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Direct Response Copywriting SU

I'm guessing you're here, because you've made a discovery... you need assistance. This copywriting thing is a bit too much, right? You're thinking... It must so much easier to just go and hire some freelancer to do my copy for me, right? Wrong! See... There are a few pitfalls about this idea that you need to know of. Be sure you're not making any of these classical mistakes when deciding to hire a copywriter (it'll save you years of heartache, trust me):

1) Thinking that any copywriter that Direct Response Copywriter  looks good, must be good... (boy are you in for disappointment)

The truth is, many copywriters have become experts at just one type of copy, and that's selling themselves... In fact, you'll find some of the best copywriters out there, either don't try to sell you, or they don't care if you hire them. If you notice compelled to hire some copywriter based on his promises, stop, and think again... does he have great testimonials and references?

Does he seem eager to be hired or... picky. You actually want the later. A copywriter that will take any job, is a copywriter that doesn't care about your success. The best copywriters only take on jobs they know they can excel at, and you will actually need time to find them.

2) Thinking you need to go for the copywriter who fits your budget? Best way to lose a ton of money!

This is a common mathematical mistake. You shouldn't calculate how much you can afford to pay one based on how much you earn. See what copywriter you can hire based on the profits they can bring you. If he promises doubling your profits, then this is your new budget. If you can get your investment back in 3-4 months, you're golden. Better to give up 3 months of earnings, and then earn double for the rest of your life... then to give up just a "realistic" sum, and increase profits only slightly.

3) Forgetting that services include guarantees too!

See, just because a copywriter is someone you work with, it doesn't mean he can't offer a 100% money-back guarantee. In fact... most don't, because they know most people don't ask for it. You however should ask for nothing less! If the copywriter can deliver, he has a proudly-proclaimed 100% guarantee on results.

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Direct Response Copywriter

The responsibility of being a Sales copywriter is pretty intense. The words you put together and the way your copy "flows" can define if a product sells or not. Having this burden on your shoulders (or on your fingers, in this case) can be very stressful. However, if you know what you are doing the profits will be big not only for the company but also for the copywriter - you!

The saying goes: "It's not what you say, but how you say it." A convincing and well-written message can really influence the way your business fares. An effective sales copywriter will Direct Response Copywriter  put your company or website on a whole different level with their clear and concise copy. Your audience will not only become familiar with your product, company or services, they will also begin to trust in what you are saying. This eventually leads to an increase in revenue for both the owner and the sales copywriter (if they are two different people).

Compelling sales copywriting will attract new customers with an appealing and interesting message. They will be drawn into the site and will stay on it longer to learn more about the product or service. This in turn, will increase their chances of buying what the site is offering, which generates revenue. Sales copywriters are also responsible for maintaining the current viewer and customer base by creating copy that is credible and original, thus making readers come back for more and refer others to the site. This is also a potential sales increase.

For these reasons and more, it is very important to learn to be a Sales Copywriter. Be it for your own business or to work as a copywriter for others, this skill is growing more popular (and necessary) every day. If you have a business of your own or are looking to promote yourself as an expert in any given field, sales copywriting will allow you to best communicate what you have to offer without sounding like a bad radio commercial.

You are the true authority on the topic of your own company and know best how to explain why others would benefit from your services. With, sales copywriting, you can easily persuade potential clients by showing them the advantages and benefits of your product or business. You will be able to reel them in by showcasing the product or company's features and illustrating its usefulness to the customer.

If you are a freelancing sales copywriter, you must perfect your copywriting skills and be able to tailor them to your buyer's needs. A successful copywriter is one that is in tune with the target audience and can communicate with them in their own language. In other words, the experienced sales copywriter has learned to read the public and will get to know the product or company so as to portray it as the best option on the market in its particular field.

Learning to write sales copy is an investment worth making be it for your own business or to work as a sales copywriter for other companies. With the skills of an effective copywriter your business or product will be more profitable to all that are involved. The profits are worth the responsibility if you master the art of sales copywriting and turn a small business into a money-making one.

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Direct Response Copywriting

While it is true that people buy for emotional reasons and justify their decision with logical reasons. They also read ads to satisfy their curiosity. Especially when you pique their interest with a new and engaging idea.

The idea that Dove has one quarter moisturising cream so it won't dry your skin out like soap can is actually a really intriguing idea.

To anyone who is looking for an alternative to traditional soap this idea of lather themselves in moisturising Direct Response Copywriter  cream is very emotionally appealing. But the part I want to stay focused on right now us actually the idea.

The idea that the alternative is better than soap. It implies a better way - it will get someone curious enough to read the ad. Think back to the really early Ogilvy and Mather ads for Dove to understand what I am talking about. They were written by Ogilvy when he was at his most productive and did some of his best copywriting.

I have deliberately used a really simple example here. If you look at a lot of financial newsletter/ trading programs they all exploit the concept of a big idea brilliantly.

Many times it is a variation on the theme of "I have cracked a financial market" Such as the share market, commodities market or options market. They elaborate with "I know an exact system that brings order to an otherwise random and baffling thing" - the share market.

To anyone who is an active investor the idea that there is order to the financial markets is very appealing. They want to know more. They want to understand how somebody found a way to create this perfect system.

In this case there is added emotional appeal to the idea. The exact system implies that you can predict the stock market and therefore you'll have an inside track to making big profits. The big benefit is implied.

If you combine a big idea with a strong emotional appeal in your copy, the opening of your copy will be much more compelling. As a result your response will be much higher than if you have only a strong emotional appeal in your opening paragraphs.

Many copywriters treat their readers as one dimensional. A ball of emotion, driven by either fear or greed. Only the most cynical of us think of the 'real' people in our lives this way. When you write copy you are dealing with the same real people you are trying to build a relationship with. So treat them as real people and they'll reward you with more sales and better patronage.

The first thing you can do to more deeply engage your reader is to create a use a really compelling idea. An idea that will get your reader to stop and take notice of your promotion. Then introduce other related ideas through out the body copy.

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Direct Response Copywriter

David Ogilvy said in Ogilvy on Advertising that "80% of an ad's success or failure was determined by the headline." John Caples had a similar saying. "If the headline doesn't induce readership then the body copy might as well be written in Greek."

Headline writing is both an art and a science. So the advice you give novices or amateur copywriters is different from Direct Response Copywriter  how 'the pros' operate. That said novice and pro alike can benefit from spotting these common blunders in headlines and eliminating them from their own marketing copy.

Mistake 1: Obviously Rehashing Classic Headlines Look, there is nothing wrong with borrowing an idea, but modelling your headline on Caples' "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano..." is rite of passage. It is not a way to get great response. Gary Bencivenga commented that he would never use any of Vic Schwab's 100 Good Headlines from "How to Write a Good Advertisement" these days.

If you are going to swipe that blatantly, swipe ideas from current controls - markets evolve so use what is working now. Stay away from the internet. Free publishing has its downsides. So look at marketing that been backed hard money in the form of media.

Mistake 2: Not Being Relevant to your target market.You are reading this article (I hope) because you want to know how to improve your headlines. Now I could have used an unrelated headline, such as "Sex! Now that I have your attention..." and segued into my headline article. True more people are interested in sex than writing better headlines, but I am not interested in people looking for sex I want a smaller more relevant audience who are interested in improving the response rate of their ads.

Generally it is best to keep your headline relevant so that people who are interested in what your ad is about can find it and read it.

Mistake 3: Not listening to your market. Test and measure. If you aren't testing then you are in trouble. Testing means that you are also measuring. If you are measuring response you have a fighting chance to uncover what your market really wants. Sound reasonable?

Good copywriters have an intuitive knack for knowing what will and won't work in their specialised markets. How did they get that way? They saw the results of many, many tests and can guess from there. By the way it is not their job to guess which test strip will work better. That is why there is testing and you are doing it - so that we aren't guessing we are testing and keeping what works best.

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Direct Response Copywriting

I spend a lot of time dredging through other business's marketing and copy. It is called research. It means I see my fair share of bad marketing and copywriting.

It also means that I see quite a bit of opportunity.

What is a bump in your response rate of 25% worth to your business? Most marketers would think that a small bump in response rates would be manna from heaven. It is like free money for not working any harder than they are now. It is just 'free extra profits,' isn't it?

I reckon I could improve the response rates of a lot of sales letters pretty quickly if the client is able to test and is getting a steady supply of traffic to the sales page.

25% more profits for 27 minutes of thought is a pretty good deal, isn't it?

Here is how I would look to do improve a sales letter in less than 27 minutes.

1) Can we change the order of the sales letter so that the best most compelling benefits are at the start?

Many sales letters suffer from hidden lead syndrome. The most compelling part of the sales letter is buried under a whole lot on uninteresting, un-compelling copy and if that was removed then the response rate would increase. Yes, this happens far more than you might think. The 'real' sales letter starts on page 3.

2) Segmentation.

Is there a way that we can segment and customise the list so that we can get a better message to market match, in order to improve the response rates so that each segment reads your copy and says this is exactly what I am looking for?

One of the great advantages of direct mail, regardless of offline or online is your ability to customise it - take advantage of it.

3) How can it increase readership?

It is no secret that most people don't read what you send them. So the first battle is in increasing readership - which Direct Response Copywriter  generally translates into how do I write a better headline? Or other attention grabbing devices. I'm not about to delve into a headline writing clinic, but it does determine up to 80% of the success of your promotion. So if you are going to invest time getting a better response your best leverage comes from creating a better headline.

4) What is missing from the current sales letter?

If the sales letter is light on for testimonials, then it is time to get more testimonials to include. They are easy enough to get if the product you are selling is any good. The story of the product might be under exploited. If a missing element of copy is added, it might prove to be the proverbial missing link to sky-rocketing your sales.

5) Everyone loves a better offer.

After the headline, the next most important element to the success of a sales letter is the offer. Can you find better ways to present the offer? Is it yes/no or is it A/B or A/B/C? How are you rationalising price? What premiums are you offering? How are they positioned? All of these and more can affect how compelling your offer is.

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Direct Response Copywriting 8

I first started studying copywriting back in the early 2000s. Interestingly I didn't know I was studying copywriting at the time. Through some turns in the "Rich Dad Poor Dad" world I ended up in the hands of Gary Halbert.

Or "Sir Gary Of Halbert" as he fondly referred to himself. "King Alpha S&*t Weasel "also got used from time to time.

Since then I have been regaled Direct Response Copywriter  with all sorts of truly incredible Halbert stories from those who knew him personally. Like his response to having his Coat of Arms Business torn to shreds on Carson. Gary's Response:-

"There is no such thing as bad publicity. This is going to get us some orders."

To his behaviour at the now infamous $7,000 a seat 'Florida Keys Seminars.'

Gary taught me some truly invaluable things about marketing, about life and about copywriting. In fact the first thing I ever read on his website TheGaryHalbertLetter.com was a quote about "A Course In Miracles."

After browsing through the site I found no end of really useful ideas.

And when I finally found I out I was writing copy and that this was something that could be done for money. (Yep I am a slow learner on occasions... ) Pretty much the first thing I did in order to get my chops up was to go through Gary Halbert's "Hands On Experience" Letter.

Right there for free you can get a better training in copywriting and marketing, than you are going to get forking over top dollars for courses. (Almost all of which are rubbish and not worth the time. That said there are some good ones out there but they don't stack up to a couple hundred bucks spent at Amazon.)

When he was alive, Gary would charge people $27,000 to be turned into a copywriter. His program was outlined right there in that letter.

Problem is, that when you don't have to pay $27,000 you don't respect the value of the information. That is the trap the most people fall into. The education I got by being willing to follow the free advice in that one letter has paid handsome dividends over the last 5 years.

Gary was the first person who got me to invest in myself in a truly valuable way. Because of Gary I set down the path of mastering of art of copywriting which has lead to an ever expanding path outwards to other ideas.

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Direct Response Copywriter

One of the lifeblood of direct sales and direct response marketing is the ever reliable guarantee. Without one I don't know what could be sold via the mail, internet, infomercial, in-home or even door-to-door.

Why should a buyer have to shoulder the risk? You make a good product, it will do what you say it does and odds are if it's defective in any way shape or form you'd fix it or give them a new one.

So how can you improve your guarantee to boost response rates and rake in the profits?

Guarantee Tip #1: Use the guarantee to take away your prospect's deepest darkest fears. If you watch an infomercial for any weight-loss product these days, you are usually seeing them guaranteeing a very specific result within a certain time frame. E.g. "If you don't lose 5K.G. in 5 weeks following our 'system' then return your purchase for a Direct Response Copywriter  full refund. And the bonuses are yours to keep."

If we are totally honest, our deepest fear when trying to lose weight is that if we buy a product that it won't actually help us lose weight. So tying a specific outcome to the guarantee is a great way to boost response.

Guarantee Tip #2: Use multiple guarantees. You can guarantee many things aside from the product's performance. For example, services business will guarantee showing up on time, being courteous etc. My own business Newsletter Marketing Systems uses a five point guarantee about both performance in terms of results and also quality of deliverables.

Using multiple guarantees is a great way to 'create value through quantity,' simply by having a multi-point guarantee you are miles ahead of the competition.

Guarantee Tip #3: Use your guarantee as a way to sell harder. Joe Sugarman had a motto, "if you aren't refunding 10% of your purchases then you aren't selling hard enough." While the 10% might be made up, or his rule of thumb Sir Joe does have a point. If you are offering a guarantee and nobody is taking you up on it then your product is exceeding expectations.

So Sell Harder Dammit.

You have an opportunity to increase response rates and grow the number of satisfied customers. I know it's counter-intuitive but many things in life are.

More purchases makes for a fantastic cascade of growth in your business. You can do more marketing; you can have more customers to sell other products and services to. It's a fantastic opportunity for growth.

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Direct Response Copywriter

Time is of the essence and the time it takes us to put together a great sales letter is equally scarce. However, we can more than offset a little extra time with a whole lot of extra response. Here are 5 ways I use to quickly boost a sales letters response.

Tip 1: Write lots of headlines.

Headlines are  Direct Response Copywriter the most important factor in the success of a piece of copy. So write lots of them giving yourself more chances to write a winner. An extra hour of headline writing is often rewarded with an a few good headlines (from a long list of headlines) and the additional conversions will be a godsend.

Tip 2: Get More Views of The Sales Letter

If you are even a reasonable copywriter with a working sales letter, just getting more views of the letter will be beneficial. It might be as simple as writing half a dozen extra auto responder emails, or adding additional mailing steps.

Tip 3: Additional research to uncover new benefits

If you can find a new benefit or a new problem your product solves to feature in your sales letter. Then you can test that against the control and see if you can boost response. I've taken boring vanilla B2B staple products and turned them into a way for the customer to increase profits and productivity. Everyone else was saying "We got 'X,' do you want to buy it for 'Y'?"

Tip 4: Change Media

Let's step back a second. Copywriting is the art of crafting a compelling message. If you have working letter copy it can be tweaked as a webinar, as an interview, as a video. Instead of a sales letter try a video sales letter. Instead of mailing it, try recording a CD and sending that. Try filling a room with live prospects and delivering the copy as a speech... Media affects response rates.

Tip 5: Change The Offer

What you offer and how you offer it affect response greatly. One of the most important tasks that needs to be completed during research is the 'Deal Sheet.' See how many ways you can come up with to present the offer and the premiums to make them as compelling as possible.

You can try using these alternative presentations to see what works.

Or if you have the power, you can change the offer completely. You can test price or change the premiums. Add a choice of premiums. All of these will boost your letter's conversion rate.

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Direct Response Copywriter

Direct Marketing success has more to do with eliminating unlikely buyers than it does with selling more units.

There is a joke amongst copywriters who write direct mail for big time mailers like Rodale, Healthy Directions, Direct Response Copywriter  Boardroom Reports and Agora's numerous divisions - "If the promotion bombs blame the list guy."

It is never the copywriter's fault.

Arrogant bunch aren't we?

But the grain of truth in the joke is really important - if you want marketing success, you need a market that is responsive and the easiest way to do that is to choose a market that you know others are already having success with.

The next most important step is to eliminate non buyers. Recently Google released some interesting data about its Adwords accounts - less than half of all Adowrds accounts use negative keywords.

Negative keywords are how you eliminate non buyers on Google. Recently I was looking to buy a pool cue. The search results yielded four or five ads for swimming pool chemicals. Do you reckon the pool chemical sellers should have had 'cue' as a negative keyword? Probably - I mean anybody looking for a pool cue is not about to order chlorine from them.

Right?

Let's say you are getting a 1% response rate with your sales letter. There are two ways you can get to a 2% response rate. You can keep mailing to the same list and double the selling power of your copy which if you are patient enough, I'm sure you can achieve with testing.

However, you can look for a way to cut out the non buyers from your marketing universe too.

In the seminar industry it is known that - (I don't know why it just is) most of the attendees live in the suburbs especially the 'outer suburbs.' The sloppy operators will still market to the unlikely prospects usually at a net loss. While the smart ones cut the non responsive piece of the market out and market to the high probability market.

As a rule of thumb, it is far easier to eliminate non-buyers than it is to get more people to buy.

As simple as it sounds - marketing to the right people is the foundation to marketing success. There is almost no way to compensate for selling to the wrong market, if they aren't interested in, have a problem you solve, have the means to pay for and the authority to buy from you .

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Direct Response Copywriting

In 1986 there were exactly six persistence hunters alive and hunting on the planet. A bunch of US researchers in various fields had postulated it was possible to run after an animal until it was too exhausted to run any more - an easy kill, and perhaps the only way humans could have gotten steady access to meat for the 1.8 million years before they developed weapons. The fossil record indicated a steady diet of meat for that entire time.

Their guess was it was a one in a billion chance that someone like this was alive.

Humans are the greatest endurance running machines ever created. No animal alive can out run us. Actually, no animal gathers to run between three and five hours for fun. Some people think marathons are fun.

Back to our six persistence hunters, Khalhari Bushmen that had rejected their traditional career path at the time - farm hand or bordello worker. They decided to maintain the way of their ancestors which included persistence hunting.

Lewis Liebenberg was a uni drop out who was interested in what caused the 'big bang of the human mind' he figured something out on the Savannah had triggered the human mind to be able to do maths physics, but also create humour, language and most importantly our imagination. He stumbled upon these six bushmen and managed to install himself in their tribe for years.

It wasn't until many years later that Liebenberg realised the significance of what he stumbled across to the evolution of mankind.

In order to run after an animal until it is too tired to run anymore you need to be able to track.

Liebenberg learned how to track, which he describes as so much more than reading marks in the sand. It requires imagination. You need to be able to imagine being the animal you are tracking in order to be able to hunt it. Feel what it feeling imagine why it is doing what it is doing. Sounds a lot like empathy for someone you have never met.

Now we are getting close to copywriting

Empathy is a distinctly human trait. We can imagine being someone else and understanding how they feel. In face to face selling this is easy. We have the emotional reactions of the person we are selling to as feedback. Writing copy doesn't provide us with the same Direct Response Copywriter  feedback we need to be able to track how customers might respond to our words, so that we can navigate them to the sale.

There is a common misconception that copywriting is about knowing some 'word tricks' in order to get the sale. It isn't. It is about forging an emotional connection and then getting a buyer to want to take action.

This is why we can all pick good copy when we see it. There is the part of our brain from the good ole days when we ran down antelope by day and ate it by night that can empathise and knows that we are on the money.