Direct Response Copy

Copy tip: “Woman without her man is nothing”

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:30:00 GMT

I’ll bet this headline got your attention. It’s a prime example of how punctuation can change everything about your copy…so you should take special care to do it right.

Take another look at the headline:

Woman without her man is nothing

How would you punctuate this? Can you figure out how a simple change in punctuation would dramatically change its meaning? You’ll find the solution by following this rule…

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: A Blunder to Avoid

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:24:00 GMT

Let’s look at a common copy blunder: You'll got a fantastic product or service. You sit down to write your sales copy and extol the virtues of this great product or service.

You read through it and something seems wrong. It seems a little forced; maybe a little harsh. What’s not working?

You could be bragging.

Bragging is when you stop writing direct response copy and simply repeat how wonderful your product is in a myriad of ways. Bragging about your product or service is not only bad salesmanship, it’s counterproductive.

Bragging creates red flags in the eyes of your prospect. Believability is hindered and it’s a big turnoff to readership and to response.

So how do you tout the great benefits of your product or service without bragging? Here are some ways to make your case:

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Confront Your Prospect's Objections

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:23:00 GMT

Any product or service has weaknesses that prospects are concerned about. A major online and offline direct marketing copy technique is addressing these negatives...but not by glossing over them. Instead, much can be gained by confronting them and turning them into benefits.

If you're selling, for example, a health supplement that hasn't been FDA approved, don't just sweep that fact under the carpet with an asterisk.* Instead, you could bill it as a benefit. “A product so revolutionary, the FDA hasn't even approved it yet!”

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Are You Answering Your Prospects' Questions?

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:23:00 GMT

Always remember compelling, powerful, motivational copy will anticipate the questions of a prospect and answer the question before the prospect even has time to worry about it.

Before you write a word of online or offline copy, start by tapping into your prospects' concerns: What do they need? What is keeping them up at night? How can your product or service make their life easier?

And most importantly...why should they choose your product or service over your competition?

If you can't answer all these questions, your campaign is bound to suffer. In direct marketing, you must anticipate your prospects' apprehensions and answer their questions. Once you have the answers, you're armed to craft great copy.

Here are 3 examples of sentences in which the prospects' questions are being answered:

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Critical Tips on Speaking Directly to Your Prospect

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:16:00 GMT

One of the major direct response copy blunders is writing from a corporate or company point of view.

This is true for direct mail, website, email and any marketing communications. It breaks not only one, but two golden rules of direct response copywriting: Write from one person to one person...and the importance of “you”-driven copy.

Chances are, if you’re writing from a company perspective, it’s “we” directed.

The fact is, writing from a company point of view is colder, more distant and ensures depressed response. To generate outstanding response, write copy from one voice, such as a spokesperson or company president. It humanizes your copy and presents an authority to your prospect. It also injects personality into your campaign.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Critical Tips on Speaking Directly to Your Prospect

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:10:00 GMT

When you sit down to write your direct response copy, it's poison to think of writing to just any group of people. You shouldn't write to a group or a company, you should only write to an "individual."

How do you write to the individual? In the business-to-business world, consider what is their position in the company? What is their income? What about their family life, their work life? Their hobbies? What are the pressures and stresses they feel at work? Are they male or female? How old are they? How long have they been on the job? You need to speak directly to them.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: How Specifics Will Increase Your Response

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:38:00 GMT

In any direct marketing piece, your challenge is to gain the prospect’s trust in a matter of minutes.

Once you get the prospect to open the envelope, read the email or visit your website—your copy needs to do its job of building the trust between you and your prospect. This is why it is critical to offer specifics to support your product or service.

The fact is—generalities kill response, but specifics increase response.

Giving detailed information makes you more credible and trustworthy. It gives your prospects the assurance they need to believe in your product or service.

Here are three examples of sentences without specifics and with:

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Use an Active Voice

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:49:00 GMT

When you write your direct mail letter, magalog, website or email copy, you need to follow an important direct response copy rule.

This rule is to use an “active voice.”

Here are 3 examples of active voice versus nonactive voice:

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Creating Authoritative Copy

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:42:00 GMT

Always approach copywriting from a position of authority. The feel of the copy, the tone, the energy—must come across as authoritative.

Authoritative copy is copy that uses specific information, details, figures and facts that will resonate.

Your prospects must feel that the voice behind the copy knows the subject matter and speaks with authority.

Your readers must feel confident that the copy is speaking to them with conviction. Your copy has to relate to their challenges and solve their concerns.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: How to Create a Buzz by Using Newsworthy Copy

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:03:00 GMT

One way to supercharge your response is to take a newsworthy topic that relates to your product or service and integrate it into your sales copy.

What is going on in your prospect’s mind? Think about a hot business, political or current issue that is being talked about on the news, in magazines or in the papers—an issue that your prospect will recognize, be curious about and be interested in.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Words of Doubt Will Kill Response

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

In the past couple of issues, I’ve discussed how critical it is to choose your words carefully when writing copy for your direct marketing campaign—both online and offline.

In case you missed last week’s issue, visit www.cdmginc.com/dmuarchives.

This week, I'm going to tell you about words you shouldn’t use—“words of doubt.”

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Strengthen Your Direct Response Copy Using Power Words

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:14:00 GMT

In last week’s issue, I discussed how to use “hot words” when creating copy for your direct response campaign.

These are words that I suggested using to get your product noticed—words that make it virtually impossible for your prospects to ignore your product or service.

In case you missed last week’s issue, visit www.cdmginc.com/dmuarchives. Check out my list of hot words located in the Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week.

So now let's talk about “power words.” This is one of my favorite elements of direct marketing copywriting because these are the encouraging words that make your prospects take action.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Hot Words that Boost Response

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:29:00 GMT

When writing copy for your direct marketing campaign, you only have a few minutes or even a few seconds to grab the attention of your prospects. That’s why you must choose your words carefully.

As they read, the copy must continue to arouse their interest. Avoid anemic copy and generalities. For example do not say or indicate that:

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: The Power of Indenting Your Paragraphs

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:56:00 GMT

Often, it is the simplest of rules that can have the most dramatic effect on your direct marketing campaign.

Indenting is a small but powerful rule to follow when constructing both online and offline copy.

A direct marketing rule-of-thumb calls for indenting paragraphs 3 to 5 characters. (Microsoft Word's default of 0.5 inches looks amateurish and puts too much white space between words on the first line.)

Research has proven that your reader’s eye is able to focus better when you indent every paragraph.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: The Danger of Complicated Paragraphs

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:53:00 GMT

In the last couple of issues, I talked to you about the danger of complicated words and complicated sentences in both online and hard copy campaigns.

But believe it or not, there is something worse: complicated paragraphs. You never want your consumer or prospect to have to reread one of your paragraphs or, even worse, not attempt to read it at all.

Keep it simple

You need to remember, regardless of who your audience is or how well-educated you think they are, your paragraphs should be at a ninth-grade reading level.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Don’t Confuse Your Reader with Long or Complicated Sentences

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:58:00 GMT

Most of your prospects won’t take the time to read a sentence more than once. So make sure every sentence in your direct marketing campaign hits home the first time around.

Last week, I gave you some insight about using complicated words and the damage they can cause to your copy. Well, the same rings true of complicated sentences.

In writing offline and online direct marketing copy, keeping your sentences simple is an important rule to remember.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Complicated Words Will Damage Readership

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:12:00 GMT

In writing marketing copy, I’ve written to PhDs and I've written to plumbers. I have written to those who are highly educated and I have written to people who haven’t graduated from high school.

Creating powerful copy without confusion

What I’ve learned is that to have the most powerful copy and the highest readership, your copy should be aimed at the ninth-grade reading level. Never use complicated words or words that may not be commonly known.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Using Superlatives Will Damage Response

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:46:00 GMT

It’s a known fact that superlatives are counterproductive to your direct marketing campaign.

Clear, concise and compelling words, sentences and paragraphs are the basic building blocks behind effective direct marketing.

Choose your words based on facts, not hype

For example, when creating copy for the outside of an envelope, don’t say, “Our product is the best in the industry.”

Instead say, “Studies have shown our product outperformed our nearest competitor by 25%.”

Raving about your product is a must. But hyping it up without the facts will damage your response, and more important, you will lose the trust of your prospect.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Getting into the Mind of Your Prospect

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:55:00 GMT

Whether you are writing online or offline copy, one key to success is observing, quantifying and understanding human psychology.

Over time, it's been proven that people have reacted positively or negatively depending on how they feel emotionally to different tactics and strategies.

Knowing how to speak directly to your prospects' needs

Regardless of who you are marketing to, it is crucial that you apply human psychology in your copy. Whether you are communicating via a mailing piece, website, TV or radio, your copy it needs to speak to the emotions of your prospect.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Warning—Lack of Detail Will Kill Response

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:05:00 GMT

When reviewing copy, remember that one of the things that distinguishes a winner from a loser, or a campaign that is mediocre from one that is great, is the amount of specifics and details that are put into the direct marketing package, email or website.

Get to the point with specifics

Generalities result in anemic copy. And the bottom line is, specifics sell, generalities do not.

Never say, “Our research and development costs are approximately a million dollars.” Instead say, “Our research and development costs were $992,422,00.”

You should use specifics in percentages. Don’t say, “80% of the users increased their productivity.” Instead say, “83% of the users increased their productivity.”

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Small Copy Changes Make A Big Change in Response

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:37:00 GMT

In writing your sales copy, it’s very important that your copy be in an active voice. Isolate all the phrases telling what you will do for the prospect, and then make sure to revise your passive voice to an active voice.

How to use an active voice

In other words don’t write, “The profit boosting management kit will be forwarded immediately.”

Instead use an active voice and write, “I’ll send you your profit management boosting kit.”

Applying an active voice to all of your marketing outlets is crucial to boost sales

The active voice, is a direct-response marketing rule that should be used in email, websites, direct mail, display ads, TV commercials and any direct marketing you do.

Little-Known Personalization Direct Mail Rules

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:26:00 GMT

As I mentioned before, if you use personalization when marketing to your clients and prospects, you will get a significantly higher return.

Here are 3 rules to live by when using personalization:

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: The Power of Caring

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:21:00 GMT

It is crucial that you are constantly clued into what your customers' and prospects' needs are.

In writing copy, really care about your prospect. There is power in caring for each prospect as an individual.

Make the copy exciting and interesting for your reader. And understand that what might be exciting to you might not be as exciting to your customer.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Spacing Leads to Better Readability

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:06:00 GMT

I’ve been talking a lot about readability and how you can construct a direct mail campaign that is pleasing to the reader’s eye both online and offline.

Something that is not often considered, but can be a strong factor, is spacing.

It is very important that you watch the spacing in your letter. For the sake of improved readability, break up paragraphs with an extra space.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: Little-Known Secrets of Testimonials

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:18:00 GMT

It’s a little-known secret that testimonials that are too general don't do enough to help increase response. However, testimonials that use specifics increase response dramatically.

A “meaty” testimonial will gain trust and increase response

Your prospects want evidence of how your service or product is going to positively impact their lives. The best way to give them this is to use specifics in your testimonials.

Direct Marketing Copy Tip of the Week: Choosing a Closing that Opens Doors

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:52:00 GMT

Every direct marketing letter, every email and most direct marketing websites should have a carefully chosen closing. And no, I’m not talking about a closing such as a summation of your sales presentation, but the actual closing words of your letter just before you sign you name, typically “Sincerely” or “Yours truly.”

Direct Marketing Copy Tip of the Week: Calling Out to Your Prospects Results in Higher Response

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:27:00 GMT

If you want your prospect to open your direct marketing envelope rather than toss it aside, then you must find a way to “call out” to your audience.

Your prospect might get dozens of pieces of mail every day, so it is critical that you make your mail seem tailored just to them.

Know your prospects and they will want to know you

People like to know that they are being recognized as an individual not as a general group. And why wouldn’t they?

Keep in mind who they really are; what are their interests, their hobbies, their careers?

Picture Controversy: Why It Can Increase Response

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:58:00 GMT

Consider testing your direct mail package or website with a picture of your spokesperson.

Controversial? Yes.

But it’s been proven time and time again, that one of the little-known ways to increase response with consumers or business to business in direct mail or online is to have a personality attached with your direct marketing campaign.

By using a photo of your spokesperson, your customers will build a trust with your service or product.

I’ll never forget when Charles Schwab said the best thing he ever did for his marketing/advertising campaigns was to be the spokesperson.

Direct Marketing Copy Tip of the Week: Use Misspelling to Your Advantage

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:20:00 GMT

A misspelled word or words catch prospects’ attention almost as well as a compelling headline, researchers at the Los Angeles Institute of Marketing Studies have found. Unfortunately, says Institute Director Irving Farquart, “More and more prospects today can’t read well, due to decades of dumbed-down, one-size-fits-all ‘education’ in public schools. They couldn’t find a misspelling with both hands and a flashlight.”

Therefore, you might increase response by misspelling your prospect’s name. They will definitely notice that.

Share a story about how a misspelling has helped your product sell. Contact me at inquire@cdmginc.com or call me at 310-212-5727.

Direct Marketing Copy Tip of the Week: Avoiding a Common Response Depressant

Fri, 30 May 2008 18:47:00 GMT

Many direct marketers depress results by not creating powerful online or hard-copy Positive Acceptance Statements on their order forms.
Get your prospects to say YES!
A Positive Acceptance Statement on your order form could prevent your marketing campaign from falling short of its deserved response.
What is a Positive Acceptance Statement?
It is part of your order form that you may recognize as the “Yes” box. But more important, it is the section of the order form where your prospect can read a recap of what he gets in return for his response. It is a powerful statement that should motivate even the most reluctant prospect to say “Yes, I want your product. Sign me up!”

Direct Marketing Copy Tip of the Week: Copy Blunder to Avoid

Sun, 11 May 2008 18:06:00 GMT

Short copy kills response
That's right, long copy usually produces better response. But I do believe something in the copy must be short.
In fact, many direct response copywriters make a vital blunder in starting copy on a direct mail letter, email, ad or website with a long first sentence.

Direct Marketing Copy Tip of The Week: 3 Secrets that Turn Features into Benefits

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:30:00 GMT

In previous issues I've told you the importance of giving your prospects the benefits of your product or service instead of the features.
But sometimes copywriters have trouble finding the benefits. So over the years we've deveoped some easy ways to help you find the benefits in the features...

Writing Killer Business-to-Business Copy

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:49:00 GMT

When writing to business prospects, remember that business decisions are often made by groups rather than individuals.

Therefore, your product must be positioned in a way that it will appeal to several different people who make decisions based on separate and distinct criteria.

Direct Marketing Copy Tip of The Week: Little-Known First Paragraph Secrets

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 22:34:00 GMT

The first paragraph of your letter, email, website, brochure or other DR piece is one of the most critical elements of your mailing.

Grab your reader’s attention immediately

In one or two lines you must create suspense or drama or introduce something unexpected. More important, it must persuade your reader that it is in his or her best interest to keep reading.

Direct Marketing Copy Tip of the Week: The Call to Action

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:03:00 GMT

One major problem with most “image” advertising is that when prospects are done looking at it, they are not sure what to do with their new-found knowledge.

The reason is, the copywriter did not tell them what to do. The ads are missing what direct response copywriters know as a “call to action.”

Why More Marketers Are Using Direct Response

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:56:00 GMT

You may be interested to know that if you are using more direct response in your marketing, you are not alone. According to the marketing research firm The Winterberry Group, there has been a shift in marketing expenditures toward more direct response.

Direct Response Copy Tip of the Week: The Bucket Brigade

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:22:00 GMT

In direct response you want your copy to move your prospect right along. The "Bucket Brigade" are transitional words and phrases used to keep your prospect reading and moving easily through your piece.

Put Your Customers' Names In Print!

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 20:16:00 GMT

People love seeing their own name, and when you incorporate it into your copy, response rates go up.

If you aren't currently using personalization in your direct mail

Make Your Copy About Your Customer

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:33:00 GMT

Your prospects are not looking or waiting to read your marketing material. Therefore, if you want their business, your copy needs to speak to their interests and their needs.