Direct Response Copywriting: Should You Be Doing It?
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What it is, how to get into it and a direct response copywriting course to keep on your radar.
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If you want to make great money as a writer, you take on projects that make businesses money (direct response).
When you can tie your writing skills to actual revenue earned, that can automatically help you demand higher rates.
Check out this direct response copywriting course from AWAI.
Whether or not you’re an established copywriter, you may have heard about “direct response copywriting” and wondered what it really means.
As I explain in my direct response copywriting course review, it wasn’t until 2 years into my copywriting career that I really understood what it was.
So, you’re probably way ahead of me already!
In this post, we’ll go over what direct response copywriting is and why you should consider adding such a skillset to your toolbox.
Read this: Direct Response Copywriting Course Review
What Is Direct Response Copywriting?
Direct response copywriting is characterized by direct marketing to a target audience with the means to track conversions based on a single piece of copy.
In other words: Solely because the customer read and saw a certain piece of copy, they made a conversion. If that person did not see that copy, they wouldn’t have converted.
Direct response copy is copywriting, but not all copywriting is direct response. Customers may not take action specifically because they saw a company’s homepage, about page or soft-sell magazine ad.
Direct response copy is usually very direct, one-on-one and has a strong, compelling CTA.
Other characteristics of direct response:
Usually long-form copy
Verified by extensive A/B testing
Powerful, urgent CTA
Examples of Direct Response Copywriting
Direct response copywriting is a specific form of writing.
Even though all copywriting projects have the goal to “get conversions,” direct response has the ability to tie sales and conversions to one particular piece of copy.
Direct Response Copywriting Projects:
Direct mail sales letter. You may see this in your mailbox from nonprofits. A letter comes in the mail, tells you a story about a puppy to tug on your heartstrings and then asks you to become a donor ASAP to provide much-needed care for the puppy. Print newspapers and magazines may send a sales letter as well to subscribe.
Banner ad copy with a special link. It’s so easy to track clicks and conversions through banner ads (the things that pop up when you’re reading blogs or shopping online). If a company displays different banners on the internet, they often have unique links to track which ads get the most clicks.
Sales email with a special code. Some marketing emails will have their own unique CTA links too. However, you may also notice unique promo codes that you can enter when you shop. If that promo code is only found on one particular email, marketers will know you read that one specific email and converted with it.
Long-form landing page. If you’re signing up for training, buying a subscription online or making another kind of purchase, you may stumble upon really long sales pages. These pages may be filled with testimonials, charts, features, benefits and more to persuade you to take action and buy now.
What’s So Great About Getting into Direct Response Copywriting?
As Filthy Rich Writer founder Nicki Krawczyk says, copywriting is one of the most high-paying writing careers you can find. However, direct response copywriting may be even more lucrative.
Many people (and copywriters) consider copywriting to be a creative field. This can add subjectivity to the value copywriters provide. Some clients may hesitate to pay big bucks on something so… woo-woo.
And while copywriting does require some creativity, its success can be measured objectively with numbers and statistics.
That’s where direct response comes in.
Yes, copywriting is an art form - but it can be tested, measured and perfected. Almost like a science!
You could write a piece of direct response copy, and your client can measure how many sales were generated by your copy alone.
If you beat out other versions of copy, yours is obviously better than the rest!
When you can objectively prove your copy is superior to other versions… That means dollar signs for you, baby.
Suddenly, your current client recognizes that your words can bring in X-amount of sales - because it’s been proven. That client will be ready to invest in you again and again since your ROI is amazing!
Not to mention, he’ll probably tell his network about it too. Say “hello” to a healthy stream of new work!
Even if your current client didn’t say a thing about the success you generated for their company, you can take your cold, hard copy stats and show it off to the world.
As I explain in my direct response copywriting course review, I saw other copywriters posting on LinkedIn about how they generated $1M in sales for their clients.
I wanted to collect that kind of information on my own copy, but I wasn’t taking on the right copywriting jobs to give me that data.
If you want to feel good about charging premium prices, you better have the stats to back it up.
How Do You Become a Direct Response Copywriter?
First off, you need to know how to write direct response copy!
Since direct response copy is always tested, there are plenty of proven formulas to draw upon so you’re not reinventing the wheel.
Where do you find such formulas?
I say, learn from the experts who have already done it.
That could be in the form of direct response copywriting courses, internships - or simply studying the best sales copy out there to identify what works.
Direct Response Copywriting Courses
Even though I had already been copywriting for years, I wasn’t confident that I had the skills to succeed specifically in direct response marketing.
Sure, I was able to help my previous clients meet their marketing objectives in other ways, but my portfolio lacked cold, hard, compelling data that I could share.
That’s why I decided to take AWAI’s Accelerated Program to 6-Figure Copywriting.
I had taken other copywriting training courses in the past, but I liked that this one was specifically a direct response copywriting course.
AWAI does go into copywriting fundamentals if you’re new to copywriting, but it transitions into direct response.
It’s definitely what I needed to level up my skills and income as I entered years 3, 4 and 5 in my career.
For an overview of AWAI’s copywriting course, click here.
Is Direct Response the Logical Next Step for You?
If you’re still hesitating to pull the trigger and get enrolled in a direct response copywriting course, you’re not alone.
I had my hesitations before starting AWAI’s course too!
Luckily, direct response marketing tactics are used in all forms of copywriting.
So it won’t hurt to learn direct marketing skills - even if you plan on doing branding, soft-sells or other projects that are “further from the sale.”
If you dream about getting to the point where you can bang out hard-hitting copy that gets the job done - and you have proof - direct response copywriting is the way to go!
Heads Up, Writers!
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Heads Up, Writers! (Read Below)
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