Multiple studies about the words that sell in social media and blogs got me to wondering if there is anything different about what works online versus what works in offline direct marketing. This is the topic in my blog Reinventing Direct at Target Marketing magazine. In it, I contrast 38 Marketing Words that Sell in Social Media with my experience as a direct marketer. If you’re relatively new to direct response, you might have some “aha” moments as your read the list. If you’re an experienced direct marketer, chances are you’ll see a lot of familiar words, phrases, and approaches. More at https://hennerberg.com/reinventing-direct-blog/marketing-words-that-sell.

1. Marketing Words
that
Sell
in
Social Media and Direct Marketing

2. Are words that generate
response from social media
and blogs different from words
that work in direct mail?

3. Or are digital marketers
finally figuring out the most
responsive words that direct
marketing copywriters have
known for generations?

4. Whether this is new
information to you, or
confirms what you already
knew, this presentation is
about…

5. Words
... and how response to
specific words in the online
space could strengthen your
offline marketing initiatives.

6. Which Won?
Two headlines tested in
Twitter, both leading to the
same blog post, and each
tweeted to the same audience
within an hour of each other.

7. Which do you think had
higher clicks
and
was considered a
“top tweet?”

8. A. How many hours should we
work everyday? The science of
mental strength.
versus
B. The origin of the 8 hour work
day and why we should rethink
it.

9. Survey Says!
“B”
It had double the number of
clicks!
Twitter Research Source: http://blog.bufferapp.com/ascientific-guide-to-writing-great-headlines-on-twitter-facebookand-your-blog

10. Surprised?
Probably not if you’re an
experience direct marketer.

11. Why?
A specific number was used in version “B”
8 hour work day
combined with a provocative statement
why we should rethink it.

12. Version “A” asked a question
Not the strongest way to write a
headline.
And used big words
“science of mental strength.”

13. MOST
Retweetable Words
Some of which, by the way, could be well
suited to be used in subject lines in emails.

14. Top 20 Retweetable Words
(Source: A scientific guide to writing great headlines on Twitter, Facebook, and your blog)
1. you
2. twitter
3. please
4. retweet
5. post
6. blog
7. social
8. free
9. media
10.help
11.please retweet
12.great
13.social media
14.10
15.follow
16.how to
17.top
18.blog post
19.check out
20.new blog post

15. Facebook Words
A
PICTURE
is worth
1,000
words

16. But not just any picture.
Pictures that result in better
click performance tell the
story within the picture.
In other words, the picture
must be self-explanatory,
more than just a graphic.

17. KISSmetrics says a photo with
a Facebook post gets:
53% more likes
104% more comments
84% more click-throughs

18. LESS
is MORE

19. Facebook posts with 80 characters
or less get 66% more engagement.
Facebook Research Source: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/more-likes-onfacebook/?wide=1

20. Next: Impact of post titles for
blog opens and shares.
Blog Research Source: http://www.startupmoon.com/the-dark-science-of-naming-your-postbased-on-studying-100-blogs/

21. Akin to a direct mail outer
envelope teaser or a letter
headline or an email subject
line.

22. Let There Be Blood Words

23. Words appearing in blog titles
that yielded high opens.
Kill
Fear
Dark
Bleeding
War
Fantasy
Dead

24. Negative words are more powerful for
shares than an ordinary words. Words like:

26. Words
More Likely to Go Viral!

27. Words
that suppress

28. Surprised?
These findings shouldn’t surprise an
experienced direct marketer or
direct mail copywriter.
Maybe the online word is finally
catching up to what we have tested
and proven for generations.

29. What works in the online space
can translate well into
improving response offline, too.
That’s a lesson to take to the
bank.”
~ Gary Hennerberg
http://hennerberg.com

30. Detailed Blog Posts Here:
http://www.targetmarketingm
ag.com/blog/38-marketingwords-that-sell-social-media
And at:
http://hennerberg.com/reinve
nting-direct-blog/marketingwords-that-sell

31. Credits & Sources:
Graphics: Phil McShan (pmcshan@gmail.com)
Twitter Research: http://blog.bufferapp.com/a-scientific-guide-to-writing-great-headlines-ontwitter-facebook-and-your-blog
And http://danzarrella.com/#
Facebook Research: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/more-likes-on-facebook/?wide=1
Blog Research: http://www.startupmoon.com/the-dark-science-of-naming-your-post-based-onstudying-100-blogs/