Direct Response Copywriter on Hype

It’s easy to accuse direct response copywriters of a rather low-level activity.

The activity?

Hype. Something like …

TAKE THIS ALL-NEW DIETARY SUPPLEMENT AND YOUR JOINT PAIN WILL BE GONE FOREVER!

I’ve seen other examples.

“How Does An Out-of-Shape 55 Year-Old Golfer Crippled by Arthritis and 71 lbs. Overweight, Still Consistently Humiliate PGA Pros in Head-to-Head Matches by Hitting Every Tee Shot Further and Straighter Down the Fairway?”

That’s a headline for a golf product.

Here’s yet another ...

RUB AWAY BELLY FAT IN JUST 15 MINUTES A DAY!

I made the first one up but the second two are real … and written by super-famous direct response copywriters.

Compare this to a headline I recently wrote for a golf ad.

Save At Least 5 Shots a Round by Getting Super-Accurate Yardages for Every Shot … PLUS Get Compliments from Friends on “Your Super-Cool New Watch.”

This headline was for a watch that also provides yardages on the golf course. A cool gadget.

There are copywriters and companies who will push things when it comes to hype. But there are copywriters, like me, who like a headline that’s believable. I want all the copy to be totally believable.

The very second I see an ad like the first golf one, I switch off. But others don’t. The writer of the first golf headline told me the ad was extremely successful.

So the question becomes, “how far can you go … and should you go … with hype?”

I define hype as unsubstantiated claims … or claims nobody could really make. Others might use a word beginning with a ‘b’ and ending with a ‘t’ … a word I would never use in my blog.

I have to make claims. I have to make promises. I have to focus on the offer. The offer is “here’s what you get in return for your money.” A weak promise won’t sell anything. But a crazy promise might not sell anything either. Plus that crazy promise can easily get you into hot water legally.

So here’s my approach.

Make a promise and make it believable. Then back it up with tons of proof. In fact, I like to reverse engineer my copy, basing the claim in the headline on my research. Then I know for sure that I’m not lying. There’s no need to lie in direct response marketing … just find the truth and tell the truth. I like to put the truth in the best possible light but I’m not going to make things up. The customer knows when you’re making things up.

Ironically, I see a TON more hype in the world of general advertising. This comes in the form of vacuous claims that really mean nothing.

Here’s an example from a ski resort website.

“It is a risk-free adventure that we are certain you will not forget.”

There’s plenty of risk when it comes to skiing. And someone might forget the lesson.

Here’s another headline.

“America’s Best-Dressed Car Puts on Running Shoes!”

Who said it was a best-dressed car? Nobody.

A headline for a soft drink.

“Pick Your Energy Up!”

Meaningless drivel … AKA hype. So I get a little annoyed when the general advertising crowd says, “oh you guys in direct marketing are just making stuff up all the time.” No we’re not.

I know a lot of direct response copywriters who will happily write a lot of hype. I’m not one of them. There’s no need for hype.

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I'm a direct response copywriter working 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 when you have a project you'd like to discuss. I'm also a Dan Kennedy certified copywriter for information products.

Direct Response Copywriter on Creativity

I work in advertising so people think I’m creative. What does that word “creative” really mean?

My admittedly somewhat rudimentary dictionary defines creativity as …

“The use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.”

In many advertising agencies, you’ll find someone called a “Creative Director” and this person is often in charge of the copywriter. Sometimes they rose from being a lowly copywriter to the exalted position of Creative Director. Woo-hoo! But the Creative Director has to come up with ideas for ads.

What does a direct response copywriter do when it comes to creativity? I see two problems, going back to that definition: original ideas … artistic.

Every direct response copywriter knows that being original and artistic is a huge mistake. The “branding” copywriter can be original and artistic because they don’t really have to sell anything. They’re not accountable.

I love those beer ads featuring “The Most Interesting Man in the World.” But they don’t make me buy Dos Equis beer. I also believe they took the idea from “The Man in the Hathaway Shirt” created by Ogilvy and Mather. Whatever.

My “creative” work has to motivate people to buy the products and services being sold. But how creative can I be? In direct marketing, 80% of the work is following the usual methods that have worked for decades. Then 20% is creative, coming up with a fresh way of selling the product or service … coming up with a fresh narrative and/or big idea. I also like to be involved in the graphics by providing ideas and thumbnails.

But I don’t want to be too creative. The foundation of great copywriting is following the tried and tested tactics and strategies of direct response copywriting and direct marketing. Anyone who deviates from this is doomed.

Yes … I get to be creative and it’s fun coming up with new headlines, subs, and body copy. But I have to remember that I’m a direct response copywriter. I’m selling a product or service and NOT trying to win awards for creativity.

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I'm a direct response copywriter working 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 when you have a project you'd like to discuss. I'm also a Dan Kennedy certified copywriter for information products.

Direct Response Copywriter on a Myth About Conversion Percentage

A client just sent me an email about the conversion rate from a letter I wrote. The client sells consulting services to a specific niche.

The conversion rate is low for the letter.

But what is a “good” conversion rate? I’ve heard 3% … or thereabouts. But it’s generally a mistake to focus on conversion rates and related data. Conversion rate is only really useful when it comes to establishing, then beating, a control.

I’m more interested in the actual revenue the copy generates. You can put money in a bank account but you can’t put conversion rate in the bank. I currently have a VSL that’s generating a TON of money for a client. I don’t know the conversion rate. It’s irrelevant until I try to beat the control. Even then, conversion rate is just a number, a statistic.

Back to my client with the low conversion rate. If the conversion rate means he gets just one new client for his services, then the letter has been a raging success. That’s because the lifetime value of that new client will be tens of thousands of dollars. Plus there could be a “knock on” effect as the client tells other potential clients.

As a direct response copywriter, I’m interested in conversion rate … but I’m much more interested in the actual revenue.

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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 when you have a project you'd like to discuss. I'm also a Dan Kennedy certified copywriter for information products.

Direct Response Copywriter on Who is Right and Who is Wrong

I got some great news from a client. A video sales letter (VSL) I wrote for them is making over 300 sales a day. The product is a health-related ebook plus there’s an upsell. I won’t go into the details but that’s a chunk of change in that client’s bank account every day.

In full disclosure, the client is great with traffic and testing. They’re a full-on direct response company and it shows. I tweaked the copy several times based on some testing data and, after a lot of hard graft, the VSL is rocking. I don’t know the conversion rate but 300 sales a day is … 300 sales a day plus an upsell that converts at around 25%. Good news for the client and this direct response copywriter.

Personally, I don’t like the VSL when I’m buying something but that’s just me. In many verticals, the VSL works. But in others, it’s a total fail.

But here’s the important point.

The client showed the copy to another copywriter who they hired to critique the work of other copywriters. The “other” copywriter panned the copy.

I stuck with my guns and the client let me do that … with a few minor changes. I can’t wait to see that consultant and tell them about the 300 sales-a-day result.

When it comes to copy, it doesn’t matter what I think. And it doesn’t matter what someone else thinks. The only person who matters is the potential customer. Will they buy? Or will they not buy?

I’ve written direct response copy that’s failed. But I’ve also written copy that’s worked astonishingly well. The “copy police” might have found the former copy wonderful but the latter copy laughable.

My approach? I always follow the proven fundamentals of direct response copywriting. That’s the starting point. This means research, finding out what’s worked before, and then patient testing.

A lot of copywriters now spend their time training other copywriters. And that’s fine. But that gig isn’t for me, although I have a series of “look over my shoulder” copywriting videos as part of my client-finding service you can discover here.

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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 when you have a project you'd like to discuss. I'm also a Dan Kennedy certified copywriter for information products.

Direct Response Copywriter on Another Big Mistake

This blog is for my fellow copywriters … mostly.

Most of my clients are happy most of the time.

I suppose, as a direct response copywriter, I should be more specific about the above statement.

One client has been a client for over 3 years; they’ve gone from 3 employees to 56. Another contacted me for a large project after I hadn’t heard from them for 18 months. My copy has helped this client generate over $200 million in revenue. Another client in Orange County, California, sends me “emergency” projects and the head of the company calls me because I keep beating his controls ... plus I can turn work around fast.

I have repeat clients. I also have “one and done” clients who only need my work one time. But even members of the latter group re-contact me from time-to-time.

Repeat work comes my way NOT because the client likes me personally. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. They call me because they measure the results and my copy converts. That’s because I use tried and trusted direct response copywriting techniques but also because the client has a good offer.

Gary Bencivenga said it best, “don’t take on marketing challenges” and I’ve been pretty good at taking this advice. No, I cannot sell sunlamps, heating, and tanning equipment to a list of people in tropical locations.

But it can be difficult to stay away from work, especially when there are targets to meet for monthly production.

I took on a bad project a few weeks ago. It just went bad. Here are the details.

It was a dietary supplement – for men’s performance aka erections.
I got half up front.
I wrote an outline the client approved.
I wrote a draft based on the outline.
The client didn’t like the first draft and suggested some changes.
I made the changes.
The client also asked me to hide the ingredients. No client has ever asked me to do this.
Then the client showed the copy to several people who hated it.

The client fired me. I wasn’t about to argue with someone so totally clueless. I pointed out that the “copy police” would hate some of my highest-performing copy. The ultimate judge is the potential customer. If they buy, the copy is great. If they don’t, the copy is awful and it’s time to try something else. I returned most of the initial deposit and hopefully, this client won’t make life miserable for any other direct response copywriter. He’s not getting anything from me again.

So what’s the lesson here? I need to go back to the 80/20 model. 80% of clients are not going to be serious direct marketers. 20% of clients are. After about 30 seconds chatting with a client on the phone, I can tell the difference between the 20% and the 80%. The 20% will likely be great clients. The 80% will not.

I don’t have to deal with the 80% and nor do you.

If you’re a potential client reading this, then don’t be alarmed … just understand that serious direct response copywriters with a track record of generating revenue simply want to work with direct marketers who truly understand direct marketing … and won’t judge an ad by what his or her auntie thinks. Don't expect a copywriter to solve your marketing challenge.

A couple of potential clients called me last week. One wanted me to work on a “partnership” basis, which is basically translated to “we have no product and no money plus a terrible offer.” He was somewhat shocked when I said “no, I do not want to work with you.” I said it politely, of course.

Another potential client asked me for a quote then went to Upwork. So price was the only factor in that person’s thinking. Whatever. I wish I had known this upfront.

In speaking with both potential clients, it was clear in the first 30 seconds they were not serious direct marketers.

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While it’s on my mind, I don’t like it when I take time to get on a conference call with “Ron” and “Ryan” and the people on the call are clearly not named “Ron” and “Ryan” but Rajiv and Prakesh. I also don’t like it when they set up the initial contact through a Linked In profile that’s clearly fake.

I sometimes get cold calls from a call center outside the US and the cold caller calls himself Fred. I always ask, “is your name really Fred?” and they answer, “yes.” Why should I buy from a liar?

End of rant. It’s my birthday.

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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 when you have a project you'd like to discuss. I'm also a Dan Kennedy certified copywriter for information products.