Given today's economic conditions, direct marketers are painfully aware of the old saying, "You only get one chance to make a first impression." If their marketing material doesn't grab readers within the first few seconds, the opportunity to make a sale is often lost.To help magalog marketers in particular increase their odds of success, MagalogGuy.com is offering a free, downloadable guide titled, 10 Things You Should Know About Magalog Design.
As a direct market layout and design specialist, MagalogGuy.com owner Mike Klassen works with marketers to ensure that the layout of their material supports the copy to get the results they're after.
When it comes to magalogs, Klassen says marketers are under even more pressure than normal. "Between the writing, designing, printing, and mailing of magalogs, the expense can be enormous. But as magalog marketers know, the payoff can also be enormous when the magalog offers solutions their target market is looking for," says Klassen.
Magalogs -- often described as a cross between a magazine and catalog -- seem to go against the belief that people don't like to read. But as Klassen explained during an interview with Print Professional Magazine, "A magalog is well-suited [for] people who really want to be convinced to buy a product or service. If I'm interested in alternative health, for example, I'm willing to read a lot of copy -- far more than you could fit in a traditional brochure or other promotional piece."
The free guide focuses primarily on what the designer should be doing. But according to Klassen, "As the one ultimately responsible for what's mailed, the marketer must know what to look for during the development process in the layout of their magalog. That includes everything from the cover to the all-important layout of the order form. And there are some key points marketers should know before the layout of the magalog even begins."
Understanding these issues will benefit the marketer who is usually the one on the line when it comes to whether the magalog is considered a success or not.
10 Things You Should Know About Magalog Design is available now from http://www.magalogguy.com/.
