Brian Kurtz sent an interesting email today about list selection, with the following thought:
The question I wanted an answer to, in living color, although a black and white copy would do:
‘What was the promotion that got the name.’
I believe the logic behind this kind of list research applies to all media today even though most of the lists you use online don’t have data cards attached to them.
Lists are people too… and finding out as much about them — how they think, how they respond, how they read, what they read — are components you can find out before you ever send a promotion to them.
Like Brian says, this is still relevant today, as long as you’re selling anything to anybody.
Because the standard advice is to do a bunch of research on your customers or prospects. Who they are. What problems they have. What language they use.
Not bad. And certainly much better than just pulling your advertising out of your own head.
Better still is knowing what these people bought. (If they bought one copywriting course, there’s a good chance they will buy another.)
But what’s best is what Brian says. Find out “how they think, how they respond, how they read, what they read.” You get that from the type of advertising these people bought from — or didn’t buy from.
Some people respond to hype- and intrigue-filled direct response copy. Others respond to quick and brandy TV-style commercials. Others still might not respond to either, but will respond to independent recommendations, or stuff that they find through their own research.
Because lists are people too. And two people can have the same demographics… the same buying history… and yet still be very different, in the kinds of things that get them stirred to action.
James Hetfield (of Metallica) and George Clooney (of ER) are both late 50s white guys with millions of dollars in the bank. They are also both Tesla owners.
And yet, I imagine it might take a whole different appeal to move George than to move Papa Het — and vice versa. It’s something to be mindful of, if you run any kind of advertising, and if you don’t want to go bankrupt.