| In my life, I've had two freelance careers, one that | | | | time. |
| limped along miserably for a number of years, and one | | | | Personally, I've never used Who's Mailing What! to see |
| that took off like a rocket after only three months of | | | | what others are doing since I have an extensive swipe |
| marketing. | | | | file of my own. But I've often used it to build my |
| What happened in between was eight year of | | | | prospect database. |
| excitement, growth and misery at a high-powered | | | | What makes Who's Mailing What! such a valuable |
| direct response agency, and a life-changing event at a | | | | resource for the copywriter is that it lists known |
| hospital from overwork. What I'll always be thankful for, | | | | mailers. You don't do better than that when trying to |
| however, is that I learned exactly what it takes to get | | | | determine whether a company is a likely prospect for |
| a lead, and convert them. | | | | copywriting services. |
| Prior to my years at the agency I managed to | | | | What's more, in the Who's Mailing What! database you |
| maneuver myself onto the board of the Oregon Direct | | | | can search by niched category. For instance, if you |
| Marketing Association. During this time I was often in | | | | specialize in nutritional supplements you can search |
| the company of list brokers. | | | | category #346 (Nutritional Supplements and Vitamins) |
| One broker I wrote copy for was fond of reciting the | | | | for high quality prospects. |
| "40/40/20 rule," which I thought was a not-so-subtle | | | | You'll find many repeat entries, but that's ok; it just |
| attempt to put me in my place. | | | | means that particular mailer is mailing frequently, which |
| According to the 40/40/20 rule, 40 percent of the | | | | making them all the more desirable for your list. |
| success of a mailing comes from the quality of the list; | | | | An example: In a quick search of the database for the |
| another 40 percent comes from the quality of the | | | | Nutritional Supplements and Vitamins category - and |
| offer, and only 20 percent comes from the copy. | | | | limiting to just the last two years - I found 66 entries. |
| I'll grant he was right, except in the case where a | | | | One strong mailer is Mountain Home Nutritionals, with |
| mature marketer has tested all the lists, and tested all | | | | eight mailings in two years. |
| the offers, and now all that's left to test is copy or | | | | Now that's all I need to know in order to "qualify them" |
| creative. | | | | for my list. |
| New businesses (and new copywriters) must start | | | | However, if you wanted to go deeper, you'd learn that |
| with the list, and the more qualified it is, the greater (and | | | | Mountain Home Nutritionals doesn't mail the same |
| faster) the success. | | | | package over and over; rather, it appears they test |
| That's why I spend several sessions with my coaching | | | | offers, as well as certain products. |
| students when it's time to start building their lists. I | | | | Go even deeper, and you'll find that on one mailing, |
| emphasize that nothing is more important than | | | | they used a #11 envelope, that the mailing specs were |
| targeting the right people! | | | | 13 pages of four-color process, that it was an |
| One of my list-building secrets is the online database, | | | | acquisition (prospecting) mailing...and that the concept |
| Who's Mailing What!. | | | | copy for the outer envelope was: |
| Who's Mailing What! is a huge archive of "classic" | | | | "Stock Up Now on Dr. Williams' Top Health-Boosting |
| direct mail packages, postcards, magalogs, catalogs, | | | | Formulas!" |
| and self-mailers. It exists to give businesses access to | | | | Now one caution: this is all very fascinating, but you're |
| competitive marketing materials, and to provide | | | | simply looking to qualify a potential prospect. Resist the |
| copywriters with a research tool and copying service. | | | | urge to look deeper as time is of the essence. |
| For instance, say you got your first job writing a | | | | What you need to do next is go to your potential |
| promotion for the Seminars trade. You could spend | | | | prospect's Web site to get contact data...and that may |
| about $70 for a one-year membership to Who's | | | | not be as easy as it seems. |
| Mailing What! and pull up information on thousands of | | | | For instance, plugging "Mountain Home Nutritionals" into |
| archived mailers selling seminars. | | | | Google didn't bring it up...but it did bring up "Dr. David |
| For an extra $40 or so, you can request that one of | | | | Williams"...and that's the brand under which Mountain |
| these mailers be copied and sent to you in either a | | | | Home Nutritionals is sold. So this is where you gather |
| traditional photocopied format, or (if available) an | | | | your contact information. |
| instantly downloadable PDF. | | | | With hundreds of categories...from fund raising and |
| Sometimes you'll find a sample that the Who's Mailing | | | | investments to technology and insurance...Who's Mailing |
| What! editors suspect is a control (due to the fact that | | | | What! is an ideal source for building your prospect list. |
| same package keeps reappearing). | | | | Start here, and I guarantee you'll step into the |
| There are two types of control identified: the "Control," | | | | marketing side of copywriting with more |
| and the "Grand Control." The Grand Control is a mailer | | | | confidence...and more success. |
| that has mailed many times, and over a long period of | | | | |