Direct Mail Best Practice #7 – Create Drama

Why do people buy your products or services?

It seems a simple question, but for most companies it’s surprisingly hard to define. Consumers and B2B customers alike largely make their buying decisions based on emotions.

If your product is a motorcycle for example, people ultimately decide whether or not to buy it not for its technical specifications or even from a logical list of benefits, but simply for emotional reasons. They buy for the promise of fun, freedom, excitement, increased mobility or social proof. You won’t sell a single one if you don’t try to appeal to their emotions, it’ll just be a bit of metal with wheels.

There are techniques we can use to increase such emotional responses and increase conversions. Print advertisements that elicit an emotional response have been shown to be 2 times more effective than those that don’t.

Every Purchasing Decision is an Emotional One

If you think your product is something that doesn’t warrant an emotional response, you’re dead wrong. Emotion plays a huge part in every purchasing decision. Some marketers make the mistake of thinking their marketing must be straight-laced, professional, boring – but decision makers in every industry are emotional human beings who want to be persuaded to buy your product.

Google’s research shows that B2B customers are actually more emotionally attached to the brands they purchase than consumers, and are 5 times more likely to be swayed by feelings they have for the brand. Think about the real motivations behind those purchase decisions before you try to market your B2B product.

Positive and Negative Emotions in Marketing

Images can create emotional reactions faster than text. For example, a “before and after” picture is a good way to show customers the benefits of your product and elicit an emotional response, or show pictures of you with your happy clients.

Often, a negative emotion is more powerful than a positive one. Your product or service should solve a problem for the prospect, so create your marketing to associate a strong negative feeling about this problem. Selling debt consolidation? Play up the deep worry and torment that comes with being in debt. Of course, your service is the answer to getting away from all this negative emotion. Selling insurance? Paint a picture of something terrible happening if the prospect doesn’t have insurance, the guilt, the torment, the embarrassment. Your company is here to ensure that never happens.

Flattery Can Get You Everywhere

As another example, a recent study has shown that consumers have poor defenses against flattery. Even if they don’t know your company from Adam, readers are more likely to receive your message positively if you subtly flatter them.

Clearly, there are many ways to get an emotional response from your reader. Getting the right level of drama takes experience. Too little drama will bore the reader, too much will feel like you’re pressuring them into a sale.

We invite you to talk to us today about creating a campaign that will be at the right tone for your audience.