We’ve got mad respect for direct-response copywriters. They have the most difficult jobs in copywriting. Their goal is to get readers to take an action now. Not later.
Direct-response isn’t as common now as it once was, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t learn from their tactics. Some of the things direct-response copywriters were doing in the 1900s can still give your marketing a huge boost — especially when it comes to email marketing.
Today, we’re taking some advice from the best direct-response copywriters and applying it to your email marketing.
Here we go:
- Eugene Schwartz – “Copy cannot create desire for a product.” The point? Throw a spotlight on the chief benefit of your product in your email copy. What problem does your product solve? How do you help your customers? Convey those points. Don’t try to drum up desire that isn’t there.
- John Caples – Get to the point. You have less time than ever to get your point across and get someone to take an action. Your email copy needs to be clear, crisp, and concise. It’s infinitely better to be clear than clever.
- Claude Hopkins – Test, Test, & Test Again. “Everyday we testin’.” Okay, Claude didn’t say that, but he was the original A/B tester. He tested everything – headlines, offers, vocabulary. The point is, you should never stop testing either. When was the last time you tested subject lines in that drip campaign that you’ve been running for a year?
- Robert Collier – Know your audience. This one is simple enough – right for, and to, your audience. Don’t talk down, don’t use jargon that only industry insiders understand, and definitely don’t be boring.
- Joseph Sugarman – Use an emotional hook. “Sell on emotion, but justify their purchases with logic.” Tell a story to get your email reader emotionally invested like they would be with a good book.
