YOU CAN WRITE “DIRECT RESPONSE” ADVERTISING CONTENT FOR YOUR WEBSITE

“I want to get bums on seats in here fast, Jo, not faff around all year with articles and blogs!”?Dimitris rubbed his receding hairline as he waved his menu at his empty restaurant.?“Why is nobody responding to the 50% off deal?”

I could understand his frustration.?He had spent lots of time and money on his website which was full of colourful meal deals and foodie pictures.?He’d just doubled his online adspend, yet he’d had virtually no response in three weeks.?

Direct response advertising copy CAN work on your website and in social media.?You just have to know when and how to use a hard sell and a soft sell approach and to make sure you make the offers sparingly between posts.?

That was Dimitris’ problem:?he was ‘selling at’ his readers and never chatting with them.?There was no sense of relationship there at all.?

Here are the main differences between hard sell copy and soft sell advertising copy:

?

HARD SELL CONTENT:

·????????Direct, straightforward approach, short message

·????????Eye-catching text

·????????Lots of “Per Cent Off” symbols

·????????Good points:?no beating about the bush, less time consuming, obvious benefit, economical to produce (as long as it works!)

·????????Bad points: lots of people loathe being ‘sold at’, no emotional appeal or relationship made.?Also, ‘hard sell’ advertising does not necessarily imply quality.

?

SOFT SELL CONTENT:

·????????Relaxed approach to the message, more appealing to your customer.

·????????The quality of the product/service is taken for granted

·????????Longer text, more interesting ‘off-topic’ images.?Sometimes called ‘advertorial’, soft sell copy reads more like prose

·????????Can be used as an article or blog if it’s written properly and works well in email campaigns.

·????????Excellent for establishing and growing a relationship with your customer

·????????Bad points:?requires time to establish the relationship, takes skill and time to write persuasively with subtlety and humour, so may need outsourcing. Your very voice/tone needs to carry your brand – in other words, it’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it.?

?

Remember, neither style guarantees a sale.?So, here’s my advice:?go for a mix.?

Use some soft sell copy to help you to establish your brand over a long time (‘strategic’ marketing approach), and throw into it some short, harder sell copy every now and then (say, once every couple of months) to urge your market to take action right away (‘tactical’ marketing approach).?

As a rule, keep your headlines offer-focused and then have loads of fun with the message.?Do a quick search online and a brainstorm for a few ideas and just roll with the one that feels the most fun to write about. Finding a creative idea doesn’t have to be problematic. I love historical stories, and there’s always something that happened in the past that can be used as a creative idea for your message.?

As long as you use a Call To Action (CTA) in both, then both types will be ‘Direct Response’ messages. ?Just make sure that your CTA is crystal clear and simple to follow, e.g., “click here”, “call us on …” or “visit us at ….”.?

Here’s an example of softer sell copy I wrote some time ago for a client similar to Dimitris – an Italian restaurant called “Naples” in Australia. ?The creative idea wasn’t too hard to find.?

?

HEADLINE (keep it offer focused, no more than 55 characters):

Indulge in an ‘all you can eat’ Italian feast for two for only $29!

SUB HEADLINE/EMAIL SUBJECT: (no more than 55 characters):

Book an evening in Naples for two worth $89 for just a third of the price!

?

OFFER DESCRIPTION (now you can have some fun!?Write between 350?- 450 words. Separate the sections with subheadings)

?

(THE BRANDING BIT)? Back in AD 79, Pliny the Elder took one look at the enormous ash cloud over Naples as Mount Vesuvius erupted, sat down and ordered a large dinner.?Not even the hail of pumice stones pounding his fresh mozzarella and tomatoes could drag him away from his beloved Italian cuisine.?

These days, you don’t have to travel to Italy and risk Vesuvius to delight in authentic Italian taste as Naples has come to you instead – Bainbridge Road in Ashgrove, to be exact.?And that’s all the ash there is.?

?

(TEASE THE READER WITH THE OFFER)?Treat your tastebuds to a night in Italy – it’s closer than you think!

The atmosphere in Naples Pizza Restaurant is friendly and fun, and it’s right on your doorstep … a lot more relaxing all round.?This way, the only eruption you and your partner will experience is the one of pure Naples flavour on your tastebuds.?After all, Naples is where the mighty pizza was invented!?Make like Pliny the Elder and munch your way through all the pizza or pasta you want … for just a third of the normal price!

?

(SPECIFY THE OFFER)?An ‘all you can eat’ Italian Feast for two for only $29!??

A red hot deal from Naples including garlic bread and salad for two to share, complete with Naples Pizza Restaurant’s signature homemade Italian dressing, as much pizza or pasta as either of you can eat plus a soft drink each!?Of course, if you share Pliny the Elder’s taste for wine you can always order it separately or take your own with you.?This feast normally goes for $89, so you save a whopping $60 on a dine-in evening meal in Naples Pizza Restaurant that will go down in your history books for all the right reasons.?

?

(CALL TO ACTION)?Make it a party to remember – and then do it all over again!

Simply click on the offer to make your booking for any night of the week, grab your lucky partner and head off to Naples at Bainbridge Road in Ashfield.?Once you’re there, you can order any pizza or pasta from the huge variety available; they have gluten-free pizza bases, too. ?You could make a real party of it and invite all your mates – go ahead and click on as many offers for two as you like.?Which means you can feast again and again - just like the Romans!??(417 words)

?

That all comes to approx. 417 words.?At the end, list your Ts&Cs in bullet points – keep them to a minimum.

As long as your customer is ready to buy, the hard sell message seals the deal more quickly than the soft sell.?The soft sell message will help to get your customer ready for the sale, though. ?

This is the type that will help you to build a relationship with your readers and convert them into customers.

Go and try it – put your website to better use and don’t be afraid to lay out your wares!

Happy scribbling,

Jo C