Marketing professionals advised to "offer an incentive"

Marketing campaigns should offer potential customers something irresistible, it has been claimed.

David Thorp, a representative from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), believes that the deployment of a variety of different techniques will enable businesses to better engage with their intended market.

Among the recommended techniques is the suggestion that marketing professionals develop copywriting skills, to take advantage of the small window of opportunity that exists for grabbing someone's attention.

"Make your copy as good as it can possibly be; study good copywriting techniques before you design a communication," said Mr Thorp.

"You only have a few seconds to grab the reader's attention before they bin the letter or delete the email."

However, above all else, Mr Thorp recommends that specialists in marketing do what they can to think like their customers.

CIM is a multinational organisation, with approximately 50,000 members.