June, 2013

Seventy years ago, a direct mail copywriter named Frank H. Johnson was looking for a way to increase the impact of his sales letters.

He decided that instead of forcing readers to wade through a mass of copy before making the offer, he would highlight the offer in a centered rectangular box placed at the very top of the letter above the salutation.

The results were terrific, and the "Johnson Box" has been going strong ever since. And no surprise. The box stands out at the top of the letter, and the eye goes right to the headline floating within it.

Here are some tips you can use for putting a Johnson Box to work the right way:

1. Put the right content in the box.

What should you include there? The offer. The main product benefit. The phone number to call or the URL to visit. The expiration date of the offer. The guarantee. Mix and match these as appropriate.

2. Use it in the right kind of letter.

If you're writing a non-personalized letter that's going out bulk rate in a window envelope using teaser copy, a Johnson Box will fit right in. After all, it's part of the "classic package" format. (Don't scoff at it. It still works!) But if you're writing a more formal letter, in a close-faced envelope riding first class, the Johnson Box will look cheap and out of place.

3. Make it the right size.

If you're mailing an 8 1/2" x 11" letter (folded twice down to 3 5/8") you want the Johnson Box and at least the salutation line to appear above the fold. 2" deep by 3 1/2" wide is reasonable, but there's no firm rule here.

4. Use an appropriate box shape.

You can make the box out of asterisks (********) or use a fine-ruled line. For added impact, throw a screened-back second color inside the box. It's also perfectly fine to omit the actual ruled line and simply run a bold headline and subheadline at the top of the letter.

5. Use a box in the body of the letter.

There's no law that says you can't throw your guarantee into a small box somewhere within the letter. Or a few testimonials. Or a short excerpt from a glowing product review.

6. Show your fulfillment piece in a box or at the top of your letter.

If you're offering a report, guide, white paper, executive summary, whatever, use a photo of it at the top of the letter and use call-outs to highlight benefits. Making the fulfillment piece "real" with a photo can really help your lead generation efforts! To see an example of a fulfillment-piece I wrote, complete with photo and call-outs . . .

 CLICK HERE

You don't want to make people start scrolling in order to see it.

8. Use a box at the top of a seminar or Webinar invitation. The top of the letter or e-mail is the perfect place for a box that tells the reader

What/When/Where/Why they should attend.

The take-away message this month?

If you want to boost direct mail response rates, sometimes it makes sense to think inside the box.

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Feel free to get in touch any time if you want me to write a money-making email, home page, landing page, letter, or anything else for you. Even an order form. My fees are affordable and  the results I get speak for themselves.   

Let's go to work!