Direct Response Copywriter on The Real Value of Headlines

If you were to ask me, “what’s the most important copywriting skill a direct response copywriter must own?” then my answer is fast and easy.

“Writing headlines.”

The headline is the ad for the ad. The body copy might be great. But people will only read that body copy when the headline grabs their attention.

I like the John Caples headline formula.

Curiosity + Self-Interest = Compelling Appeal.

If it worked for John Caples, it works for me.

We all know we use headlines for … well … headlines. But there’s a lot more to headlines than a headline at the top of an ad or sales page. You can use headlines for …

Subheads. The deck (bullets under a headline). Envelope copy for direct mail. Bullets and fascinations. The lead paragraph. Email subject lines.

I rarely see emails with a headline. Why? That makes no sense to me.

I highly recommend that every direct response copywriter knows how to write headlines at an “elite” level. Start by looking at the headlines that great copywriters like Dan Kennedy and Gary Bencivenga write.

Plus I recommend you read every John Caples book. There's a copywriter who knew how to write a headline.

Direct Response Copywriter on Clayton Makepeace. Additional Thoughts.

My blog about Clayton Makepeace led to a significant “spike” in my traffic and so I’d like to add some additional thoughts for those interested. Hopefully, these additional musings will help your direct marketing and direct response copywriting.

As I mentioned, I purchased Clayton’s “Quick Start” copywriting system. I refer to it so often that some of the pages are falling out. I don’t remember ever seeing the “b” word.

BRANDING.

It’s clear that Clayton never thought about branding. He was a pedal-to-the-metal direct marketer. However, through his copy, he helped to build some massive brands: Boardroom and Weiss. There's a valuable lesson right there.

I mentioned it’s difficult to find the Quick Start program. I lied. AWAI currently offers it for $1295. The sales page is below. Total disclosure: I’m not getting an affiliate commission.

https://www.awai.com/p/is/qsc/

Strangely, the copy isn’t that good. Take my word for it as a working direct response copywriter: spend the money.

One of the freebies is a conversation with my good friend, and elite-level copywriter, Brad Petersen. There’s only one freebie that’s rubbish. I won’t go there here.

When Clayton interviewed Gary Bencivenga on his blog, they didn’t talk about branding once. They discussed generating revenue and how to make that happen.

Clayton had an interesting approach to writing headlines. Here’s a Clayton headline block.

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FORBIDDEN CURES!

Confidential Report Inside

Remarkable Cures CENSORED By Knife-Happy Surgeons and Greedy Drug Companies!

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And here’s a subhead I love …

ALSO INSIDE: 129 Amazing Medical Secrets Your Doctor Won’t Tell You!

His headline deck had a one or two word headline with a longer subhead.

Compare and contrast to a Dan Kennedy headline which can be really long.

But there’s a commonality. Both copywriters follow the John Caples headline formula:

Curiosity + Self-Interest = Compelling Appeal

What do I like the most about Clayton’s copy? Clarity. It’s something I strive to achieve. You can read Clayton’s copy and instantly understand what’s going on. It’s not easy. That clarity is one of the hallmarks of an "elite level" direct response copywriter.

Every single part of the copy was vital to Clayton. The headline was vital but the guarantee was vital, too. I pity the copy cub who provided Clayton with a guarantee like: SATISFACTION GUARANTEED OR YOUR MONEY BACK.

A Clayton Makepeace guarantee was almost an essay.

The same with freemiums. “Put big effort into selling the freemiums,” said Clayton.

I’ve worked very hard over the years to become a super-fast copywriter. I used to say, “there’s only one copywriter who is faster than me and that’s Clayton Makepeace.” Your direct response copywriter should produce revenue-generating copy quickly. The faster the copywriter gets the copy to you, provided it's solid, the faster you're making money.

Clayton said “I’m not the most expensive copywriter but I’m the fastest.” It’s hard to imagine that anyone would charge more than Clayton. That took some cheek.

Let me give you the link to Clayton’s blog one more time.

http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/archives/gary-bencivenga-with-clayton-makepeace-part-1/

My condolences to family and close friends.

Direct Response Copywriter on My Real Motivation

In direct response, we talk a lot about the classic motivators. These include:

• Greed
• Solutions
• Saving money
• Retirement security
• Better health now
• Advancement in profession or trade
• Prestige
• Enjoyment
• Easier chores
• Gaining more leisure
• Comfort
• Losing weight
• Freedom from worry
• Be in the “in” group
• Desire for a bargain
• Outshining the neighbors

These are just a few.

The list misses one of the most important motivators: helping other people. As marketers, we tend to ignore this motivator because it’s difficult to leverage: you can’t really sell products based on the desire to help and mentor others.

My colleagues in the non-profit sector can use this motivator. But when I’m selling an information product, the reader is most likely interested in how much money they can make once they own the product. I get it.

But let me tell you about a key motivator for this direct response copywriter. Yes … I enjoy writing and yes I very much enjoy direct response. But I gain the greatest satisfaction from helping clients succeed.

Again, it’s not something I can really sell as a direct benefit: it’s too ethereal. I enjoy working with my clients, most of whom are massive marketing companies. But I love it when a local small business owner calls me because they heard they need a direct response copywriter to write their letter or landing page.

I just spoke with the owner of a bartending school who has been reading about AdWords and wants to ramp up conversion with a real landing page. It’s super-exciting when I get a chance to help someone like this who is just starting to “get” direct response.

One client has grown from just a few subscribers to over 1.2 million subscribers. They had less than 10 employees and now they have over 60 and we’re now working with the best-of-the-best in our industry.

It’s exciting to help entrepreneurs. I wrote a letter several years ago for a guy who runs a roofing company: it closed 4% and that created hundreds of thousands in new revenue.

One of my clients is a local restaurant and we’re closing in on 2,000 opt-in emails. That’s a huge deal for a small restaurant and the results are tangible for the manager. She tells people, “Scott brings me money.”

But I also enjoy working with the larger companies. I don’t always get the immediate feedback but it's fun to help a marketing manager succeed.

Ultimately, I get the most enjoyment from helping my clients reach their goals. Dan Kennedy says that direct response copywriting is a “super power” and I’m inclined to agree although I’m biased, of course.

My power, if that’s the right word, is persuading current and potential clients to buy a product and service. But the real power is helping a client succeed and prosper. When harnessed correctly, a direct reponse copywriter has the power to help you make a ton of money.

This will only happen when the client listens to me, trusts me, and starts to follow direct response principles.

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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.

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.

Direct Response Copywriter on What It's All About

By Scott Martin, Direct Response Copywriter.

As a direct response copywriter, my job is to sell stuff. Sometimes, people are actively searching for a product or service I’m helping to sell. Other times, people do not wake up with a desire or need for what I’m trying to sell.

I also write blogs. I read blogs. And I have to admit, I read a lot of super-boring blogs. As such, I’m guilty as charged of the same crime. A friend turned me on to a superb blog about my favorite sports team. Here’s the blog.

Notice the originality. Take note, also, of the controversial tone. So … from this point on, I’m going to put more oomph into my blogs. More originality. Intricate yet slightly crazed phrasing. Taking a stand.

Should I use the same approach in my direct response copywriting? Yes – I have to admit to a certain “straightforward-ness” when writing copy. I’m the salesman in the hardware store who answers your questions quickly and precisely … the guy who gets to the point and points out the benefits without a lot of showmanship.

I’ve purchased stuff from hyper-crazed salespeople and low-key salespeople. I remember a car salesman at my local VW dealership. His name was Richard and he had a sort of “Deputy Dawg” demeanor with a wry sense of humor. He went through all the usual car salesman machinations with an ironic sense of duty … “let me talk to the sales manager about that offer …” and “I’m here to represent your interests and get you the best possible price, Mr. Martin.” I played along with a nod and a wink. As you do.

Yet I have to admit having a soft spot for the “Level 11” salesperson who takes caffeine through an IV. It’s a show, of course.

My natural demeanor somewhat determines my copy. No nonsense. That somewhat ironic sense of humor with the odd burst of craziness. So I often have to work on increasing the volume. Not a problem, usually, for this direct response copywriter.

A client recently told me I have a highly straightforward style. But he was also looking for a “brand voice” for his product. I understand what he was saying. A company like Apple has a voice in its copy; ditto MailChimp – with its quirky commentary.

Finding that voice can take months of hard and expensive labor. Quite frankly I avoid clients who want to go through what’s essentially a beard-stroking branding exercise. I seek clients who are more concerned with selling stuff.

But, as usual, I’ve moved away from my point. What makes for copy that works? Testing will tell you but, ultimately, the focus has to be on answering the key question the customer is asking, “what’s in it for me?”

I like to include some similes and some color into my copy but on a limited basis. Too many metaphors and too much color can be like a cup of coffee with too much sugar … or a cake that’s too rich to eat.

Being boring is the cardinal sin of the direct response copywriter – or any writer.  But being obnoxious can be a huge turn off, as well.

I know two extremely successful direct response copywriters. One of them is the most obnoxious person in the world. And I’m not exaggerating. The other is so shy that some type of therapy might be in order. They both write copy that generates tens of millions in revenue. I’ve heard both of them speak and both, in their own way, are extremely engaging. When it comes to direct response copywriting, start with a mostly straightforward approach to establish a control. Then adjust the volume and test.

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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.

Direct Response Copywriter on Alignment

I’m sure you’ve heard the word alignment. You’ve had your alignment checked on your car. It helps when your bones are in alignment. And so on.

But in this series, I want to talk about marketing and copywriting alignment.

To explain this concept, let me start with some marketing mis-alignment.

• A restaurant runs a promotion, sends out direct mail, yet the wait staff have no idea the promotion is taking place.
• I get an email talking about a special offer but the link in the email takes me to a page that has nothing to do with the offer.
• There’s a Google AdWords ad that advertises a deal on teeth whitening but takes the potential patient to a home page that talks about avoiding pain.

What’s happening here? There’s a mis-alignment of the marketing funnel. One of my jobs as a direct response copywriter is to make sure the copy is aligned.

It sounds simple to be completely aligned but it’s harder than it appears. And it gets even harder when you’re testing. Yes, testing is vital for long-term success in any direct marketing but the more you test, the more likely you are to mis-align the copy and the marketing. Quite honestly, I see copy mis-alignment as a rookie mistake.

Correct marketing and copywriting alignment starts with the company’s business model.

Before I write a word of direct response copy, I need to understand the model. What is the company itself trying to achieve? I don’t need to know the exact numbers but I need to understand the company’s overall strategy.

Next I need to understand the offer. How does the offer complement the business model? The company should also have a unique selling proposition (USP).

Let’s say a company provides real estate advice to buyers. The company collects a hefty fee for helping a busy person find a property. So the company model is to find at least 150 clients a year. The USP is to help the client save at least 10% off the market price of property. There are other benefits but the one the company wants to emphasize the savings.

The funnel is to direct traffic to a landing page where the company provides a free white paper in return for an email address. The company then follows up with a series of autoresponder emails.

This sounds simple but, as a direct response copywriter, it’s amazing how many companies are completely ‘out of whack’ when it comes to their alignment.

In writing the Google AdWords ads, I want to emphasize the potential for the savings.

So an AdWords ad might be…

Save 10% on a property

Easy way to get great property

And get it for below market value

In the next blog, I’ll get into the landing page and the special report.

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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, 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.

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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.