Direct Response Copywriter on Passion
/By Scott Martin, Direct Response Copywriter
As you know, if you’ve read this blog or my blog for Crazy Egg, I’m passionate about direct response marketing. I understand why the world’s biggest companies spend millions on “brand integrity” and the like. But I fail to understand why most companies, of all sizes, ignore direct marketing.
In direct marketing, you measure results. As a direct response copywriter (and direct marketer) there’s nowhere to hide. At times, the results can be brutal. So you simply avoid making the same mistake and you try something else. Eventually, you’ll find what works. And “what works” means the formula that earns you the most money.
But in the world of branding, even small companies pay ad agencies thousands to create “brand awareness” and other such nonsense. I can see spending some money on creating a logo and maybe a tagline but that’s a luxury. Branding agencies specialize in the ethereal world of “feel” and “image” and you can NEVER directly measure ROI … which is exactly how they want it.
Only people in direct marketing relish accountability. And branding ad agencies typically look down their noses at direct response copywriters: we’re vulgar and non-creative.
Whatever.
Meanwhile, here in direct response, we measure ROI in order to help clients maximize their revenue. We don’t seek prizes. We seek money for the people who invest in our services. Branding people love prizes. It’s a vindication of their expertise. Yet the people handing out the prizes never ask about ROI. The judges are in the branding camp.
One of these days, I’m going to take a break from being a direct response copywriter and conduct a little research. I will look at the winners from the local ad club prizes and see how the companies are doing. I won’t be able to find the ROI (of course) from the ads but I can likely tell if the companies are still in business.
Many of my fellow direct response copywriters spend way too much time writing about the chasm between the worlds of direct response and branding. Quite frankly, it gets a bit boring. So from this point on, I’m going to leave the fray and simply focus on helping my clients make globs of wedge.
Unless of course, I run into a branding person who is boasting about winning a prize.
Then the gloves are back off. That’s because I’m passionate about direct marketing.
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I'm a direct response copywriter. I specialize in providing direct response copy for the direct marketing environment for clients around the planet. I specialize in sales page copy ... copy that persuades readers to pull out their credit card and buy. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here if you have a project you'd like me to quote.
I'm also a Dan Kennedy Certified Copywriter for Info-Marketers.
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Disclaimer for the above.
The Dan Kennedy Copywriter for Info-Marketers Certification is awarded to professional copywriters who have successfully completed a course of study of preparation for such copywriting. This Certification has not been provided by an accredited education institution. It does not constitute endorsement of or liability for any individual copywriter by Mr. Kennedy or any companies or organizations affiliated with Mr. Kennedy. The client's relationship is solely with the individual copywriter retained via any agreement.
