in the FROM line. It makes it sound as if there's a group of bright, energetic, enthusiastic people standing behind the product. [2005] - Robert W. Bly