How I learned a lot about direct response...at lunch

Yesterday, I attended, for the first time, a Charlotte Direct Marketing Association meeting. It was a lunch and the group put together a superstar panel: senior direct marketers from Wells Fargo, Lowe's, and Bank of America. There was a gentleman from Cleveland who is right at the cutting edge of data collection and distribution plus John Hill, executive creative director, Hawkeye...an advertising agency with a great track record in direct response.

Going to the lunch reminded me of the importance of networking as part of a marketing strategy for a direct response copywriter...or anyone.

Over the next few days, I'm going to write about the lunch and my thoughts about the sagacity from the panel. Much of what I heard buttressed what I know about direct response. Here's the first thing...

John Hill talked about a direct response package he put together for a bank. It had a simple A vs. B option/offer...you can get this interest rate with these terms or this interest rate with these terms...or something along those lines. Everyone was really happy with the response and it's such a simple strategy.

As I told the people who attended my direct response marketing boot camp in the Ballantyne area, ALWAYS offer two options. You're going to buy or you're going to buy.

For my direct response copywriting site, www.scottmartinwriting, go here.

Are you ready to benefit from direct response?

I'm currently working with the following companies on direct response copywriting projects.

• District Design/SiteStream...a superb web design and graphic design company in Charlotte


• A crafts and arts show company in Vermont


• A cosmetic dentistry practice in Ballantyne


• An internet start-up in New York City...very cool social media concept that will revolutionize fundraising


• A writer in western North Carolina with a sizzling screenplay


• A direct response radio advertising agency in southern California


• Legendary Marketing...the most successful golf, resort, and destination advertising agency in the world.

Thank you for the business.

Some of these companies use direct response all the time. Some have not but are now doing so...why? They want to be more results-driven. So they are using direct response copywriting. Here's my site...

So you're getting great SEO results...now what?

When did search engine optimization become the rage? Ten years ago? What have we learned about search?

It's work

It's unpredictable at times

It's not a science but it's not art, either

It's important--perhaps more important than ever

It's destroyed print and Yellow Pages

It can be very expensive

It's highly measurable but still controversial

It's a weird animal. If you're not getting great SEO results there are lots of things you can do to improve your ranking without spending a ton of money...I'll go through these in a later blog. This blog is dedicated to the people who are getting excellent results.

Here's what I hear...over and over.

"We're getting great search results but nobody stays on the site." And if they're not staying, they're not buying.

It's like spending a lot to get someone to a store but once the customer is in the store, there's nothing there. So the customer leaves. And is annoyed and frustrated. And never comes back.

I'm starting to hear from a number of SEO people who understand this problem...they didn't before. They thought, "OK I got great results for my client so that's it." Google results were great but MONEY and REVENUE rates were poor. So...they're asking me to write copy for the website that gets people to stay and buy.

So, if you're getting great search results, well done. Now let's make some money by writing response driven copy.

*

I solve the web copy bottleneck problem. For my copywriting website, go here.

Charlotte copywriter: www.scottmartinwriting.com

North Carolina copywriter: www.scottmartinwriting.com

Secrets of getting a dentist to smile

I've been working on the new copy for the new website for Ballantyne Center for Dentistry, which is owned by Dr. Christian Yaste and Dr. Joseph Hufanda. Dr. Yaste handles the marketing and he's a direct response fanatic, which makes him a dream client for a direct response copywriter.

First things first...their current site has white type reversed out on a plum background. They are changing that to black on a white background so that it's much more readable. Excellent move.

Scott Martin--writing copy for websites and making dentists smile from ear to ear.

The new headlines and the new body copy are direct response--straight out of the textbook. I'll put together another blog when then site is ready so that you can see it.

The copy is close to 11,000 words, which is about 10,000 words more than the typical website. Why? Is it because I like to type? Not really. There are two reasons...

Search--if there's more copy, there's more for the search robots to find and this helps search results significantly.

Results--when someone wants their bad smile turned into a radiant smile, they want a lot of information. Salient copy, and tons of it, is more likely to keep potential patients on the site and more likely to get them to the next step in the sales process.

Think about it...if you're going to get cosmetic surgery, will you go with a dentist who offers a few paragraphs of information or a dentist who offers pages and pages plus special reports, testimonials, etc.? When you're talking to a dentist in person, you will choose a dentist who spends some time with you explaining everything over a dentist who mutters a few vague sentences packed with cliches.

Remember...the copy on your website MUST be a conversation between you and a prospective customer...a conversation that must end with the prospect buying what you have to offer, or at least moving rapidly toward signing a contract.

You cannot give someone who wants their teeth fixed enough information--especially when it comes to their smile and the subject of pain (physical and otherwise).

I turned the copy around quickly--in three days. The website designer was particularly grateful because he now has copy and can get the site up and running in a few days. I like making people smile--especially a cosmetic dentist in Charlotte like Dr. Christian Yaste who understands and appreciates the power of direct response copy.

I solve the web copy bottleneck problem. For my copywriting website, go here.

Charlotte copywriter: www.scottmartinwriting.com

North Carolina copywriter: www.scottmartinwriting.com

How to get a superb result

A few weeks ago, a former intern who is currently a student at the University of North Carolina, asked me to email a letter of recommendation to a potential employer. The former intern was trying to get a sought-after internship with a TV station. Instead of writing a normal and boring "I would like to recommend...." letter, I wrote the DR copy below. I put myself in the shoes of the decision maker. My former intern got the interview then got the job. I did not help with the latter, but I helped with the former. Here's the email (with the name changed).

Dear (Decision Maker):

My name is Scott Martin. I was formerly the publisher of Ballantyne Magazine in south Charlotte. I am still involved in the area as a digital publisher.

I hired Denise as an intern two years ago; she worked for me for a summer.

Here are 18 reasons you should hire Denise as an intern.

1. She is very intelligent and will quickly grasp the requirements of the work you ask her to do. You will not have to spend much time and energy monitoring her.

2. She is a good writer; so, if you need her to write something, you will not have to spend much time editing the work. Her writing has improved (partly with my help!). I found her eager to learn and she takes direction and instruction well.

3. She is naturally curious and will help you find new angles for stories.

4. She knows Chapel Hill like the back of her hand so she will come up with story ideas from that part of the world.

5. She is a student at UNC so will come up with story ideas related to Chapel Hill.

6. Her father owns a business and is one of the top entrepreneurs in south Charlotte--so she understand business and can tackle some small business stories.

7. I gave her some "grunt" work which she took care of very successfully. So, if you have a project that's been nagging you for a while, give it to Denise and she'll take care of it.

8. She is hard-working--you can put a lot on her plate and she will devour it.

9. She understands all the technology and how technology is part of a student's life. You won't have to spend days training her to use your technology.

10. She will show up on time--not always a given these days.

11. If you need her to work on your website, I'm confident that she will be able to take care of that work and learn your technology quickly.

12. She is polite and professional and will represent you and the station very well with the public and with advertisers.

13. She understands marketing...no...she understands direct response marketing. How? I made her read a book about direct response advertising and marketing.

14. I don't know what you pay interns but I'm confident that it's fair. For the money that you pay Denise, you will get tremendous value and she will enhance your station/operation and it will not blow up your budget.

15. She can work independently with no "baby sitting."

16. She has a sunny disposition and will make the workplace a happier place.

17. If you want her to work in the advertising part of the operation, she can work successfully there. If you want her to work on the content side, she will be excellent there as well.

18. You will enjoy working with Denise and having her around you will make your day more enjoyable.

Denise is young and learning and she does not know as much as someone who has been in the business for several years but she has a lot of potential. You will enjoy helping her launch her career.

IT WORKED

For my direct response copywriting site, go to www.scottmartinwriting.com.