Memorize AIDA acronym 

Denny Hatch’s online newsletter (www.businesscommonsense.com) and column in TARGET magazine always contain direct marketing gems.  I just visited and was reminded of AIDA.  As Denny puts it: “In Direct Marketing 101, beginning students learn the basic steps needed to persuade a prospect to become a customer.  This inviolable rule applies to direct mail, off-the-page-advertising, DRTV and radio, and the Internet.  It all comes down to the acronym, AIDA.”

Attention

Interest

Decision

Action 

Hatch goes on to say that general advertising fails and direct response and mail and Web pages succeed involves the ACTION phase.  What are some of the ACTION devices you can use?

Action devices 

Insert a coupon.  Feature a 1-800 number. Put a hyper-link on a Web ad to click on. Enclose an order form or a postage-paid Business Reply Card in a direct mailer. In ads and literature, include a direct link Web page address that features more information about the product or service you are selling. 

These are just a few devices that facilitate action. 

Your offer is key to generating leads 

“It’s the offer, stupid.”  

Hatch cites this quote from one industry observer commenting on the fact that only one advertiser of 64 spots on the 2007 Super Bowl TV show used an offer to get response.  The offer was made by Vin Gupta of InfoUSA. The offer: “For 100 free sales leads, go to www.salesgenie.com.” It’s your offer that will create ACTION and boost your marketing results.   

Curse of independent agents 

Independent agents need to be highly-creative to generate ACTION in the form of direct responses.  Or they need to hire creative people who know how to do it. For one thing, insurance is a low-interest subject.  Second, you are selling a professional service; services are harder to visualize than tangibles. Third, state regulations often limit the types of offers you can make, i.e. they cannot violate rebate regulations.  

Want to put more ACTION into AIDA?  Want more qualified sales leads?  Need ideas?  Contact us.  Send us an e-mail today.  Or call 508-245-2876.  Let us know what you want to make happen and when!