What is Direct Response Copywriting? How to Write Copy that Converts
The average article simply isn’t going to perform. I continue to be surprised as I check out topics of interest via search and social but when I begin to read the article, it’s just boring and uninformative. If you build out two landing pages with the same exact offer, I guarantee that one written by a talented copywriter will garner far more attention. On a side note, I still aspire to be a great writer. I’ve been writing for 10 years and continue to learn.
Koeppel Direct’s recent infographic, Direct Response Copywriting: Crafting Copy that Converts, shares some of those direct response copywriting secrets with the wider world. Learn how to craft a killer direct response (DR) effort in no time, or at least how your favorite copywriters use their magic fingers to massage your leads into great customers.
What is Direct Response Copy?
Direct response is a phrase that’s specific to a copywriting or advertising strategy where you’re want an absolute action taken. Direct response marketing or advertising always has a call to action that has an immediate, measurable outcome. Examples would be a landing page where a form is filled out or click-to-call button results in a sales call. Landing pages always utilize direct response copy.
Peter Koeppel points out 5 direct response copywriting tips to get you started:
- Determine the goals for your copy. Are you selling shoes or trying to get someone to donate to a cause?
- Plan your route. How are you going to achieve that goal? It’s time for a creative brief!
- Prepare to demonstrate your value. Always show, never tell, how much value you’re bringing to the table. Make a list of the ways you’re going to create a positive change if the target does what you’ve asked.
- Arrange the points on your list in order from most valuable for your initial goal to least.
- Trim it down. Get rid of the points that are least effective.
The infographic details each step in an overall process to plan, write, and optimize your direct response copy. It details optimizing for each medium, not just the call to action. Peter also provides a few examples of how a simple change in verbiage can influence the reader :
- “Opportunity” instead of “Once in a lifetime.” Is it really once in a lifetime? Probably not. If it is, why are you selling it to someone else? Get in on that yourself!
- “Discover” in place of “Never before seen.” You’re selling something, so presumably you’ve seen it, at least in a picture taken by someone who was there in real life.
- “Exclusive” over “Hurry!” Although time can be a motivator, this one is so overused that it carries virtually no power. Offers expiring in just a few minutes are also no-goes.
Here’s the full infographic, Direct Response Copywriting: Crafting Copy that Converts:
