How can ‘direct response copy’ help convert my audience?

So, you’ve put in all the work, done the ads, and managed to get a steady stream of visitors to your website. But are you able to keep them there long enough to engage and convert?

The copy on your landing page plays a key role here. It’s got to be good copy. Better still, it’s got to be Direct Response copy. Here’s why:

What is Direct Response Copy?

Imagine this as an elevator pitch. You have 8 seconds (the average attention span) to reach the floor your potential audience will disembark on.

You need to hit them with copy that grabs their attention from the get-go and gets immediate results. In the industry, we call this Direct Response Copy.

Good direct response copy has the power to galvanise your audience to take action the moment they read it. Not tomorrow. Not at some point this week when they’re out shopping and they see your product on the supermarket shelves and remember your advert. Now.

What action will they take? -you ask. This could involve:

• Making a Purchase from you.

• Signing up for your newsletter.

• Following you on social media.

• Downloading a freebie from your website.

How does Direct response copy work?

Direct response copy elicits an emotional response. Once you’ve achieved this, you won’t even need your audience to scroll. But they will. Oh yes, they will.

So, what are the key elements that make this kind of copy so successful? In a nutshell, Direct Response Copy:

• Has a killer hook -this will be your headline.

• Speaks to your audience on a personal level.

• Speaks to their emotions: addressing their desires, worries, frustrations and fears.

• Presents a benefit to your audience, explicitly or implicitly.

• Makes a lasting impression.

• Wraps it all up with an irresistible CTA.

Here’s quote from the father of modern advertising David Oglivy, who was a master at Direct Response Copy:

“Do not address your readers as though they were gathered together in a stadium. When people read your copy, they are alone. Pretend you are writing to each of them a letter on behalf of your client.”

Final takeaway: It’s all about them, not you.

Direct Response Copy boils down to knowing how to speak to your target audience and marketing yourself in a way that addresses their needs.

Remember, most of your target audience is looking for quick fixes. They want to know how you can get them from A to B. They want to know what you have to offer that others don’t. And, they want to know it now.

Let’s be frank, your consumers/supporters don’t really care about the history of your organisation, or who your trustees are. Not unless they’re already sold. And it’s the same principle regardless of what industry you’re in:

• If you’re a charity organisation or nonprofit, your target audience wants to know how being part of the work you do will add value and meaning to their life.

• If you’re a small business selling health food lunchboxes, your audience wants to know how your product will support their health through a busy lifestyle.

• If you’re a large fashion brand, your audience wants to know what benefit/distinction your clothing lines offer them when fast fashion is going out of fashion.

So those are some of the basics of Direct Response Copy. Sound like a tall order? If you’ve got your plate full with all the business of running your small business/company/charity, it certainly would be. But if you decide to collaborate with an expert copywriter, who gets what you do, you can make magic happen for your business.

Adhsare can hook you up with a stellar copywriter. Want to know how? Tell me how.