What is direct response copywriting?
Direct response copywriting is writing persuasive copy that will entice the reader to take your immediate desired action. A typical example would be trying to get a reader to sign up to a newsletter or buy a product. This type of copy is often found in long form sales letters and has been around for years.
This style of copy is also used to write direct response scripts for video sales letter.
Direct Response Copy Examples
You will see direct response copy all around you online, here are some classic examples.
-Email capture using direct response words
-Selling Products with direct response copywriting
The example below is taken from one of Agora’s newsletters. It’s only the headline of a long form copy page, but you get the idea.
-In Magazines
Vintage Direct Response Copy Example
David Ogilvy regarded this headline as the best he had ever written:
At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock
How much can you earn being a direct response copywriter?
$100.000 is not unreasonable to make in your first year if you are a half decent direct response copywriter. Here are a typical quote from the Cult of Copy Facebook group when someone recently asked this question:
If you are good at direct response copy, the way forward is to create your own products and sell them through a sales funnel.
For Inspirations: Claude Hopkins was being paid $180K per year by an advertising agency…in 1907!!!
Companies that use Direct Response Copywriting Exclusively
Many fortune 500 companies use some form of direct response copy somewhere, but some actually specialize in using this copy style. One company that does this very well is The Agora – the biggest company you may never have heard of! They do over a billion dollars per year in revenue from newsletters and selling products with direct response copy.
If you are looking to make a living as a direct response copywriter, The Agora would be an great place to get a job.
Top Direct Response Copywriting Courses
How to Become a Six Figure Copywriter – Accelerated program by AWAI
AWAI stands for the American Writers and Artists Inc, they offer the gold standard in copywriting courses and training programs. Most of top direct response copywriters in the world started with this course.
AWAI also created the direct response copywriters association called the Professional Writers Association. This writers association provides the latest news in the industry along with access to global direct response publishers to connect its members.
Along with producing publications and courses, AWAI also run live bootcamps which also double up as job fairs for attendees. The last bootcamp was May 14-17 at Delray Beach Miami, so the next dates will be released on their website soon.
The most popular course is the accelerated program to become a six figure copywriter (see below).
All AWAI courses offer a 30 day money back guarantee.
Once you work your way through this course, you then progress to the Master Course.
AWAI also offer courses for web copywriting like their Web copywriting 2.0 and the Money Making Websites Course with direct response copy writing, along with a lot of free resources worth checking out.
Udemy Direct Response Copywriting Courses
If you are on a tight budget, then a Udemy course might be for you. The best direct response copywriting courses on Udemy are by Alan Sharpe. Alan’s known as a veteran direct response copywriter and has written direct response copy for many of the top Fortune 500 companies.
Alan has a total of 9 courses currently running on Udemy, completed by over 17K+ students. His courses have over 1000 reviews which are all mostly positive, which is pretty hard to do on Udemy.
Out of the 9 courses, the most focused on direct response copy is the How to write persuasive product pages course.
Direct response copywriting tips to get you started
1) It’s all the headline – if you don’t capture the readers attention, it’s all over
2) Keep your copy concise – Keep it simple stupid (KISS)
3) Make the call to action (CTA) clear
4) Write for the reader. This require an in depth knowledge of the target audience.
Further Direct Response Copywriting Resources
How to write good advertisement copy
Write Copy that Sells by Ray Edwards
https://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/
https://www.scientificadvertising.com/ScientificAdvertising.pdf