Direct Response Copywriting – An Essential Skill For All Business Owners

If there’s one skill you need to become proficient at in your marketing it’s Direct Response Copywriting. Even if you don’t want to write your own copy and you choose to hire a pro, then you still need to be able to recognise what makes copy “good.”
Why?
So you don’t get ripped off by an unscrupulous charlatan or someone just not qualified for the job. It happens (and I’ve seen it happen — ?4,500 ($9,000 at the time) for copy which was ineffective and frankly amateurish. Ultimately results tell you how “good” the copy is, of course, but there are some hard and fast rules you should follow before you test. In the end you do what works for you, but start out with the basics.
What is Direct Response Copywriting?
In your case, as a business owner, it’s simply writing to communicate with your prospects, customers and clients. And there are two kinds of copywriters: there are direct response copywriters (like me), and business copywriters (most often called “business writers”). What’s the difference? Huge.
A good business writer can write in an intelligent and engaging way and convey information. Their job is to inform and educate. A direct response copywriter, on the other hand, not only intelligent and engaging, and not only informs and educates… but if he’s any good… then he sells stuff, too.
Don’t Let Business Writers Write Your Sales Copy!
In my experience, a good direct response copywriter is usually also a good business writer; but the reverse usually isn’t true, unless the business writer has consciously studied Direct Response Copywriting techniques. Bear in mind what I say about copy not being the be-all and end-all of your marketing, but also don’t make the mistake of thinking technically good writing is also good sales copy.
It ain’t necessarily so. Compelling sales copy uses certain words, constructs and patterns to get people to respond to it. It’s written to a well known, tried, tested and proven formula (the AIDA formula). And the pieces have distinct elements that must be present to make the sale happen.
Anyone Can Learn To Write Good Sales Copy!
The good news is anyone who can write at all can learn to become at direct response Direct Response Copywriting. You can learn the words, the constructs, and the patterns — they’re all learnable skills. You might not become the next Gary Halbert, but you can easily put yourself in the top 5% of business owners just by putting the tips I share with you here and on my blog to work for you.
Copy, when it comes down to it, is a way for you to communicate with your prospects, customers, and clients. At its finest it’s a way for you to persuade them to give you money, a salesman in an envelope. Effective Direct Response Copywriting is a skill you can and should learn.