Direct Response Copywriter on the Perfect Headline

You've likely heard about the importance of the headline in copy. As a direct response copywriter, I have a large swipe file of successful headlines.

But, at its core, what is a headline in direct response copywriting?

It's a deal...

Read this copy and you'll get this.

"This" needs to be highly specific, the more specific the better. Follow the "deal" model and you can get the headline to perform its most important task: persudade the reader to read the body copy.

*

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.

Direct Response Copywriter on the Problems with Inbound Marketing

About 4 years ago, the big buzz-phrase in my space was “Inbound Marketing” due, primarily, to the book by Brian Halligan, Dharmesh Shah, and David Meerman.

As with 99% of marketing books, Inbound Marketing provided nothing really new. The book was mostly an advertisement for HubSpot, the company that Halligan and Shah ran. Perhaps they still run the company. I don’t really care. But the book is really just a repurposing of common marketing knowledge.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with writing a book that provides information AND promotes you and your services. I actually think it’s a great marketing tactic. But the concept of inbound marketing is flawed.

Here’s the premise of the book…from the Amazon description.

Traditional "outbound" marketing methods like cold-calling, email blasts, advertising, and direct mail are increasingly less effective. People are getting better at blocking these interruptions out using Caller ID, spam protection, TiVo, etc. People are now increasingly turning to Google, social media, and blogs to find products and services. Inbound Marketing helps you take advantage of this change by showing you how to get found by customers online.

From my perspective as a direct response copywriter, I disagree with the premise of the book and the premise of Inbound Marketing.

If you have a restaurant, you have two primary ways to get business.

1. Wait for people to walk in the door. And deal with anyone and everyone.
2. Find the people you really want to walk in the door, tell them you want their business, and encourage them to return and spend more.

#1 is 'inbound' and #2 is 'outbound.'

Even with only modest SEO traffic and almost no social media, I get plenty of inbound leads. Many of them are serious marketers with good budgets. I’m not complaining. My website has helped me get great contracts and that’s partly the result of all the work I’ve put into my website.

Let’s go back to the restaurant.

The restaurant never really knows who is going to walk through that door. The diners could be cheap and looking for deals. They might not drink much wine or beer…vital to the financial viability of most restaurants.

But the restaurant could…get this…advertise to the people in more affluent neighborhoods using a direct response campaign starting with a list of people who make globs of cash.

These people would spend more. They would buy steaks instead of hamburgers and order bottles of wine instead of ‘water with lemon.’ A $20 ticket becomes a $65 ticket.

The major problem with inbound marketing: the people you really want to do business with will likely miss you. They’re not always looking for new vendors. Plus there's an insane reliance on social media.

Marketing tactics are complex but strategy is really pretty simple.

1. Define financial goals.
2. Find the clients and customers who will help you reach those goals and who value what you provide.
3. Pound away at those potential clients and customers.
4. Keep those people happy and keep them coming back for more.

Generally, my worst experiences in direct response copywriting have come from inbound marketing and from responding to online ads for copywriters.

When you have identified the ideal clients and customers, a direct response copywriter can help you get them in the door…and keep them happy.

Yes...inbound marketing is a good concept and it can help but the best results often come from outbound, even though it's not fashionable.

*

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.

Direct Response Copywriter on The Right Words

At its core, direct response copywriting is:

1. Choosing the right words
2. Putting the words in the correct order

I want to focus on task #1.

Picking the perfect words for every sentence in either long-form or short-form copy is difficult. I choose words quickly and easily simply because I’ve been writing almost non-stop for 20 years…longer if you count high school and college.

And I’m not sure how to teach someone to choose the correct words. Perhaps it’s simply a knack.

Words dictate and determine the tone of the copy. Tone can affect conversion.

Excitable and hyper-ventilating copy needs excitable and hyper-ventilating words. Big adjectives. Ultimate. Amazing. Powerful. Some writers like to add a lot of exclamation marks!!!!! But I’m in the camp that believes that exclamation marks are a crutch.

When the copy needs to be a little more subtle, then it’s time tone things down.

Adjectives, metaphors, and adjectival phrases are the most potent weapon in the copywriter’s Arsenal.

Let’s take a look at a tiny bit of Gary Bencivenga copy. This sells his famous seminar DVDs.

My "Three-Hour-a-Day" Rule: Why you can achieve almost anything if you can throw three solid hours at your highest-priority project every day. Are you weary of meetings that go nowhere and the hundred little interruptions that nibble away your time like a school of piranhas? Here is the #1 antidote—a ruthless dedication to putting at least three hours a day into your top project and letting all other activities take second priority to that. Here's how to do it.

Note the following.

• It’s not three hours a day, it’s three SOLID hours.
• The interruptions are like a school of piranhas.
• It’s not just an antidote, it’s a '#1 antidote.'
• It’s not dedication, it’s ruthless dedication.

Adjectives and related tools bring color to copy and make it more interesting to the reader.

Dan Kennedy has spoken at length about having a thesaurus or two on hand when writing. Salient advice. He also recommends a great book:

Words That Sell.

It’s essentially a thesaurus just for people who write direct response copy.

Simple, direct, crisp copy that clearly explains the benefits of a product or service will always provide a more than acceptable response...but only when the product has merit. However, when you give a copywriter some width, the copy can become vivid and this can improve conversion.

If you’re staring at a blank page, start with one of the standard direct response copy formulas like AIDA (attention, interest, desire, action) and simply write like you’re having a conversation with a friend…albeit a sales conversation! If you’re having a conversation with a friend, you’re not going to use crazy literary words like salient or pullulating. You’re going to use conversational language.

I choose my words carefully. Then I put then in the right order to make everything crystal clear.

*

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.

Direct Response Copywriter on Deadlines

I had a conversation with a fellow direct marketer recently and he said something interesting...and amusing.

To me, copywriters all seem a little bit like a person in a dark cabin in some dark woods...someone who plots the overthrow of everything.

I'll admit, a direct response copywriter is a little bit different.

We have to be.

A direct response copywriter is a:

• Salesperson
• Writer
• Editor
• Dreamer
• Creative Type

However, I also hear complaints about direct response copywriters. The #1 complaint? Tardiness. I also hear about a general air of "I'm better than you, so please shut up." Haughtiness.

For the record, I take great pride in hitting my deadlines. I also strive to be amenable and professional. Here's proof.

*

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.

Direct Response Copywriter on the Most Important Part of Direct Marketing

In my last blog, I wrote about Matt, the cartoonist for The Daily Telegraph. He celebrates 25 years of writing and drawing seriously brilliant cartoons.

Matt comes across as almost embarassingly shy. Not exactly a 'type A' salesman.

If you're in direct marketing, the story of how Matt got the front page gig at one of the world's biggest newspapers clearly shows the most important part of direct marketing: PERSISTENCE.

Matt discovered the decision maker and dropped off cartoons and jokes six days a week. After dropping off the material, he would 'hang around' hoping to speak with the decision maker. Ultimately, the newspaper asked him to produce a cartoon every day.

Yes, if you're a direct response copywriter, or a direct marketer, the copy has to be persuasive. But, ultimately, persistence is always going to pay off. Matt provides the proof. And he's the least exuberant hype-like person I've ever seen.

*

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.