Direct Response Copywriter Word of the Night: AIDA

OK. Admittedly, it's an acronym. But for the direct response copywriter, AIDA is an extremely important word. It’s the baseline copywriting formula for direct response copywriting.

A = Attention

I = Interest

D = Desire

A = Action

Let’s go through these briefly.

The headline and opening must get the reader’s attention. The reader is the target prospect.

Interesting facts come next in order to hold the interest of the reader. The deeper the research, the stronger the overall interest. It’s where the direct response copywriter states the problem.

In the desire section, the product/service gets introduced as the solution to the problem. It’s time to discuss features and benefits and also include testimonials and proof. Don’t forget the guarantee and the offer.

At the end, demand action by telling the reader what you want them to do.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

It takes a lot of work to get it right and convert readers, viewers, and listeners into buyers.

However, for any copywriter, including the website copywriter, it’s important to use the AIDA formula.

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I'm a direct response copywriter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in providing copy and content for the direct marketing environment for clients around the world. I increasingly specialize in sales pages and landing pages. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here.

Charlotte badly needs a direct response copywriter...or 20

I live in Charlotte, North Carolina, a city that will soon be in the national spotlight when it hosts the Democratic National Convention.

I’ve lived in Charlotte for 23 years and the city has changed dramatically. I think the population has doubled. Or trebled. Yet the city remains remarkably friendly and convenient. It's so easy to live here yet the city has a national feel. I live just five miles from an NFL stadium.

But I’ve always thought of the city as an advertising backwater. The biggest agencies here would be mid size in other cities. And what I’ve seen of their creative output is generally weak. There are lots of small branding agencies that don’t do much. But they’ve ALL won plenty of awards—given to each other by…each other.

Proof of the general mediocrity came this morning when I was driving around and actually listened to four minutes of drive time radio ads. One of the ads featured a mumbling man who tried to tell a story; at the end of 60 seconds a mumbling lady invited me to go to a website. I have absolutely no idea what the man was trying to sell.

I heard two screaming car ads that instantly gave me a big headache. I also heard an ad for Hooters that was trying to be funny. I’m sorry, but if you’re a copywriter and you can’t write a funny ad for Hooters then you should become a dishwasher or bar back.

Compare this to the ads I hear on satellite radio. They are ALL direct response ads and I’m certain they are all tracked and someone is measuring ROI. There's a lesson there for the local advertisers.

Because I don’t spend time hanging around other ‘creatives’ at ad club social events (maybe I should) I’m admittedly out of touch with the local scene but it seems to me like Charlotte lacks a big time direct response marketing presence.

And I’ve heard that from people with a national perspective.

It’s a shame because just about every client of every Charlotte ad agency could benefit massively from a direct response orientation.

I have NEVER run into another direct response copywriter in Charlotte.

Here's a brutal fact if you're a business that's using a Charlotte branding agency. You're wasting your money. Find a direct response agency. Now. Even if you have to go outside Charlotte.

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I'm a direct response copywriter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in providing copy and content for the direct marketing environment for clients around the world. I increasingly specialize in sales pages and landing pages. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here.

Direct Response Copywriter Word of the Night: YAMMERING

YAMMERING

I thought I would not find this word in the dictionary.

But I was wrong.

Here it is...

“loud and sustained or repetitive noise”

It’s not a word I could use as a direct response copywriter but it’s useful for the blog.

When I was a cybertramp, hanging out for hours in coffee shops with my laptop, I would sometime sit next to a big table. A group would sit down on said table. Maybe it’s a hair misogynistic to say this but the group often comprised at least four women.

The conversation would start slowly with the volume at 4. After 60 minutes, sometimes less, each member of the group would be speaking at full volume and they would all be speaking at the same time.

They started with a conversation then progressed to yammering.

White wine and caffeine tend to fuel yammering.

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I'm a direct response copywriter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in providing copy and content for the direct marketing environment for clients around the world. I increasingly specialize in sales pages and landing pages. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here.

Word of the Night from a Direct Response Copywriter: DEFENESTRATION

Awesome, awesome word.

Defenestration

The act of throwing someone out of a window.

Could be used to describe all sorts of other actions. Like being fired. Or being dumped.

"My boss just completed a defenstration of that secretary who always showed up late."

OR

"So she dumped you?"

"Total defenestration."

"Sorry to hear that. You were too good for her anyway."

"Thanks."

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I'm a direct response copywriter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in providing copy and content for the direct marketing environment for clients around the world. I increasingly specialize in sales pages and landing pages. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here.

Direct Response Copywriter Word of the Night: SIMILE

Simile

A comparison to enhance a description.

"The leaves fell like golden snowflakes."

A simile usually includes the word 'like' but not always.

"That person is dumb as a box of rocks."

The strongest fiction writers have always used powerful similes. Graham Greene was especially superb.

"The watch-tower gaped over their path like an upper jaw"

For the direct response copywriter, the simile is especially important but must not be overused. The goal of a simile in direct response copywriting is to engage the reader and get the reader to feel like they're using the product or service.

You really want to wrap a simile around a benefit.

"Staying at the ACME Inn and Lodge will make you feel like you're being worshipped."

"Getting the Martin Marketing System online is like having your own personal marketing consultant...but without the consulting fee."

Used properly, and sparingly, similes can help to improve response in direct response copy.

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I'm a direct response copywriter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in providing copy and content for the direct marketing environment for clients around the world. I increasingly specialize in sales pages and landing pages. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here.