I recently heard indigenous poet Samuel Wagan Watson remark: “I have plenty of flesh for my poem, but no bones”.

It’s an apt description that translates perfectly into successful writing for direct marketing of your business.

A strong promotional piece shapes the meaty information (the flesh) over a carefully constructed framework (the bones).

Without one or the other the piece has no chance. Too much flesh and it’s a vacuous bundle of fluff. Too much bone and it has no engagement value.

How do you balance flesh and bones in a direct mail communication?

Let’s start with the bones, the structure that holds it all together and gives it some spine:

• heading (to grab their attention)
• opening paragraph (to engage them by selling the benefits)
• sub-heads (to make it chewable)
• three to six detail paragraphs (to explain “why” and “what”)
• the offer (to extend your special proposition or bonus)
• the call to action (to give them something to do next)
• contact details (to provide a means for the call to action).

Like a real skeleton, the elements link together to give your brochure, email or letter its form and shape: the heading’s connected to the opener, the opener’s connected to the offer, the offer’s connected to the call to action … and so on.

Now for the flesh. This you add layer by layer, building up a persuasive narrative that plumps out the framework into a bigger picture for your target audience. It’s the most challenging part of business writing.

Try thinking along these layers:

The theme / concept

Get creative with an intriguing angle to hook in your audience and then hold them tight by distilling it right through the piece. In this article, I’m using “flesh and bones” as a metaphorical theme.

The differentiator

What makes your business, product, service or proposition different? Are you faster, cheaper, cheerier or swanker than the competition? Identify your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) and put down a defensive layer of this over your framework.

The benefits

What are the benefits? Money savings, time savings, improved efficiency, superior experience? A plump blanketing of benefits helps the reader rationalise their purchase decision and connect positively to your offering.

The voice

Decide whether to write in first person (“I” and “we”) or third person (“it” and “they”). First person is more friendly and accessible but you may prefer the more formal approach of third person voice. Flick through some of your competitors’ marketing materials to see what you prefer.

The tone

Who are you talking to? Do you want to be sharp and direct or softer and friendlier? This is the sensual layer that provides the “feel” for the piece. The tone should align to your overall brand expression, be persuasive, confident and distinctive. Again, check out a selection of written materials, find a tone you think is right for you … then copy it.

 Effective writing is about patience and perseverance so don’t expect to create a brilliant brochure overnight. Keep reminding yourself that the bones provide strength, while the flesh delivers substance, depth and personality … hopefully, you won’t create a Frankenstein!

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About the Author

Sheryl Allen is a Professional Copywriter with over 15 years of experience dealing with all types of businesses – from small start-ups to national brands. Helping enterprises articulate their strategies and transfer them into meaningful communications takes Sheryl from the boardroom to the marketing department to the customer and back again. Her special interest is in the strategies and practices that savvy businesses can use to do business better, to build strong, resilient teams and to create high-equity brands.