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How to Create the Most Compelling Headline and Copy for Your Co-op Offer or Package Insert By Larry H Tucker Because of space limitations on the average insert, you’ve got to pack a lot of promotional wallop into a small area. You generally have only two panels (back and front) to do your entire selling job, so you can’t use most of that long, convincing copy that works so well for your solo mailing packages. Think of your insert like a billboard; ideally, you’ll be able to offer a promise that will focus directly on your prospects’ needs, interests, or complaints: “No more Aching Feet” or “The Best Night’s Sleep You’ve Ever Had” or “The Perfect Thinking-of-You Gft for Your Grandchildren” are some proven winners for older consumers. “The Latest Styles— at Half the Price” works for young adults. And young parents are particularly interested in copy like “Share the Fun of Reading with Your Child” Using one strong headline, possibly with an “eyebrow” above, and several bold sub-heads within your copy will motivate the consumer to read further. Resist subtlety or false sophistication. And don’t muddle your offer or try for cuteness or wit. Get right to the point. It is usually best to set your headlines and subheads in upper and lower case, not all capital letters. Only use Italics if there’s a real reason to do so. Serif type reads more easily than sans serif you can even get about 10% more letters into the Times-Roman serif face than into others. In these cramped quarters, every 10% helps! Type should be set no more than 2-1/2” wide for fast reading. Keep your words simple and short. Use short Anglo-Saxon words rather than longer, fancier French or Latin derivatives. Aim your principal benefit right between their eyes, and state it clearly. Commands are often a good approach: “Try This Wonder Knife for 30 Days—FREE” or “Cream Away Wrinkles in Just Six Days” and dozens of variations thereof have worked consistently over the years. Or you may be able to catch the consumer’s fancy with a pertinent question like: “Can Your Child Pass This Simple Test?” or “Tired of Picking Up Those Dirty Clothes?” and “Are You Paying too Much for Your Car Insurance?” should get the immediate attention of the average driver. Don’t be afraid to grab the consumer right at the start with exclusionary phrases like “For Grandparents Only” or “If you’re Reading Less Because of Eye Strain...” You have to make your appeal directly relevant to individual prospects. Forget about those who can’t use or won’t be interested in your product or offer. Keep sentences short and punchy and avoid complex constructions. Your paragraphs, too, should be brief, perhaps with bold subheads for easy scanning. Explanations must be boiled down, sometimes into a series of points that can be set off by “bullets.” Talk about benefits and illustrate features. Use a diagram or drawing, if necessary, but keep everything simple. If there’s a bonus offer, premium, or special terms, highlight this bold type or Italics in its own area, which can be a color box, a “starburst,” circle, or corner slash. A time limitation or other qualification (“Free Bonus to First 100 Buyers “) can be highlighted on a line by itself or in color. Color and type on the page Use lots of background color and color highlights, even if you’re printing on high-bulk card stock. This grabs attention and eliminates type show-through from the other side. If you use a white background on one side, you may be able to put in a panel of light color tone for special emphasis of benefits or terms. Color headlines are OK, but not color body type. Readability must come first. Be very careful if you decide to reverse type out of a background. This can be effective, but make sure that the background color is a deep one, and that the type is either completely white or a bright or light color. Type should be sans serif and reasonably large. Dropping type out of photo backgrounds (or surprinting type onto photos or dark background colors) can be counterproductive if it’s hard to read. This goes double in appealing to the older reader, who also prefers body type at least ten points in height. A four-color photo will almost always work better than a black & white or duotone photo. And either of these will generally pull better than a drawing (except for a technical or engineering offer). Show the product clearly and prominently, in application or active use if possible. Try to pack as much information as you can into the captions beneath photos or illustrations. Studies consistently show that these get good readership in the initial “scan” of a piece. Have a person in the shot actually doing something: casting a line from the fishing rod rather than sitting passively. If it’s the reel that you’re selling, feature a photo inset with a close-up shot. Keep selling on the backside Always repeat the basic offer on the backside. But feel free to re-phrase it, or use it in a quote from an endorser or a satisfied customer. A color-tone box on the backside with additional benefits, important selling points or quotes can be very effective. If you have a good, strong guarantee, highlight it here. (And if you don’t have one, you should create one and feature it.) The back of the sheet is also a good spot for those diagrams, pictures of your catalog or plant or the founder that you so carefully kept from cluttering up the front of your insert. You should always include a response coupon or card, once again stating your offer, terms, and price clearly and concisely. You can brighten your response coupon or card with another photo of your product, catalog, magazine, etc., to reinforce your offer. A starburst outlining the basics of your guarantee is often a winning graphic idea. Feature your “800” number prominently in a reverse or color bar, circle, oval or starburst on both sides of the printed piece. Next time, we’ll explore options you have in creating and fully exploiting your insert format. It’s amazing how much power you can pack into just a few square inches. | |||||||
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