In Boston last week at the Direct Marketing Annual Conference, I was lucky enough to spend two full days with America’s top copywriter, Herschell Gordon Lewis.
Apart from being totally inspired by this engaging 82 year old doyen, I learnt 79 specifics about copywriting from him. Here are seven that may interest you:
1. The word ‘free’ is not as powerful as it once was because it has so often been misused and diluted with conditions. However, it is still very powerful in sales copy.
2. In financial mailings over the last five years, Lewis has not once had more success with four colour than with two colour.
3. In this current age of scepticism, cleverness for the sake of cleverness is more likely to be a liability than an asset.
4. When you emphasise everything you emphasise nothing.
5. In sales copy, you must tell the prospects what you want them to do.
6. If you want to motivate someone to buy something, you must remember that the five biggest motivators are: fear, exclusivity, greed, guilt and the need for approval.
7. Friday maybe a better day for sending promotional emails. Only 14% of emails go out on Fridays (compared with Tuesdays when 24% of all emails are sent).
