From: Direct Response - Digest of Direct Marketing
Publisher’s Corner

Make infomercials
work for you

Direct Response television is one of the most effective, cost-efficient ways to reach a large number of prospects, convince them of the value and benefits of your product or service and convert them into buyers. Knowing why, when and how to produce infomercials has brought million-dollar success stories to businesses as diverse as Tony Robbins’ self improvement tapes and 1-800-FLOWERS.

Why use infomercials?

There are many ways an infomercial can help generate success for your business. Here are a few:

Increase sales: Infomercials sell products directly to consumers, primarily to those who are 25–49 years of age with salaries less than $50,000 per year.

Generate leads: Infomercials can be used to generate prospects. Send out brochures, videos or product samples, etc., that will generate direct sales or bring the prospect into their nearest retailer.

Relationship marketing: Once you have generated your leads and built a database, begin building a relationship with your prospects. For instance, send your prospects an unsolicited sample of your product to encourage a purchase.

Community program: Once a consumer’s business is captured with an initial sale, subscription or club membership, keep your customers buying every month or quarter through installments in a series or catalog sales.

Brand awareness: Infomercials can function in the same way traditional
advertisements do, by helping to create brand identity and help develop brands.

How to make successful infomercials

To give you as complete an overview as possible of what it takes to make a successful infomercial, let me walk you through the elements, one by one:

The product: The products that work best in infomercials are those that can be easily demonstrated. For example, cosmetics sell well through infomercials because the viewer can see them being applied, and can compare the heightened level of attractiveness in the person wearing the cosmetics.

The purpose: Research indicates that the primary reason many prospects do not buy is because they do not have enough information to make an “educated” buying decision.

Infomercials give prospects enough information to educate them about products and services. Tests have proven that, when there is a substantial amount of information to be given, 30-minute infomercials work best.

The presentation: To be effective, your infomercial must capture the attention of the viewer, give them valuable information, whet their appetite for your product or service, and overcome their objections by vividly demonstrating the value and benefits of your product. Don’t forget to:

• Motivate the viewer to buy IMMEDIATELY.

• Present information in an engaging, easy-to-grasp mix of hard facts, expert advice, verification, personal appeal and the testimonials of satisfied customers. These elements should be combined through the visual impact of television to make your product or service seem irresistible.

• Position yourself without being overtly commercial. You can use a professional “spokesperson” or celebrity host to guide viewers through your program, interview independent experts and key company personnel, interact with satisfied customers and provide transitions between scenes.

• Repeat important claims about your product or service. Appropriate visual
reinforcement should include the use of eye-catching graphics, video effects, stock
documentary footage, still photos and dramatic re-creations.

• Use the right music and sound effects to further enhance key moments in the program and increase product value.

• Design the entire infomercial to “sell” your product or service.

• Present your specific offer through several 3–5 minute hard-hitting, clearly executed commercials, strategically placed between segments.

• Include important ordering information and your 800 number on the screen
throughout the commercial segments and at other appropriate times throughout the
program.

• Stress credit card orders. Research shows that over 90% of all infomercial sales are phone-in credit card orders.

• Include an address. The remaining 10% are mail-in orders.

• Make your price attractive. The prices of products sold on infomercials are as varied as the products themselves. However, most are in the $19.95 to $295 range. Many marketers have found their best results come when offering installments, such as four monthly installments at $37 each. Last, but not least important, just like in direct response mail, be sure to include a warm summary, a call to action and a close.

Infomercial costs

Estimating production costs up front is difficult because the prices will depend on the specific elements included in your program. These elements will be determined during the creative phase of your project.

After you have a “treatment” (a blueprint of your program) and a preliminary script, a production budget can be developed. This budget should be completed and approved by you before production begins. Typical costs for scripting and producing a 30-minute infomercial can range anywhere from $100,000–$750,000. This price still gives you an excellent direct response program that includes most, if not all, of the elements outlined above.

Special set construction or production travel may also result in additional charges, as may celebrity talent.

Is television right for you?

Many of today’s most impressive business success stories include television because it is probably the best way to deliver product demonstrations with an emotional impact, get reaction from viewers via an 800 number and instantly gauge response.

I’ll be glad to talk to you about these powerful marketing tools. One of them could provide you with the marketing breakthrough you’ve been looking for. Please call me at (310) 212-5727 or e-mail me at craig@cdmginc.com.