When it comes to marketing and advertising, copywriting is such an invaluable and essential skill. Unlike other forms of writing, copywriting is all about persuading the reader to take action and buy your offer.
While there are many types of sales content, the most profitable remains to be direct response copywriting.
If you're interested in this craft, then here's everything you need to know about being an effective direct response copywriter.
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This type of content is specifically made to elicit an immediate positive response from the client. Because copy makes on-the-spot sales possible, copywriting is considered to be a very lucrative niche.
Anything that makes the customer purchase on the spot is called direct response copy.
Here are some of the most common examples:
Direct response copy often takes long form. That's because it's important to provide in-depth information to help the reader decide. If you only have a few words for the product for a buyer who isn't familiar with it, then you're less likely to convince him or her to purchase it.
The benefit of long-form copy is no mere claim as it has proven itself time and time again.
Neil Patel, one of the top digital marketing entrepreneurs of this generation, once ran a split test of two forms of content (1,292 words vs. 488 words). Unsurprisingly, his long-form content generated 7.6% better conversions than the shorter one.
The same result was seen in a Crazy Egg study—the long-form copy was a whopping 30% more successful than the short form page.
This goes to prove what the legendary ad maker David Ogilvy had once said: "The more you tell, the more you sell."
With the help of much (but not excessive) information, the buyer feels that he is making an informed decision. More often than not, this leads to an immediate positive response and the customer buys the product or service, which is the usual endpoint of direct response copywriting.
Think of the big billboards in Times Square or the ads you've already memorized because you see them all the time. These all belong to powerful brands, the businesses that dominate their respective industries.
And while it can be tempting to dream about advertising in Hyde Park, spending a boatload of money on a billboard or a 15-second commercial isn't going to deliver the kind of success you're after.
If anything, as a faceless startup or small business you'll just lose money. A better way to market your business is using direct marketing.
Direct marketing works for small and mid-size businesses because:
Unlike the previous example that appeals to a wide range of people, direct marketing aims to promote a product or service directly to your target audience—who will likely buy or build a relationship with your business.
This lucrative field is made possible by David Ogilvy, who is largely considered the father of advertising. He is the brains behind timeless ad pieces, including Hathaway, Rolls Royce, Dove, and Shell, to name a few.
For Ogilvy, a direct response copy is more than just talking to the customers. It's all about appealing to them on a personal level.
As the late ad master once said: "Tell the truth but make the truth fascinating. You know you can't bore people into buying your product. You can only interest them in buying it."
If you want to be successful in the field of direct response copywriting, then you need to do the following:
The first thing a direct response copywriter should do is master the target market.
You can do this by researching everything you need to know about your target audience, product or service, and even your competitors.
It would be best if you also studied the company's value proposition—the reason customers should do business with them. While talking to marketing directors and product designers is not mandatory, it can help you with your research.
Although the client has given you a wealth of information, you should not settle for this as a copywriter. You need to do as much in-depth research as you can.
That means scouring the web for white papers (authoritative report or guide), case studies, and market reports, among many other documents. That way, you get to know more about other things: consumer behaviors, industry trends, and the company's competitors.
As a copywriter, studying the buyer persona is incredibly important.
You need to analyze the demographics, as well as their questions, pain points, and objections. You can do this easily by sending surveys or participating in forums (learn how to infiltrate your industry now). You can also navigate the company's social media pages and read through most of their product reviews.
By knowing the buyers on an almost personal level, you can create a customer avatar and come up with more relatable content for them. Understanding their problems will help you write copy that stirs emotions—the very element you need to make sales.
Apart from studying the buyer persona, you must do an in-depth study of the product as well. You should scrutinize the item's features, benefits, and price points to address the clients' pain points.
Ogilvy once said that headline creation comprises 80% of the copywriter's work. This is 100% true, as most people don't read beyond the headline.
And, if you don't manage to captivate their attention from the get-go, there's a possibility that they won't spend time looking into the smaller details.
While writing such is a trial-and-error process, several pointers can help you nail the perfect direct response copywriting headline:
In the world of direct response copywriting, you should address the reader directly. It's all about the client, and you could make this so by using the word "you."
Apart from using a second-person voice, it's also essential to make your content easily understandable. Keep it simple, but also find the right balance. You don't want to end up writing copy for a grade-schooler if you’re addressing a group of executives.
Here are some tips that can help you create well-balanced copy:
Check out these Top tips for writing with influence.
A CTA is what its name suggests – it calls the reader to act upon your ad. It tells your customer what they should do next.
If you want a client to act right away, then your copy should end with a bang. That means you should have a CTA that’s persuasive, actionable, and concrete.
For example, while writing “Submit” is fine, it's not as convincing as it should be. In this case, it's a must to use more powerful text. For example, CTAs with phrases like, "Give me a discount" or "Get me free access," are more likely to elicit an immediate, positive response from the reader.
A good direct response copywriter knows that each copy entails hours of editing and revising until it's almost perfect.
While capturing the gist with the first draft is the ultimate goal, it's not always the case. It requires hours and hours of writing, editing, and revising until you come up with a direct response masterpiece!
If you wish to ease the pain of editing, know that a readability checker tool is your friend. This can help you check the grade level and readability of your direct response copy. The higher the score, the better.
Remember, you want something that consumers will find easy to understand, even if the product you are presenting is fairly complicated.
Editing and revising are just the tip of the iceberg, though, as you need to submit your draft to the client for further scrutiny. This brings you to another round of edits and revisions until it's flawless.
Before you publish the copy you've worked so hard for, there's another thing you need to do: testing.
Claude Hopkins, another renowned personality in the world of direct response copy, is a firm believer in testing. He said, "Tests are important and help us to understand our customers. Good selling is based on good testing."
Testing is an opportunity to iron out the smallest wrinkles of your copy. With this, you can publish the best direct response ad that works for your readers.
Think you can do the seven vital things stated above? It's a good start! However, it takes more than just the basics to succeed in direct response copywriting.
If you want to prevail and make the big bucks, you need to do the following:
In copywriting, as with all other things, practice makes perfect. You can't be a David Ogilvy overnight without burning the midnight oil and polishing your craft.
That said, you need to read as many direct response copywriting books as possible. These include books such as Confessions of an Advertising Man, The Adweek Copywriting Handbook, Breakthrough Advertising, Scientific Advertising, and The Boron Letters.
With these, you can learn more than just writing strategies. These books can give you a good understanding of the psychology behind marketing as well.
You should also read and study as many copy samples as possible. The most diligent copywriters usually keep a swipe file of the best copy pieces they've encountered and explore their techniques.
In fact, many copywriters even recommend hand-copying these pieces to really immerse themselves into the text and get into the mindset of being a direct response copywriter. Then, they create their own versions of these pieces of copy.
Do you feel like you've already improved your direct response copywriting skills by reading books and copy? Then it's time for you to create your personal compendium.
Collate all the content you have written during your free time in your Google Drive or Cloud account. If you have a website, you can post sales copy samples there too.
If you don't have much to show for, then it's time for you to do as much as you can, as often as you can. For starters, you can create a landing page, write a blog, or sales letter for a fictional company.
Think of it as on-the-job training for when you do the real thing.
Now that you have a portfolio, you can finally put your direct response copywriting skills to the test.
You can try and pitch your services to freelance job boards. If you want to join the big leagues, you could directly promote your copywriting prowess to publishers.
So how do you find these big-shot publishers? You can try searching Google for industry advertisers. Once you have a list, send an email of your personalized pitch.
When doing so, you don't need to create a complicated letter. In most cases, the simpler, the better.
Just tell the advertiser that you like their promotions and that you can assist them with your skills. Of course, remember to include a link to the direct response copywriting portfolio you have just completed.
Direct response copywriting is a must for every company. Its ability to evoke an immediate positive response can help convince readers to take a specific action—it could be to opt into your mailing list, visit your website or call your landline and request a consultation.
Whether you're a seasoned copywriter or an aspiring scribe, following the tips above can help you excel in the field of direct response marketing.
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