Direct Mail Catalogs & Brochures: Write Captions That Sell

Many prospects skim through catalogs and brochures, glancing at the photos and reading the accompanying captions only when a particular image arouses their interest. That's when you have their attention. And so that's when you sell them.

My advice for writing captions is to never describe what readers can see for themselves in your photo.

If your photo shows a man in a golf shirt, for example, don't place a caption beneath the photo that simply says "New Golf Shirt." Instead, write a subhead that communicates a benefit that the reader cannot see, one that the photographer could never capture. Write something like this:

NEVER A HOLE IN ONE: Our new Glengarry Golf Shirt features a Teflon fabric protector that forms an invisible shield around fibers for superb protection against tears and punctures.

My second piece of solicited advice (you subscribed to the newsletter, after all) is to start your captions, whenever possible, with a pithy intro phrase. In five words or fewer, capture the essence of what you are saying with a clever word play, like the one above. Here's another example.

My local newspaper ran a story about the problem that my city is facing this summer with some homeowners watering their lawns every day when they should be watering every other day to conserve water. The story was illustrated with a photograph of a city bylaw officer, in uniform, at the door of a homeowner who was in the very act of breaking the bylaw. The photo caption began:

LAWN ORDER: Bylaw Enforcement Officer Jack Phillips issues a warning to homeowner . . .

That caption put a smile on my face and forced me to read the story. Your captions and subheads will do the same if you make them clever, interesting and laden with benefits that interest your readers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation specialist who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using business-to-business direct mail marketing. Learn more about his creative direct mail writing services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.sharpecopy.com.

---

Secrets And Top-Tips Of Mail Order Advertising

Good Advertising creates more production, thus greater consumption, faster turnover... Read More

Developing a Formal Brand Messaging Document

Ensure everyone in your company sings from the same sheet... Read More

Get Better Results from Your Advertising with a Disruptor

When you spend money on an advertisement you want to... Read More

Double Your Sales Potential With Double-sided Business Cards

Swapping business cards is one of the most basic and... Read More

Moving Message Display

Moving message display are designed to be installed into environments... Read More

How to Make Your Claims Believable

When you hear claims like??Best Lawnmower in the country?Absolute Lowest... Read More

Classified Ads That Get Results

Classified ads do not have the big market appeal that... Read More

Design Your Own Newspaper Ads

Many people in business lay-out (design) their own ads. That... Read More

Marketing Lessons I Learned in Chicago this Week...

I was in the fine city of Chicago this week... Read More

Choosing a Print Mail Dealer

"Print & Mail is a type of service that... Read More

Is there anything new under the sun? Heres how to find out if your bright idea is unique.

"There's nothing new under the sun" is probably the... Read More

Imaging Isnt Everything

Many home improvement contractors attempt to use advertising to expand... Read More

Change, or Reinforce?

Do you know about the distinction - and it's a... Read More

Cross Cultural Advertising

"Culture is a like dropping an Alka-seltzer into a glass... Read More

How Much Money Do I Need to Spend on Advertising?

Q: I've never really done much advertising for my business;... Read More

What Makes A Winning Online Ad?

Most people who have been involved with sales & marketing... Read More

What To Do With Your Business Cards

Without a plan to distribute your cards, there's no need... Read More

Predictions for 2010

2005 puts us at the mid-point of the first decade... Read More

Using Ad Agencies and Designers

Advertising and promoting your business is expensive, so it's important... Read More

Too Much Build-Up: Over-Zealous Ad Copy Can Break The Sale

How many times has this happened to you?A friend recommends... Read More

Offline Advertising Secrets: Using Offline Advertising to Get the Most from Your Name Squeeze Page

Many people online are not using one of the best... Read More

Internet Advertising: How To Use The Golden Rule To Enrich Yourself.

What is the golden rule of internet advertising?Give, so you... Read More

Magnetic Business Cards: Make Your Marketing Message Stick

What is it about magnets that draw people to leave... Read More

What Does Your Business Card Say?

Business cards are the most underutilized and misunderstood marketing tool... Read More

Media Savvy - How To Manage Your Time To Gain The Best Media Coverage

Did you know generating positive media coverage is four times... Read More

Create Your Dynamic Elevator Speech

So, what's an elevator speech, and how do you get... Read More

Top Design and Marketing Tips from a Branding Expert

This month, we wanted to share some general tips relating... Read More

Joint Ventures Increase Profits Quickly

A joint venture is when two or more businesses join... Read More

Finding Your Target Market

Achieving sales is probably the biggest challenge a web business... Read More

4 Ways to Double the Power of Your Business Cards

Sure, everyone needs business cards. But why not make your... Read More

Your Eye Catching Publicity Flyer

Your website is done, your business cards have been delivered,... Read More

How To Tell If An Advertisement Costs Too Much

People say it all the time: "This advertising costs too... Read More

Latino Television Programs Fill a Void in Hispanic Advertising; While Advertisers Look to Attract

Advertisers that are beginning to focus on the young Hispanic... Read More