Does direct response copywriting have to be obnoxious or tacky?

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One of the biggest misconceptions about direct response copywriting...and all of direct response...is that you have be obnoxious and hyperventilate.

As an aside, I once received a rejection letter from a big publisher saying "the prose hyperventilates a bit" which I took as a massive compliment.

Direct response can be obnoxious at times...and it should be. However, the style can be toned down while using all the tactics. Here's a link to a great podcast from Will Swayne about this subject.

I was writing content today with the volume at 11. The conversation in the copy was between a big-time Internet marketer and people he wants to subscribe to a website. His emails are really loud. However, I wrote copy last week for a client who wants direct response copy but very much toned down.

Backing up your product's benefit

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I'm at the second day of the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando and I saw a company called SKB. They make hard cases for golf clubs. I have one of their cases and it's an excellent product. Take a look at the photo. They back up the benefit of the product, keeping your clubs safe from baggage handlers, with a $1500 guarantee.

In copywriting and marketing, the guarantee is extremely important and it can make the difference between making a sale and not making a sale. Many companies build all their marketing around the guarantee. Domino's and FedEx are two excellent examples.

Also note the prominent use of the magic word, FREE...

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A great example of a product guarantee. If our case fails to protect your clubs, we hand you [caption id="attachment_339" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="A great example of a product guarantee. If our case fails to protect your clubs, we hand you $1500."][/caption]500.

I'm a direct response copywriter with repeat clients around the world. My website is here.

The Guarantee Formula is a Copywriting Winner

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I'm at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida; it's the big golf trade show. I ran into Andrew Wood, one of the best copywriters I know. He's founder of Legendary Marketing and also started Cunningly Clever Marketing. He just sold 69 spaces to a golf marketing boot camp he runs just before the PGA Show. The page isn't up right now but his success reminded me of the "GUARANTEE" formula. It goes something like this...bug treatment example...

6 months 'no questions asked' guarantee...

"If Cockroaches appear after we treat your home, I will personally re-treat your home and write you a check for $200."

Signed...Roger Smith

Roger's Bug Treatment Service

After this, the copy details the guarantee and there can be pictures of checks, etc.

I used this for an Australian Internet marketer and it got a 50 per cent better result than the control.

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I'm a direct response copywriter with repeat clients around the world. My website is here.

If a picture is worth a thousands words...

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...Why hire a copywriter?! Why does this site, which is brilliant at generating leads, have just one photo?

A photo can be worth a thousands words or more, depending on the photo and many businesses must have photos on their web site but, in the world of direct response marketing, photos are rare...limited to photos of people who provide testimonials and the actual product. Perhaps some before and after...especially with teeth.

I've written plenty of golf course websites and these must have photos. These should primarily be in a gallery section. The masters of direct response copywriting eschew Flash. Why? A Flash show takes up valuable above the fold space and relegates the all-important headline to inferior real estate.

Stock photography has taken over the world of photography and it's tempting to use stock photography because it's so cheap. You get what you pay for. If you're going to have photography, hire one of my brothers and sisters in the photography business and give them clear and specific directions.

The photography must enhance the copy and draw people into the copy so they take the next step in the sales process. Do this and your picture will be worth $1,000 or more and not just 1,000 words.

Remember...if someone is genuinely interested in what you have to offer, they are going to READ and the photos will only have a limited effect in the overwhelming majority of cases.

For further proof, take a look at Dan Kennedy's site here.

Videos yes...photos minimal.

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I'm a direct response copywriter with repeat clients around the world. My website is here.

The FAQ page is a must

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When I rewrite a web site or start one from scratch, I always include an FAQ page. Here's mine. Here's a new web site I wrote for a client in Australia; their FAQ page is here. Note the 'accordion' design...something I want!

The benefits of an FAQ page.

  • Qualify prospects. Keep cheats and 'Wal Mart ' shoppers well away.

  • Address possible objections. Again, people will not waste your time asking the same questions over and over.

  • Additional salient content. You can never have enough.

  • Buttresses benefits and qualifications.

  • Further highlights additional features your client will find important.


You can also wedge in valuable social proof. Answer a question like..."Is property investment for me?" with "The Wall Street Journal recently wrote..."

I cringe when I hear people say..."nobody ever reads" or a "picture is worth a thousands words."

When someone is really interested in what you have to offer, provide them with plenty of information. A well-crafted and meaty FAQ page packed with facts and direct answers will help you generate more leads and sell more.

Include the question "What will this cost?" because this will keep people who will not pay you away.

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I'm a direct response copywriter with repeat clients around the world. My website is here.