Marketing copy

1. The first hot spot is determined by its position in the promotion.
In a standard, #10 direct-mail package, critical copy is the teaser on the outer envelope and the headline and lead of the sales letter. In a magalog, it’s the copy on the front cover… the inside front cover… the headline and lead on page 3… and the back cover. These sections are worth stressing over, because different wording can result in dramatic increases or decreases in your response rates.

2. The second hot spot is where you describe the central message, theme, or idea of your selling proposition.
For instance, do you position your newsletter’s recommendations on energy shares as a way for your reader to hedge his portfolio against a bear market triggered by rising oil prices? Or do you talk about how he can profit from the "next big thing" in energy investing - which, according to your editor, is that crude oil will reach $200 a barrel by the end of the decade? The "big idea" of your promotion - and the way you express it - really matters.

3. The third hot spot is where you describe the offer.
Offering a "free information kit," for instance, usually generates more leads than the vaguer "send for more information." The idea of a "kit" is somehow more tangible and sounds more valuable.On the order form, changing even one word in the copy can mean the difference between a winner and a disaster - for instance, "R900 a year" vs. "R1500 a year" or "10-day money-back guarantee" vs. "90-day money-back guarantee."