Think of this as Magalog Marketing 101… what a magalog (slim jim, bookalog, issuelog) is, magalog samples, successful traits of magalogs, and much more.

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89v1PvvAPEk

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DnrgGHVbGs

Part 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq4YQVJI0S8

Part 4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve6LsgT7L7c

If you have questions or want to talk about how to put this powerful marketing format to use for your product or service, let’s talk. I offer a free project analysis to first discover whether a magalog is right for you. If so, we can get the ball rolling.

If a magalog isn’t right for you, we can discuss other options that will have the best impact.

That free phone chat is yours for the asking. Contact me so we can schedule a time to talk.

I also consult on magalog copy and layout if you’re planning to tackle a project like this in-house.

And feel free to contact me if you’d like this Magalog Marketing 101 webinar given to your group.

(For those reading this on the Kindle, please visit this blog directly to view the videos: http://www.magalogguy.com/blog)

But there’s an aspect to that project that I wanted to talk about today. And as someone who might need the services of a designer (or copywriter, for that matter) it’s important you be aware of this.

I’ve said in the past that projects that end with log can be more of an investment… magalog, issuelog, catalog, bookalog. These types of projects are typically more complex, especially from a design point of view. Naturally, that will cost more.

Having said that, a common rookie designer mistake (or, unfortunately, an intentional money grab by a more experienced designer) is to price a project based on what it’s called rather than the content.

This bookalog project I’m working on is a perfect example.

When the client contacted me and said he wanted a bookalog, I immediately thought of other bookalogs I’ve been involved with or seen. Many are quite complex.

However, in this case, the copy was very simple and the layout would be very simple. In fact, it wouldn’t be much different than a sales letter. It’s just that the size of the layout would be different. To top it off, there would be no graphics involved, and it was a single color.

So while the project is a bookalog, the layout work on my end is more like a sales letter. And based on that, the price I quoted the client was over 50% lower than the average price of a more complex bookalog. I priced the project more like my average sales letter work.

The point here is that the project price was based on the content and what needed to be done, not based on the format name.

If that seems obvious to you that it should be that way, I can assure you not all creative folks work like that.

Granted, it can be hard for you to know what a fair price is if you don’t have much experience working with designers or copywriters.

That’s why I always encourage you to talk directly with any designer or copywriter you might choose. Or ask business colleagues who they would recommend. In other words, do as much research as you can so you’re as confident as possible that you’re picking the right person.

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Need a designer to help boost sales and response?

Contact me for a free consultation to discuss your marketing projects

About Mike Klassen – The Magalog Guy

Why we should be working together

A bookalog is a variation of a magalog. As you might guess from the name, the bookalog is much like a small, paperback book.

As with magalogs, bookalog sizes vary, but 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches is pretty common.

For page count, it can be all over the map. The one I’m working on now is 32 pages. I’ve seen one that’s over 70 pages. (And like magalogs, bookalogs tend to be done in page increments of four… 24, 28, 32, 36, etc.)

The style can vary as well. Some are just as colorful as a traditional magalog. Others are just like a fiction or non-fiction book with no graphics and a single, black color for the text.

For the binding, bookalogs can be saddle-stitched (stapled in the spine) or perfect-bound which is the same as the paperback books you buy at the bookstore. The page count will help determine what type of binding you’ll need.

Like others formats in the magalog family, bookalogs have their place.

Because bookalogs tend to have more pages, they have a bit more weight which helps them stand out in the pile of mail you get each day. I’ve talked about this numerous times in relation to magalogs, but simply the fact that a bookalog looks different from the rest of your mail gives it an extra glance when other marketing mail in the pile is being ignored.

There can also be a perception of higher value with a bookalog because, generally speaking, we place a higher value on books. And, it’s not every day someone is marketing to you in the mail through a book. Again, it stands out.

Some people use the bookalog format for long copy that’s currently converting well for them online. Realizing that not everyone is online or will stumble across them online, they want to reach “offline” prospects as well.

If the copy has been working well as a traditional printed sales letter, they might try the bookalog format as a test. If the style is remaining basically the same as the sales letter, and we’re not adding lots of new graphics or colors, the bookalog can be a more affordable format to test compared to a traditional magalog, at least in terms of the design cost.

Health and financial topics have been the biggest focus of bookalogs. But just like magalogs are now being used in all sorts of new arenas, bookalogs may follow that trend.

One area where I think a bookalog could be a strong consideration is coaches/consultants/trainers who offer higher-end workshops or seminars.

The bookalog format could be a mini book filled with business- or success-building ideas, but with a strong sales component leading people to sign-up for those workshops or seminars.

A bookalog might also be used to provide multiple samples of books that a company markets.

Whether it’s a good option for you is something to think about. And that’s why I wanted to talk about bookalogs today… so you’d be aware of another option for your marketing.

As always, I’m happy to discuss your marketing projects with a free call. Feel free to contact me in which ever way suits you best.

Finally, if you’re new here, let me take a moment to explain why we should be working together on your next project.

At the end of the day, after walking the aisles and talking to people, I look at the collection of handouts I received – flyers, brochures, inexpensive trinkets – and find a lot of it lacking, or not much different than everything else I’ve dumped on the hotel bed.

I can partially understand why most material is the way it is. There’s a thought that you have to hit the high points fast before the prospect moves on to something else.

But if you’re at a trade show that is really targeted to what you do and your audience, I think there’s a better opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

So let me tell you why magalogs work in these situations.

1. A magalog stands out because it’s different than about 90-95% of the printed material you get at a show. You can test this for yourself with your own mailbox at home. If you subscribe to magazines, don’t they stand out from the other mail you get when you look in your mail box? They’re larger and thicker. For a trade show, that extra bulk stands out even if the physical height/width is the same as other flyers or sell sheets. Standing out in the pile is half the battle.
2. A magalog lets you tell your story better than you can with other marketing material. Brochures, flyers, and sell sheets have to take a more “bullet-point” approach and hit the highlights because there’s not room for much more once you toss in some photos. Having easy to read bullet-points is great, but you can include that in a magalog. That’s the best of both worlds… easy to read bullet points for those who want it, and a deeper story for those who want more.
3. A magalog continues the brief conversation you probably had with the prospect as they walked past your booth. Because of their nature, trade show conversations are often brief. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a business card to follow-up on after the show. But why not have your magalog do some extra sales work for you as well? By the time you get to that call, your prospect will have a much better feel for you and what you offer. And if the prospect doesn’t want to give you any contact info (that happens a lot), your magalog may have to carry even more of the sales load. Try putting that sort of pressure on your single-sided sell sheet. The other printed material simply throws some facts and figures at people. A magalog tells a story and makes a deeper connection, while still having plenty of room to include those facts and figures.
4. A magalog makes you stand taller than your competitors who aren’t using magalogs. I’ve mentioned this point a lot in the past and I believe it 100%. Magalogs take effort… effort that a lot of your competitors simply won’t do because they feel it’s too hard, too expensive, too… whatever. Perception counts for a lot. If you’re perceived to be the leader in your niche, you may get the call that your competitors won’t. Magalogs give the perception that you’re a successful and confident company. Any company can run off a bunch of homemade brochures and flyers. That’s not the case with a magalog.

Is a magalog perfect for every trade show? Not always. I’ve been to some consumer trade shows in the local mall and my general, gut feeling is that a lot of stars would need to line up before I’d use a magalog in that environment.

But industry or B2B trade shows? That’s a different story. The right trade show will likely have your ideal prospect. That being the case, you don’t want to let those opportunities go to waste. You want to put your best foot forward with those folks.

And let me mention another option for trade shows: Publish a book. (Or a bookalog, a variation of the magalog idea.)

I do book layout for some of my clients who have them professionally printed. But these days, you can do some small-scale self-publishing for an incredibly reasonable cost.

You’d only print the number of books you’d need. So you don’t have to worry about buying a huge number and then being stuck with a lot of extra copies.

Think how that would go over at a trade show when you’re handing out a book while most other vendors are handing out a tri-fold brochure and fridge magnet.

As for book content, you probably already have it. For my book, Increase Sales & Build Deeper Connections: How To Get Prospects To Pay Attention To The Story They Want And Need To Hear Before They Buy, the basis for part of the material was articles I wrote for my blog.

If you have a blog or great case studies, re-purpose that material for a book.

Again, it’s a matter of finding ways to stand out so you’re getting the first crack at prospects, not your competitors.

If you haven’t done so already, take advantage of the free magalog resources I offer. They’ll explain why magalogs can be so efficient as part of your lead-generation and sales process.

And if you have questions, contact me so we can setup a time to talk about where you’re at right now and how we can get you to where you want to be with your marketing material.

All of these tasks – and more – are time consuming. But the successful consultants have processes in place to automate as many tasks as possible. Lead generation is one such task.

Even the most in-demand consultants are constantly marketing themselves. Ideally, clients come to them already predisposed to make a long-term commitment. But often the consultant is going to have to get materials into prospects’ hands that will help make the case for making that commitment.

It’s a multi-step marketing process that plays out over months and even years. The question becomes… How best to convince a prospect that you’re “the one”?

The secret that other industries know that you may not

Recently, one of my clients (a health firm) completed a magalog after spending over a year working on it. Before I go any further with this story, let me assure you that “over a year” is an extreme exception and nowhere close to being the rule. But getting it right trumped getting it done fast. Copy rewrites, getting opinions from marketing experts outside the company, and even changes in company personnel created a process that took longer than expected.

So why all the effort?

Because they knew, if done properly, the magalog was going to provide a big payoff not only in immediate sales, but also with long-term relationships that would lead to more sales.

In other words, all the time and money that went into the magalog was going to give them a much higher return that would make it all worthwhile.

As I mentioned in my expanded magalog primer article, health and financial services/products generate a lot of skepticism. It’s not that people aren’t willing to buy if there’s value… they will! But they take their time to research and find out if the product or service is really beneficial for them.

Successfully meet the customer’s need in these industries and you’re likely to have a customer for a long time.

That’s why a maglaog (or slim jim, or issuelog, or bookalog) is so well-suited to these prospects.

The company has the space to build their case and provide the information that their customers or prospects demand. And in that process, the company also positions itself as an expert in its field.

Being viewed by prospects as an expert among your competition

Now, other industries are beginning to see the value in that benefit. One such industry is consulting.

For all the value and experience they offer, consultants are often viewed as a bit of a luxury. It’s not that clients wouldn’t love to hire one to help increase sales, it’s just not always given the priority it should, especially when times are tough. (Of course, that’s one of the most important times to hire a consultant.)

Then there’s the matter of finding the right consultant. Any one can throw up a basic sales letter website in a day and claim to be an “expert”. Try a Google search on “business consultant” or similar phrase. Not exactly an easy process for the person responsible for finding the best fit yet having no idea where to turn.

That’s where magalogs come in.

The fact that they’re used so widely in other industries should tell you something: When done properly, they generate qualified leads and increase sales.

If you’re a consultant, you know it can take some time to turn a prospect into a client. Part of that process is finding ways to communicate with the prospect on a regular basis. It can’t be a constant hard sell. That drives prospects away.

How to make your magalog work for you

Think about how you filter the marketing material you receive in the mail. If it looks like blatant advertising, it generally gets a lower priority. But something that stands out from the norm attracts attention.

A magazine-styled magalog with cover copy addressing your prospects core needs is going to get far more than a passing glance.

Here’s just a quick list of things you could include in your magalog:

• Advice that the prospect can put into action right now to increase sales.
• Little-known marketing techniques that can give the prospect an edge over his competition.
• Branding success stories and what your prospect can learn from them.
• Advice on hiring the right people and keeping them motivated.
• Tips to save time that actually work.
• Success stories from clients that your prospect can relate to.
• Q&A section addressing common questions about the value of consulting.

Each article helps to establish you as an expert in consulting while at the same time providing immediate benefits to the prospect. When the prospect feels you’re truly interested in helping them before they’re a client, you begin to break down the barriers that make them hesitant to hire you.

And when they do decide it’s time to write the check, who are they going to call? Chances are it’s not the consultant who believes “prospect value” is including a free recipe in their generic, template-based newsletter.

Chances are, you already have a lot of content via articles you’ve written or speeches you’ve given. Now, it’s simply a matter of taking that content and putting it into a format that few, if any, of your competitors are investing in.

A magazine-styled magalog spotlights you as an expert and adds to the perception that you’re one of the top people in your field in a way that a traditional sales letter, newsletter, postcard, or special report doesn’t. Those are all good marketing vehicles, but are they helping you stand out from other consultants who are doing the same thing?

Unlike some industries that mail their magalogs to a large mailing list, you can save money by only printing a small number of magalogs to send to your “A+” prospects and current clients. (We never want to forget providing extra value for existing clients who are an excellent source for referrals.) For prospects that may not be too serious on your radar, e-mail a PDF version if you choose.

Turning a cold-call into a warm-call… or having prospects call you

When you send useful information, clients respond in a positive way and are much more willing to want to know more. You’ve presented a positive image that helps you stand head and shoulders above the competition.

Better than you cold-calling, imagine your prospects calling you to discuss some of the ideas you presented in your magalog.

Even if you’re the one making the call, your magalog in their hands turns a cold-call into a warm-call and gives you a great starting point for a conversation.

Successful consultants know what they’re worth and charge appropriately. But to convince a prospect to write that check, you have to prove your value and find ways to separate yourself from your competitors. (Just like your prospects have to do with their customers.)

Because of their complexity and cost, magalogs aren’t done on a whim. But that’s one reason they increase your professional perception. It shows you’ve reached a certain level and should be taken seriously as an expert in your field.

As you consider ways to market yourself more effectively and show yourself as an expert among your peers, it might be wise to consider what the health and financial industries have already discovered: Magalogs work!

So it wasn’t any surprise to see about three pages of answers whittled down to six paragraphs in the published article. However, it occurred to me that some marketers new to magalogs would find this information useful. Since the interview was done via e-mail, it’s an easy task to copy/paste the magazine’s questions and my answers here on the magablog.

So, you’ve been warned… this will be lengthy. But if you’re new to magalogs, I really believe this will be helpful.

What is your definition of a magalog?

When I get that ‘definition’ question, it usually comes from marketers who have experience in other areas, but not with magalogs. They’ve already heard that it’s a combination of magazine and catalog, but for whatever reason, that doesn’t seem to create a clear picture for everyone. So, to keep things simple, I tend to describe it as a sales letter on steroids. Like many sales letters, a magalog will start with a big idea or promise headline, include graphics and charts, some sidebars and an order form to go along with the main body copy. But with the magalog, we’re usually creating something with a stronger visual appeal, much like you’d notice in a magazine or even a high-end newsletter.

Magalogs also remind me of theater actors who have to project and make bigger movements so people all the way in the back can see and hear. In this case, the magalog has to stand out from the other mail that people get and that’s why you often see bold headlines and large cover photos.

They do contain advertising, correct?

Primarily, yes. But it’s not always as direct as “Read this magalog about our product, then order the product when you’re done.” For one client, the thrust of their magalog was to get people to go to their site to take a quiz. Obviously, once the quiz is complete, their intent is to sell their products and services, or at the very least get contact information. But there wasn’t an order form at the back of the magalog where you could actually buy something.

I’ve also been contacted by individuals, primarily consultants, who feel that a magalog would give them a vehicle to contact their current and potential clients throughout the year without it coming across as a blatant ad. Again, the ultimate goal is to sell a product or service they offer, but they want to provide more than just sales copy…perhaps some inspirational articles or tips related to the industry they target. Their hope is that people won’t throw the magalog away as junk mail…they’re hoping the reader will find the articles useful and keep the magalog or pass it on to others so their name is visible throughout the year.

Is the term synonymous with bookalog?

Not completely in my mind, but we could debate the point where one becomes the other. Some would say it’s physical size, some would say it’s page count, some would say it’s the binding that’s used. (At a certain point, saddle-stitch might not work so you’d use perfect binding and thus slip into bookalog territory.)

Personally, I don’t spend much time on terminology. I try to listen to what the client is wanting and give it to them. Whatever they want to call it is fine with me.

Which industries are among the biggest users of magalogs?

Health (normally alternative health) and financial products like investing newsletters, by far, are the most popular topics for magalogs that I see. And for a couple of reasons this makes sense. First, those two areas have to deal with a lot of skepticism. So having a long-form magalog allows you the space to “build your case,” so-to-speak, and include all your supporting information…testimonials, charts, graphics, etc. And in the health field, large, full-color photos of healthy people enjoying the benefits of your product look better in a glossy magalog. (Of course, all sorts of paper types are used in magalogs…they’re not always glossy.)

Do you see use of magalogs growing?

I think I see it evolving and that will really determine whether it grows, stays the same for a while, or drops in popularity. One reason is the new postal rates where mailing a traditional magalog is more expensive. Generally speaking, a magalog isn’t cheap to produce to begin with when you factor in copywriting, design, printing and mailing. So with a rate hike, you really have to consider if it’s cost effective.

What I have seen in just the last couple of weeks is magalogs in smaller sizes, like 5.5 x 8.5, or full-size but folded in half to fit into a 6×9 envelope. That’s not a totally new idea, but I think you’ll see more of it if marketers find it’s less expensive, yet still generating a good response rate.

I do feel strongly, though, that there will always be a need for long-form marketing pieces like magalogs or bookalogs.  But it won’t be for marketers who casually jump from one marketing method to another. I think a lot of people jumped on the magalog bandwagon when they probably shouldn’t have.  Those people won’t find increased costs very attractive and will likely move on to something else.

Those who continue with magalogs or start using them will really need to feel confident not only in what they’re offering and the premiums they offer, but also in their mailing lists. With the costs involved, mailing to a weak list is probably going to lead to disappointment.

Earlier I mentioned consultants and I think that is a potential, albeit small, growth area for magalogs. The people I’ve talked to want to get away from a traditional brochure or sales letter and they don’t feel their target audience has the time or the desire to be visiting a website to get information.

They want something similar to a magazine that will be kept and handed around or left on a lounge-room table because there is useful information included, not just a list of their products or services.  But because these people are not always a large business with lots of money for marketing, they may only do a small print run of their magalog. The downside for them is that it will be a bit more difficult to track the effectiveness of their magalog because there might not be an “order now” offer that would tell them immediately if the magalog is a success.

What makes this an effective format compared to, say, a brochure or other type of printed promotional piece?

In the beginning, the magalog’s newness is what made it effective. All of us do a pretty good job of filtering out the noise in our lives, including the attempts to sell us something. So when something new comes along, it takes us a while to put up the barriers to ignore it. And to a certain extent, as we sift through our daily mail, a magazine-size magalog, or a thick bookalog, seems a bit more important than a regular envelope enticing us in some way to open it.

If a magalog is a self-mailer and looks just like a magazine with a great cover, a strong headline, or some interesting bullet points to pique interest, there’s really not much effort involved for the reader to thumb through it. At that point, any number of things could catch their eye and entice them to invest more time reading it, and, hopefully, placing an order.

While brochures and other printed pieces can be self-mailers, quite a lot of the “junk mail” we receive has to be opened because it’s in an envelope. If you’ve got a stack of mail and you see something in an envelope that appears to want to sell you something, it gets an even lower priority rating than the bills you get.

Also, a magalog is well-suited toward people who really want to be convinced to buy a product or service. We tend to think that all people hate all advertising, but that’s not true. 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 – to get information that might help me be healthier.  I want to see charts and graphs in full color and I want to see people who look healthy and are having a good time.  It doesn’t mean I’m a sucker for every marketing piece that comes my way, but because of my interest in the topic, I’m willing to invest the time to see if the product might be right for me. So a magalog typically allows a marketer far more space to build and support a case for a product or service compared to other methods.

What would be three to five general dos and/or don’ts to keep in mind when designing a magalog?

I’m not sure any one idea is more or less important than another because if you drop the ball on one of these points, it could bring the whole magalog down.

A quick summary would be:

DO talk with a printer early on in the process. Because of a magalog’s complexity compared to some other print pieces, it’s really important that the printer is part of the discussion (along with the designer and copywriter) right from the start.

DO spend lots of time on the order form. It needs to be as complete as possible so that if, for some reason, it gets separated from the rest of the magalog, the customer can still place the order and know exactly what they’re getting.

DO spend a lot of time on the front and back cover. Depending on how it arrives in their mailbox, either the front or the back cover is what the customer will see first. If you don’t grab them at that point, the inside of the magalog won’t get read.

DO highlight the word FREE anytime in your copy. Despite our inclination to be skeptical about such things, FREE still has power.

DON’T think that photos on your website are high enough quality for print. Traditionally, website photos are smaller and set at a lower resolution so they load quickly. That usually means they’re not going to be appropriate for print.

DON’T get overly fancy with fonts. Fonts are a whole world unto themselves, but more people have been sunk by using some fancy font that they thought would help them stand out or look clever, when all it did was make it hard for people to read the copy.

DON’T proof a magalog design on the screen. Print it out and look at it because that’s how your customers will see it.

Are magalogs typically big-budget items?

Relative to many other methods of print marketing, yes.  But with variables such as page size, page count, color usage, mailing costs…the price can be all over the map. And since magalogs usually have more content than other marketing methods, that would mean your copywriting and design costs will be higher. (That’s assuming you’re not doing that work in-house.)

Magalog marketers also like to make the offer enticing, so you’ll usually see a variety of premiums added which will also add to your costs to some degree. It might only be a downloadable bonus report, but someone still has to write, edit and lay it out.

I have been approached by some online marketers to design magalogs, but not for use in print…they want to try them as a PDF download. That cuts down on the printing and mailing costs. I’m not convinced that’s a great route to go, though. Online is more about instant gratification in a number of ways and I don’t think many people want to download a PDF when the same information can be presented in HTML or Flash.

Who would not be a good candidate for magalogs for business-building purposes?

In theory, if you have a solid product and the right mailing list, I’m not sure there’s anyone who wouldn’t be a good candidate for a magalog, but I think you’d want to ask a lot of questions up-front if you’re a first-timer including:

1. Why am I doing a magalog in the first place? I’ve run into people who want to do a magalog simply because they’ve heard it’s popular or someone they know had success with one. From initial idea to mailed piece, magalogs can take a relatively long time to produce and mail compared to a brochure or traditional sales letter, so it’s not something you do on a whim.

2. Do I have a list that I trust? I think so much rides on the mailing list. Because of the costs, you just can’t afford to send magalogs to any name you come up with, unless you have an unlimited budget. You’ve really got to feel you have a list of solid names and that you understand what motivates them to buy the product or service you’re selling.

3. Am I confident with our sales copy? Design is certainly important, but the copy needs to make people want to turn the page to keep reading.  Like a great action movie, you want to start with a bang right on the cover and keep the excitement and interest high on each page. By the time the reader gets to the order form, the case for buying needs to be air-tight and that takes a skilled writer to pull off.

4. Am I willing to test? Most successful marketers test like crazy, including their magalogs. This includes testing cover copy, the bonus offers, the size, certain design elements, and even the price of the main product. So it can take some time and money to find something that works.  Not everyone has that kind of patience or budget.

So a short answer to your question of who might not be a good candidate is someone who lacks patience. (Lacking money is kind of obvious.)  It takes time to get things set up for any type of print marketing, but magalogs, I believe, are at the higher end of the time scale. And if you’re committed to testing, multiply that time schedule by the number of different tests you plan to run.  That’s quite an investment.

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And now you know why the magazine had to edit out so much. But as mentioned, it’s useful information if you’re considering magalog marketing.

I’m not one to get too hung up on terminology. Part of my job is to listen to what you need, then we can put a label on it if we need to. (Steering someone away from a magalog, and it’s relatively large financial investment, is something I’ve done a few times. I’ll discuss that in a future article.)

As you’ve probably guessed, the word magalog is traditionally considered to be a cross between magazine and catalog. I say traditionally because the way words and names evolve over time, I have no doubt that someone has another origin for the word. But for now, magalog + catalog is good enough for us in the realm of direct marketing.

When I was interviewed for Print Professional Magazine, I gave my own definition that I thought direct marketers could relate to:

I tend to describe [a magalog] as a sales letter on steroids. Like many sales letters, a magalog will start with a ‘big idea’ or ‘promise’ headline, include graphics and charts, some sidebars and an order form to go along with the main body copy. But with the magalog, we’re usually creating something with a stronger visual appeal, much like you’d notice in a magazine or even a high-end newsletter.

Magalogs also remind me of theater actors who have to project and make bigger movements so people all the way in the back can see and hear. In this case, the magalog has to stand out from the other mail that people get and that’s why you often see bold headlines and large cover photos.

Of course, there’s no law that says we have to do things a fixed way. In fact, the magalog has a few variations including slim jims, issuelogs and bookalogs. (Again, something else I’ll be tackling in the future.)

But the “sales letter on steroids” phrase seems to click with most direct marketers I talk to who are learning about magalogs for the first time.

At that point, the sky’s the limit… or more accurately, the budget is the limit.

We want the magalog to be something appealing to read. Obviously there will be sales copy, but a great copywriter is going to find nuggets of information to sprinkle throughout the magalog… info that people might actually want to share with other people.

In my prior career in a radio newsroom, it’s what we’d call the “Hey, Martha” story. You’ve probably heard that phrase before. You can read a bit more about that in my free book, Increase Sales & Build Deeper Connections: How To Get Prospects To Pay Attention To The Story They Want And Need To Hear Before They Buy, on the MagalogGuy.com homepage.

Designers take all that and put it into something that’s going to stand out when the recipient gets his or her mail.

Magalogs can sell a single product or service, or many. Most I’ve dealt with have been a single product, with the copy focused on creating the desire and supporting the claims that are being made.

Magalogs have no set size or page count, although 8.5 x 11 is a common size and 12-16 pages is a common page count. Once you start significantly changing those variables, the discussion moves into things like slim jims and bookalogs. Yet another topic for another day.

For today, I just want to keep things as simple as possible and give you a fairly common definition of a magalog.

While I maintain http://mikeklassen.blogspot.com, I felt that if I was going to start a new blog for MagalogGuy.com, I’d bring the blog “in-house” and start working with WordPress.

The goal here is to focus on information relevant to magalogs, issuelogs, bookalogs and slim jims… although a lot of that information will apply to other types of design projects.

One big difference between this blog and my blog on Blogspot is that this one is focused on information for clients and potential clients. My Blogspot blog is focused on helping beginning direct market designers.

If you have any questions about magalogs, issuelogs, bookalogs or slim jims – or general questions related to the layout of your projects – please feel free to contact me. Unlike some creative types, I’m easy to get a hold of either by phone or direct e-mail.

You’ll find the contact info at the bottom of the main MagalogGuy.com site.

Thanks.

Mike Klassen – The MagalogGuy