Four Steps to Crafting a Compelling Information Offer
Savvy marketers frequently offer free reports, booklets or other information pieces to anyone who responds to their direct mail, advertisement or press release. This type of free information is known as a “bait piece.”
The purpose of offering free information is to hook the reader’s interest and motivate them to respond to your press release or advertisement. Once you capture the names and addresses of these people you can begin marketing your products or services to them by sending frequent letters and e-mails.
Offering free information in your press release or direct mail will dramatically increase response. It is one of the sure-fire tactics of generating a high volume of sales leads.
So how do you create a successful piece of free information? Below are 4 simple steps.
1. Pick a Topic.
This is the first and most important thing. Your topic must be interesting to your audience and highly relevant to their needs. Try to identify a problem or concern your readers may have and then tell them how to solve it.
Remember, people will not request a copy of your bait piece unless it interests them or benefits them in some way. A report entitled, “How to Heat Your Home Without Electricity” may be appealing to people who want to save on the electronic bill. But if you are trying to appeal to veterinarians, this report probably will not interest them. It does not address a certain need or problem veterinarian’s face.
The topic must not only be interesting and relevant to your audience, but it must also sell them on your way of doing things. When writing your bait piece, your topic should present a solution or outline a criteria that predisposes readers to your way of thinking. However, it must be written in an editorially neutral style. Just write the facts. Write as though you are writing an informational article.
Even though your bait piece must appear unbiased, it must also subtly promote your methodology. For example, lets say you are a dog food manufacturer. And you are offering a free booklet entitled, “5 Ingredients that are Essential to Your Dog’s Health.” The booklet explains what these ingredients are and why it is important your pet’s food contains them. Now the reader starts looking for a healthier food for their dog. They check out your product line and (bingo!) it meets all the qualifications they read about in the booklet. Your company is now not only the expert on dog nutrition but also the manufacturer of choice.
2. Choose a title.
Once you’ve selected a topic for your bait piece, you must pick a title. The title should be catchy and memorable. And it should grab the reader’s attention.
You can use a number title such as “7 Ways to Fight Fleas” or “5 Steps to a Well-Trained Dog.” Number titles are very popular and appealing as they arouse reader curiosity. People want to know what are the “7 ways,” the “5 tips” or the "6 mistakes."
Titles that begin with the words “How to” are also effective. Everyone wants to know how to do something. For example, “How to Train Your Pet Parakeet to Say I Love You.” “How to House Train Your Puppy.” When people read titles with the words “how to” in it they immediately get interested. They think, “Yeah, how do you do that?” and they decide to send for your booklet or report in order to satisfy their curiosity.
Choosing a title for your free information is extremely important. In fact, it’s on of the most important parts. It largely determines whether or not people will respond to your offer. Avoid titles that are confusing or mundane. Don’t try to be clever as you will only confuse people. Instead, craft a straightforward, compelling title that tells people exactly what your report is about.
Keep your title targeted. Don’t be too broad or general. Zero in on a specific topic and audience. It is better to be too narrow than too broad. A booklet entitled, “Pet Health” is too broad and general. You could write volumes on that topic. Be more targeted in your writing. Instead of addressing the general topic of pet health, zero in on a specific aspect of pet health, such as “3 Ways to Keep Your Pet’s Coat Shiny” or “How to Keep Your Pet’s Teeth and Gums Healthy.”
3. Choose a Format.
The third step in creating your bait piece is to choose a format. Your free information can be a special report, booklet, e-book, tip sheet, manual, DVD or CD.
A tip sheet is the most basic format and is usually only a page or two long. Your tip sheet can be an article reprint, a checklist or even a series of bulleted points.
A booklet can be either 4 by 9 inches or 5 ½ by 8 ½ inches in size. A good length for a booklet is generally 4-10 pages. A special report is usually printed on 8 ½ x 11 paper and can be anywhere from 6-20 pages. If your report is 20 pages or longer you may want to offer it as a book or e-book. If you have recently conducted a seminar or teleclass you can offer a free CD or DVD of your presentation.
Before the days of the internet, marketers had to print their information using off-set printers and copy machines. If they offered something in electronic format, such as a cassette tape, it had to duplicated in a professional studio. Needless to say, this could be very expensive and time consuming. People who requested the free information had to do so by mail or phone. Oftentimes they were required to pay a few bucks to cover shipping costs. Or at the very least they were asked to supply a self addressed stamped envelope.
However, things have changed. With the explosion of the internet and online marketing, many marketers offer their information on-line. Booklets and reports can now be downloaded at websites free of charge. Prospects no longer have to spend time sending out a request. They can simply go online and in a few seconds be reading what you have to say. Audios of seminars or video clips can also be viewed and downloaded on the internet.
Printing hard copies has always been effective and some marketers still prefer that route. However, it is not necessary. People are use to downloading things on the internet. And many of them prefer it as it is extremely fast and convenient.
Just be sure that you require people to sign up for this free information. Have them type in their name and e-mail address before they can access your report. That way you still get the information you need to follow-up on prospects.
4. Start Writing.
Okay, you’re set. You’ve picked your topic, title and format. Now it’s time to start pounding the keyboard. The important thing to remember is that the contents of your bait piece must deliver on the title. If the title says, “Five Things Every Small Business Must Know When Hiring an Accountant” that better be what your report is about. Otherwise, readers will be sorely disappointed.
Pack your report full of helpful information and advice. Your ideas do not have to be new or revolutionary. They don’t even have to be brilliant. Many people read to reinforce existing knowledge and beliefs. And if your report confirms everything they already know, they will be impressed with your knowledge and expertise.
It is essential that your booklet or report be strictly informational. Do not turn it into an opportunity to make a sales pitch. Do not blatantly promote yourself or your company. This will turn your readers off and ruin any chance you may have of converting them into a customer. Your readers are expecting helpful information, and that is what you must give them.
But can you promote yourself at all? Of course. But do so subtly and keep it to a minimum. Make sure your name appears at the beginning of your booklet or report, crediting you as the author. At the end of the report include information on who you are, what you do, and what you offer. Encourage readers to contact you by giving them your address, phone number and e-mail. The end of your report should read like an “About the Author” section in a non-fiction book.
You did it! You’ve created a valuable piece of free information to offer prospects. Now all you have to do is include this offer in your advertisements, press releases or direct mail.
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