Denny Hatch’s 8 Ironclad Rules of E-marketing

by | Jun 1, 2015 | Marketing that works

As I have often told you, I just love the stuff that Denny Hatch, the veteran copywriter and direct mail expert, writes about in one of my favourite newsletters, Today @Target Marketing. In this piece he reminds us that the rules for so called “old fashioned” marketing like media advertising and direct mail are as appropriate for today’s cyberspace marketing.

You’d do well to study his rules, paste them up on a wall and commit to them. The results you’ll get from your marketing efforts will soar! Here’s what he has to say…

When the Internet arrived big time in the 1990’s, a gazillion hotshot kids — with zero experience in marketing and design — took over and set the protocols.

These kids said to us geezers: “This is the new medium and the new paradigm. Your old rules are dead. We make the rules now. So take a hike, buster.”

In April-May 2000, the dot-com bubble burst and roughly $1 trillion disappeared. A legion of these whiz kids went back to school and/or home to live with their parents.

Us old folks went back to creating the rules.

What we learned in the world of print advertising and direct mail is totally applicable to e-commerce.

  • “Big Data” was called “list research” back in the old days — finding the right person for your offer.
  • “Success in direct response is 40 percent lists, 40 percent offer and 20 percent everything else.” —Ed Mayer.  Hardwire these percentages into your DNA: 40 percent — 40 percent — 20 percent.
  • “It’s the offer, stupid!” —Bob Hacker
  • “If you want to dramatically increase your response, dramatically improve your offer.” —Axel Andersson
  • “Two rules and two rules only exist in marketing: Rule No. 1: Test everything. Rule No. 2: See Rule No. 1.” —Malcolm Decker
  • “Avoid gray walls of type.” —David Ogilvy

By the way make sure you invest in his new book WRITE EVERYTHING RIGHT! And read him regularly in Today @ Target Marketing – Subscribe here.

 
Winstons_Wise Words_Cover“Cornerstones of Success” contains extracts specially selected from a fantastic longer program by Wayne Mansfield whom Winno has known and respected for his unique, practical and pithy insights on business for many years. In this sampling you will hear simple crucial solutions to some of those problems in selling that Winston believes cause many people to stumble in making the sale. They are really “must know” approaches that will help you nail the business. Get it here. Part of the Winno’s Wise Words series.