Marketing, whether online or offline, is personal.

What I mean is, it should feel personal to those we are marketing to.

If you've followed me for any length of time, you know that I am a proponent of direct response marketing. Please don't waste your money or your time on so-called “imaging advertising” or “brand building”. Image and brand are valuable, but should be a function of your direct response marketing.

Now, on to this business of marketing being personal.

For marketing to be as effective as possible, you should make sure that you're writing and speaking to a single person. Never use language like “you people out there” or any language that would imply you're speaking to a large group.

You want every person who receives your marketing (whether it be a sales letter, an e-mail, or even a radio ad) to feel as though you are speaking directly to them and only them.

The more you can make the marketing material feel direct and personalized, the more effective it will be.

Question for you: How do you make your marketing more personal?