How much is the voice of an “expert” worth in your marketing?

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One of the critical decisions you need to make for your direct marketing promotion is who is the “voice” behind your direct mail piece, ad, video sales letter or landing page?

Many of my clients have been very successful using a voice of authority, like a medical doctor or a millionaire investment expert to sell their products.  Of course, you’ll likely have to compensate that “expert” unless he/she already works for your company.

Yet some of my clients have also been successful using the voice of the founder or president of a company—or no voice at all.

Much has to do with what you are selling and how much authority that “voice” has.

Here’s a recent example that shows a “voice” of authority can really help boost response.

For a promotion I wrote for Sun Chlorella’s remarkable pet whole food supplement, Reju-A-Wafers, we tested two covers.

Cover JM’s headline was: Why Some Pets Seem Almost Ageless, and featured testimonials from pet owners about their pets who looked and acted years younger than their real ages.  Benefits were highighted, but there was no voice of authority.

This was tested against Cover KD’s headline: Vet’s Prized Superfood Secrets Helps Support Your Pet’s Health, and it featured a photo of a leading Vet, William Farber, DVM and his dog.

In this mailing the voice of authority dramatically lifted response by over 50%.

The lesson?   

If possible, test a voice of authority vs. no voice and see if there is a difference.