Direct Response Copywriter on Advertorials

The more things change, the more they stay the same ... right?

Before the Internet was around, I used to write advertorials for magazines and newspapers. An advertorial, if you’re not familiar with the concept, is an article that’s really an advertisement. Or you could view an advertorial as an advertisement that looks like an article. You will usually see the words “advertorial” or “paid advertisement” somewhere on the page. You would usually see a 500 word article plus a couple of photos.

Advertorials were often part of a “special advertising section” but could also be stand-alones. In print, advertorials were effective and they helped drive leads and sales. Advertorials somewhat disappeared when online advertising got going. Advertisers simply sent traffic straight to landing pages and squeeze pages.

However, about five years ago, the advertorial started to make a comeback. Why? Two reasons.

One … Google and the networks mandated them (in a way). Two … they improved conversion.

The CTA in the advertorial is usually to get to the sales page. As a result, traffic going to the sales page is warmed up and this increases conversion. As a direct response copywriter, I write a TON of advertorials. One of the best aspects of the advertorial is testing.

For one client, I wrote close to 500 versions of an advertorial … constantly changing headlines, photos, and other copy elements. Most advertorials failed to improve conversion over the control but the few that worked made a huge difference to the bottom line.

The real key to advertorials is testing all the many different copy approaches. For example I once used the testimonial approach and it produced a jump in conversion of over 30%. That’s a big result.

I liked writing advertorials before the arrival of the Internet. I like writing them today … especially because I enjoy all the testing. Every direct response copywriter needs to understand how to write advertorials … then test like crazy.

*

I'm a direct response copywriter. I write direct response copy for clients around the world. Enter your information 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.

Direct Response Copywriter on Telling the Truth

The entire advertising industry has a bad rap for not telling the truth. You've heard the phrase "false advertising" I'm sure. Every now and then, a company gets nailed for not telling the truth. They get sued privately or publicly.

As a direct response copywriter, I'm part of the whole marketing gig so I guess I'm perhaps seen in the same way as the entire marketing industry. To some, direct marketers are seen as the worst. That's not entirely fair. There are some scallywags in direct marketing; the same applies for the branding side.

This brings up the tricky subject of ethics in direct response copywriting. My clients want me to show their product in the best possible light so that people will buy the product. But some clients have asked me to make outrageous claims.

I'm not comfortable making these claims. Here's why.

• It's not right.
• Potential customers are not stupid and they know that outrageous claims are just that...outrageous.

There's nothing wrong with a little bit of excitability and color. The key is what Herschell Gordon Lewis calls "verisimilitude" which is a long word for putting the product in the best possible light.

I have to trust the information the client provides but I won't tell flat out lies. Here's my overall approach to telling the truth in direct response copy.

1. There must be a guarantee...a way for the customer to say, "no thanks I want my money back" if the product fails to live up to expectations.
2. Crazy claims might work in the short run but it's not a good long-term strategy.
3. The clients and customers you want are the ones who will buy from you again and again. You want to build a relationship with them based on trust. The truth is the foundation of a trusting relationship.
4. Real testimonials from real people are important.
5. Proof elements prove you're telling the truth.

So there's no need to lie in advertising. As I regularly say...clear copy that easily explains why the prospect needs the product or service almost always works.

*

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, landing page copy and 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.

*

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.

Why I'm a Direct Response Copywriter

Q: Why am I a direct response copywriter?

A: The smile on the face of a client when my copy helps conversion increase.

I'd be lying if I said my copy beat the control every time but I've had some good successes over the past several weeks. 

• An advertorial that increased conversion by 30%
• A sales page that's converting at 5.5%
• A product page for a high end iPhone case that's converting at 3%

I'm happy with these numbers but I'm keenly aware that a direct response copywriter is only as good as the last assignment.

But the numbers above represent tens of thousands in revenue, or additional revenue, per day, for the people who have hired me to write copy.

This means business owners are being successful and when they're successful, they can hire people and reinvest in new products and this helps people thrive.

I also enjoy direct response copywriting because:

1. It's a challenge
2. It's fun
3. People in direct response marketing are driven
4. There's nowhere to hide...you have to be accountable
5. I enjoy reading about how to improve my copy
6. It's totally democratic (in the non-political sense) because the result is the only thing that matters
7. I can't do anything else 

But the #1 reason I love being a direct response copywriter is helping businesses succeed.

*

I'm a Charlotte direct response copywriter. I specialize in providing content and copy for the direct marketing environment for clients around the planet. I specialize in sales page copy, landing page copy and copy that just plain persuades people 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.