Donnie Bryant, Direct Response Copywriter

Love + Active Verbs = The Start of Strong Copy

July 16, 2015 by Donnie Bryant

Donnie Bryant on direct response copywriting

“Make the verbs do the work.”

Writing “The new sales letter pummeled the previous version,” paints a more vivid picture than “the new sales letter is better than the previous version.”

“Pummel” paints a powerful picture. That’s what verbs do for writers.

I adore adjectives, but overusing them usually ends up sounding like hype. Hyperbole causes allergic reactions for many would-be buyers.

Anyway…

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being Adam Franklin’s guest on the Web Marketing that Works podcast. I’ve come to admire Adam quite a bit over the past few months, and I was honored to be on his show.

We talked for about half an hour, discussing what I believe are the most important elements of direct response copywriting and marketing:

a desire to understand, empathize with and provide value for your customers (which I refer to as “falling in love” with them)
communicating clearly and directly, rather than trying to be cute or clever
watching out for hype, without undercutting the strength of your promises and big ideas
etc.

It was a lot of fun. Have a listen over on the Bluewire Media site.

While you’re over there, check out all the other helpful resources and information Adam and his partner Toby give away. They give away 33 marketing templates from their book Web Marketing that Works. I highly recommend that you pick them up (opt-in required) and put them to use.

Becoming the Most Productive YOU Ever

May 19, 2017July 14, 2015 by Donnie Bryant

Contrary to the opinion of many, productivity is not a function of speed. It’s all about results.

Making 20 sales calls in an hour is working fast. But if you make a bad impression on 20 good prospects, the hour was unproductive. (Cold calling is rarely productive, by the way. At least for most of us.)

Entrepreneurial people live in what Dan Sullivan calls the “results economy,” not the “time and effort economy. Working harder, faster, and taking fewer breaks may seem like a more productive way of living. That’s not necessarily the case. In the end, the value you produce is what matters.

All things are not equal. Knocking out 90% of the tasks on your checklist may be unproductive…if you’re doing it to avoid the handful of things that will have the biggest impact.

Now, I’ve never claimed to be the world’s leading authority on productivity. But as an obsessed freelance copywriter with 4 kids and a gorgeous wife who deserves my attention, I have to maintain a degree of focus. Not just activity, but money-in-the-bank results.

My more productive days have distinctive characteristics that my unproductive ones. When I’m “on,” here’s what’s usually happening:

I get into motion. Inertia kills many people and projects at the starting block. It drains our reservoirs of enthusiasm and energy. Getting going is tough! Sometimes it makes sense to make the first step ridiculously easy to take. Get the forward momentum started and accelerate from there. Don’t overthink!
- Once momentum is working for you instead of against, you might be surprised how productive you can be. A little step forward, a mini-victory can go a long way.
- As a writer, this is HUGE. Don’t stare at a blank page for too long. Start writing. Your thoughts will clear up before you know it. Then go back and edit.
I prioritize in advance. I decide what results I need to accomplish and plan activities accordingly.
I prepare in advance. The work starts before you start working. You wipe out a lot of dilly-dally if you come fully prepared.
I set deadlines. Without them, I’m practically dead in the water.
I use methods already proven to work instead of reinventing the wheel every time out.
I schedule my day, slotting my high-priority action items into times when my energy levels and focus are likely to be high – that’s usually evening for me – and my time will be uninterrupted.

The Other Part of Productivity

You have go beyond affecting your own mental and work habits. You’ve gotta produce an effect on other people.

How do you avoid doing all the right things only to fall flat when dealing with customers?

Go after the right prospects. Vegans don’t buy steaks.

Who wants what you sell? Who’s most likely to buy in the near future? Who has the ability to say “yes”? Who is already inclined to do business with you?

Strengthen the messaging. There’s a reason good copywriters and salespeople make a lot of money. Communicating persuasively multiplies productivity. I’ve seen conversion rates rise 400% and more simply by rearranging some words.

If you’re going to make sales calls or send emails, you might as well close some deals.

Use leverage. Make your intelligent efforts stretch even farther. Productivity levers include

authority
relationships with your existing customers
strategic alliances
expanding from one-to-one to one-to-many
repurposing existing materials.

A Word About State Management

I’ve found that I’m most productive when I’m excited about what I’m working on. Creativity emerges more effortlessly when I’m confident in my abilities and knowledge.

Negativity and disagreement put me into a funk.

You have to figure out ways to get yourself pumped up and confident that you’re going to knock it out of the ballpark.

—

*Update May 2017*

Here’s the recording of a livestreamed video I shot for my Facebook group. It’s about writing faster. Because… you know…I’m a writer (and there’s a good chance you are, too):

—
One last thing.

I wanted to share this cool infographic. Salesforce Canada did some research to uncover “Simple tips to Becoming the Most Productive Salesperson Ever.” One of their reps reached out to me and asked to share it.

Good stuff for you to think about.

Connecting with Customers Using Strategic Social Media

September 20, 2018July 13, 2015 by Donnie Bryant

Over the past 10 months or so, I’ve picked up the most profitable client of my copywriting career AND a client I’d only dreamed of working with (arguably the most prestigious organization in the world in its niche)…

…through social media. These two connections will be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for me.

That’s a weird thing for me to say.

I’ve been cautious about recommending social media as a marketing tool to others. I spend limited amounts of time using it myself. So how do I explain the undeniable client-attracting effect that social media has had on my business?

This is something small business owners and solo professionals need to sort out. Hopefully my tales of adventure will help you do that.

Social Media Is a Grenade…

…you have to make sure it explodes in the right place.

Here’s why I’ve taken a pessimistic tone on social media marketing in the past.

Social media is rarely the highest and best use of your time. It’s too easy to spend 3 hours on your favorite platform. In my experience, you have more control and get a better ROI with other marketing methods (direct mail, email marketing, content marketing). It may not always be true for everyone, but definitely something you need to constantly watch out for.
- Be smart with your time. “Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.” ~ Alfred Montapert
You can’t put the cart before the horse. There is a temptation among many entrepreneurs to think that social media will instantly put you in front of millions of eager customers. Doesn’t usually work that way. You have to get good at what you do first. Then, put stakes in your own digital real estate. A solid website is a strong foundation you can build on.
- It’s hard to take any business or service provider without a website seriously. And it should be on a domain you own.
- If you have subpar products, services, positioning or messaging, being active on social will just get you in trouble faster. First things first.
Your audience is probably not on Facebook or Twitter looking to buy something. Social media is part of the big picture. But using it for the leading edge of your sales process makes things more complicated. People have to go from looking for cute cat videos to buying your stuff in one step. You’re asking them to make a major shift.
- It depends on what you sell. Fashion stuff seems to do fine on Instagram. And LinkedIn is made for commercial purposes.

The chances of “overnight success” are small, especially if your budget is also small.

You must be prepared to “show up” for an extended period of time. That includes your social media activity.

The most common advice/encouragement I give to entrepreneurs and marketers lately has been to trust in the cumulative effect of your efforts over time. Keep showing up, even when you feel like giving up.

This is especially true, I think, in social media. In our minds, social networks and instant feedback are synonymous. We’re vulnerable to despair if we continue to think that way.

How Social Media Has Worked for My Service Business

I’ll admit, I don’t have a detailed social marketing strategy. My approach has been strategic, though. Note: this is what’s worked for me. Results will vary.

Social media is an attraction device for me. I use it to educate my growing audience (demonstrating my expert status in the process) and connecting with like-minded people and influencers. I don’t go after prospects. That’s not my style. But I do try to establish a presence where people I want to attract hang out online.

Behind the scenes, I have created a mountain of content. I’m doing the work and sharing what I learn – not just talking about what’s trending – or answering questions (like this post). That’s how I earn the right to play in social media sandbox. Again, you can’t put the cart ahead of the horse.

I position myself as an expert in my field and produce the content to back up my claims.

I connect with people who can vouch for my character, share my content and let me appear on their stages occasionally. They also become great referral partners. I promote and refer them, too.

LinkedIn has been the best performer for me. I spent some time creating what I think is a decent profile. I share a lot of content, both my own, my friends’ and other interesting material I come across. And I engage with my network. It probably takes up an hour or 90 minutes a week.

I enjoy Twitter, and my content gets some traction there, but I can’t say that I’ve gained any client work there. Twitter traffic is also below average in terms of time on site, pageviews, etc. The primary benefits I get from Twitter are the goodwill I get for sharing other people’s content and the relationships that have formed as a result.

It’s another place I get to show my expertise.

Google+ has lost most it’s charm for me, but I still post most of my new articles with the hopes that Google will show me favor and index them quickly.

Facebook is all about relationships. You may have noticed. The biggest benefit I get on FB is in private groups where engagement is high-value. Everyone helps and supports everyone else.

Here’s the main point I’m making. Social media has worked well for me because

I’ve been consistently persistent in showing up and providing the highest value I’m capable of creating
Focusing on others – sharing their content, being helpful to them and
Using the platform to attract and be attractive to people I want to connect with. I show off my expertise and let the content do the rest.
I’m more worried about quality than quantity. As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, two connections will put 6-figures in my pocket.

Your Action Steps

Decide what success looks like for you. Want to generate steady stream of traffic to your product page? Are you using the number of ‘Likes’ you have or the size of your following as social proof? Will you target qualified prospects individually? Don’t think that you have to copy someone else who seems successful. Decide what you want and develop a strategy from there.

Focus on the foundation. That doesn’t mean you wait until you’re the best in the world before you start promoting yourself. Just commit to getting better all the time and don’t pretend to be something you’re not. Social media should call attention to your awesome skills, but you have to have some substance behind the tweets and posts.

Have a plan for what happens after you engage socially. Will the person sign up for your email list? Buy your product? Show up for your next Periscope session? Be specific with what you want to accomplish and formulate an A to B to C plan to make it happen.

Make social one part of your overall marketing strategy. You should have multiple ways to reach your target audience.

Be persistent. If possible, be consistent, too. Make a plan, schedule some time, then go to work. Use automation tools that save you time.

Give. Be known for providing value to others. Not just tooting your own horn.

That’s my two cents.

6 Painful Reasons You Can’t Rely on Headline Analyzers

October 3, 2016June 7, 2015 by Donnie Bryant

A colleague of mine shared this tool in one of the Facebook group I’m a member of:

http://coschedule.com/headline-analyzer#

I don’t spend much time at all on Facebook, but I happened to see this post, and I couldn’t pass by without adding my two cents. Here’s a slightly modified version of my response:

This IS a cool tool, Jamal.

I’d just note that there are several important factors that this analyzer doesn’t take into consideration:

1) Whether a headline is strong or not is determined as much by WHO YOUR AUDIENCE IS as by the words you choose. Vegans won’t click on articles about making your steak tender and delicious, no matter how interesting the title looks.

2) Are your claims believable, or do they scream “Hype!”? It’s impossible for a machine to figure that out…

3) The formula used by the tool doesn’t know whether or not the headline is nonsense. As long as you put the right words in there, you’ll score high.

E.g. “how to startling orangutan spine surprises surprisingly” scores an 80 — but it doesn’t make any sense.

I entered the title of this post “6 Painful Reasons You Can’t Rely on Headline Analyzers,” which scored 66. When I switched “Analyzers” to “Awesome,” the score went up to 72 — even though the change destroys the headline.

(Both versions get an A+ for “structure, grammar and readability.”)

4) Some of the “right” words (“emotional” and “power” words listed in the free download Coschedule gives you when you opt in) are less powerful than you might think. “Awesome” is so overused that it will fall flat in many cases.

Again, you can’t know the right words unless you know who you’re talking to.

For example, financial copywriters know that “the Fed,” “Yellen” and “rate hike” have emotional punch that may not really work in any other industry.

5) As far as I can tell, this tool and the accompanying article focus on getting cold traffic to click on a blog post. It doesn’t — nor could it — calculate familiarity, relationship, name/brand recognition, etc.

The degree to which your readers know/trust you, enjoy your style and know you deliver value has a huge impact on your readership.

For example, if two articles have the exact same headline, who wins: Joe Schmoe or Seth Godin? More to the point, who wins a showdown between Seth Godin and Rachel Ray? Of course, that’s a trick question. It depends on the audience and topic.

Many of you have heard that one of the most opened and responded to emails sent during President Obama’s reelection campaign had “Hey” as the subject line.

“Hey” gets a zero on the headline analyzer, and as a blog title seen by cold traffic, maybe it should. But to people who know the Prez (or whoever), it sounds personal and really makes you curious to know what he has to say.

Email is a different animal, so keep that in mind.

6) If it sounds like you’re trying to sell something, you’ll have a different response than if it seems like you’re just sharing content.

If you’ve ever tried selling anything online, you know what I mean.

Having said all of that, I think the tool could be very helpful in helping your strengthen you headlines.

—–

Now, this critique is a bit of a nasty sandwich. One slice of positive at the beginning and end with a pile of negatives stuffed in between. I DO think tools like these can be helpful in making writers think creatively about how they’re crafting headlines and openers.

Just keep in mind that a you can communicate with your audience better than a machine ever could.

In Pursuit of Elephants

October 18, 2017May 14, 2015 by Donnie Bryant

“The hunter in pursuit of an elephant does not stop to throw stones at birds.” ~ Ugandan proverb

The words rocked me when I read them for the first time. The weight of that truth. The multiple layers of application, personal and professional. The visual texture of the metaphor.

It’s amazing how much wisdom can be found on boxes of tea these days…

The ideas of purpose, focus and the proper use of time become increasingly important to me. There are so many demands on my time, energy and resources, it’s critical to figure out which are elephants and which are birds.

The cool (and simultaneously challenging) thing is, by and large, it’s up to you to decide which is which.

What are YOU pursuing?

One of the major components of the business growth model Michael Zipursky shared during last week’s training was defining who your ideal clients are. (FYI, you can see the replay of the 1-hour training here.)

Again, you get to pick who they are. You also get to decide, to a degree that would astonish many people, HOW you will work with them.

I don’t necessarily mean big-money clients when I say “elephants,” although there’s nothing wrong with that. I mean whatever is meaningful to you. Here’s the catch: most of us never define what’s important to us. We kind of just drift through life. Maybe we pat ourselves on the back when we avail ourselves of opportunities as they pass. But how many of those opportunities are “birds” that happen to land in our paths?

What’s important in your life? In your business? Pursue it like a hungry cheetah chases it’s next meal. Ignore as many insignificant things as possible. They’re wasting huge chunks of your time (aka your life)!

That means you have to figure out what your purpose is and focus on it.

A Stimulating Conversation with a From-Scratch Millionaire

Quick story.

On Monday, I had the chance to sit down and chat with one of my clients. His life is one of those true rags-to-riches tales. He showed me a YouTube video of his oldest son, who has also become a millionaire, giving a presentation at a major event.

I (strategically) asked what he attributed his son’s success to. He boiled it down to 3 main factors:

Intelligence
Insane work ethic
Fearlessness

Both my client and his son have earned millions of dollars by choosing their elephants, expending massive amounts of energy pursuing them (working smart AND hard) and ignoring the insidious feeling of fear that would tell them to chase something smaller, less dangerous and easier to catch.

Sounds like good advice.

Are You Really “Connecting” with Your Audience?

May 12, 2015 by Donnie Bryant

Forgive the alliteration. It might get a little crazy in here.

Connection. Conversation. Content.

Eleven months ago to the day, I did a Google Hangout with Roger Courville. Roger’s question to me was “How do you connect with people?” It’s a topic I feel like pretty well-equipped to answer.

Roger, on the other hand, is the KING of connectorship (which is a term he coined). He’s a genius in every sense of the word.

During this 50-minute conversation, we talked about my dark past in retail management, how that led me to explore the copywriting and how even in that stifling environment, people can connect with each other through content, and giving.

We also discussed the forces that make copywriting and content marketing connectors, from person to person, business to customer and business to business.

This hangout will benefit you because you’ll learn

what makes deep connections happen
how to be more customer-centric, even when time are hard
why giving is so important, and how to be more intentional about your giving
the various forms content can take, in real life as well as online
the best advice on the planet for copywriting that really connects
and plenty of other stuff.

It was a fun conversation with a good friend I don’t spend enough time with (and one of my all-time favorite clients). Have a look:

We recorded this conversation the day after my then 7 year-old son broke his arm. In all the hustle and bustle, I forgot to share this with you sooner.

I recommend you also check out Roger’s website and look him up on social media. He’s one of the smartest guys I know, and also one of the coolest and most generous. You’ll like him. More importantly, you’ll learn from him.

(FYI, Brother Roger wrote THE book on how to create webinars that rock — in 2009. His thinking is always cutting edge, yet practical. As I said, he’s the king of connectorship.)

Consulting Success Webinar Replay and My 2 Big Takeaways

May 7, 2015May 6, 2015 by Donnie Bryant

I hope you enjoyed the webinar I did with Michael Zipursky (CEO of Consulting Success) yesterday as much as I did. If you missed it, or just want to watch again, check out the replay here.

Michael explained step-by-step how consultants and coaches can set up a marketing system to consistently attract more clients.

At the end, he offered a way for you to get help with your marketing for free. You see, Michael runs a coaching program where he teaches and guides you to create your own marketing system. And if you were paying attention to the case studies, his students often get massive results — almost immediately.
If you’re interested in talking with a top expert about your marketing and getting help to attract more clients, take action on Michael’s generous offer. This complimentary call is available on a “first come, first served” basis, and his schedule tends to fill up pretty quickly.

Request your marketing strategy call here:
http://www.consultingsuccess.com/donnie

My 2 Big Takeaways

1) Authority is as long-term strategy.

You may have noticed on the image above that Authority is the LAST step in the process. That’s almost the opposite of what you hear other experts say. The standard advice is to establish your authority right away, then you can start charging premium prices, etc.

Mr. Zipursky looks at it differently. He teaches his clients to take the long-view on authority. Yes, you should always be working on it, but a perceived lack of authority should never stop you going after what you want, making the biggest, boldest promises you can make (as long as you can deliver) and setting fees commensurate with the value you provide.

It reminded me of Robert Ringer’s book, Winning Through Intimidation. You don’t necessarily have to be the #1 expert to do great work. Always look for opportunities to provide the highest level of value you’re capable of delivering — to the clients who will benefit most and pay you accordingly. If you’re good enough to play in the “big leagues,” step on the field. Don’t worry about “paying your dues.”

2) There is a price for staying where you are.

We probably don’t think about business (or life) this way. We think of progress as moving upwards, mistakes and failures as going downward, and moving forward in a straight line when things aren’t changing.

During the webinar, Michael demonstrated how much we sacrifice when we don’t work with our ideal clients, on our ideal projects, on our terms. When we’re not charging as much as we’re worth, we’re throwing time and money away with every deal we sign.

If you’re not going up, you’re slipping down.

There’s also a price associated with progress. But isn’t success worth paying the cost?

For Coaches, Consultants and Consultative Salespeople ONLY

April 30, 2015 by Donnie Bryant

I came across a way to consistently attract high-paying clients to your consulting or coaching business that I HAD to tell you about.

You’ve heard me talk about my “secret society,” an international group of marketing-savvy entrepreneurs and thought-leaders. You may have purchased the book I co-authored with some of them. Michael Zipursky has been in that group for a number of years. I’ve always been impressed with his business (appropriately named Consulting Success), and I’ve learned a lot from him.

We recently hopped on the phone together and had an awesome conversation. Michael shared with me a new business model specifically for consultants and coaches who want to attract more ideal clients consistently and get paid higher fees.

Michael’s clients have seen a 200-300% growth in their revenue within weeks of implementing this model. He shared with me how consultant after consultant and coach after coach is making this work in their business.

Michael said he would be willing to share the EXACT model with my audience. Naturally, I agreed. I always try to share the best information I can find with you, and Michael is a top-notch expert I deeply respect.

So here it is: Register for this special webinar, “How to Consistently Attract Ideal Clients and Significantly Increase Your Fees,” which we’re hosting Tuesday, May 5th at 1PM Eastern. That’s one week from today.

–> https://consultingsuccess.clickfunnels.com/donnie-cs-webinar <–

I don’t do many webinars. This is something I really believe you’ll benefit from. If you’re looking to remove the ‘trial-and-error’ from your marketing… If you want a straightforward way to attract ideal clients and earn higher fees… Don’t miss this special webinar I’m doing with Michael.

You’ll learn about the

4 biggest mistakes consultants and coaches are making and how to fix them right away
single most effective marketing method for coaches and consultants
6 step process that consultants use to DOUBLE and TRIPLE their revenues in weeks
3 common myths holding back your success and how to unlock your true potential

You’ll also hear about how this model has helped..

– A consultant go from $0 in revenue to over $100,000 in revenue in 7 weeks

– A speaker that increased her fees over 700% in 5 weeks

– A coach that added 300% to every project she lands.

The model Michael will share with you is the SIMPLEST way I’ve seen to for coaching and consulting practices to attract their ideal clients – and do it consistently.

Sound good? Sign up for this training –> https://consultingsuccess.clickfunnels.com/donnie-cs-webinar <–

To satisfy your curiosity, here’s a little more about Mr. Zipursky:

Michael Zipursky is the CEO of Consulting Success. He is an expert in helping consultants and consulting firm owners to create marketing systems that consistently attract their ideal clients and significantly increase their fees. Michael’s work has been featured in MarketingProfs, Financial Times, Huffington Post, HR Executive, Institute of Management Consultants, Consultant News, Macleans and many other publications. He is author of 6 books and publications on consulting including the best-selling Consulting Success System. Over 6,000 consultants around the world have taken Michael’s training and each week over 20,000 people read his consulting newsletter.

Writing Copy to Crush Your Competitors

March 4, 2021April 21, 2015 by Donnie Bryant

Wanna write great copy?

If not, have you ever wondered how you go about finding the right copywriter to partner with your business and make your competition tremble with fear?

Listen up.

I recently had the privilege of being interviewed by former Olympic athlete, current podcasting machine, the one and only Fabienne Raphael, on her Marketing to Crush Your Competition podcast.

Episode 138: The Secret of Writing Great Copy

Or listen here:

We talked about:

why copywriting is so important
the right way for any copywriter or marketer to approach a project
the must-have ingredients of persuasive copy
when you should and when you SHOULDN’T hire an outside copywriter and
what success really means.

It’s just 31 minutes, but I think there’s some valuable content in there.

(If you’re at all interested in getting more familiar with me and what makes me tick, there are some personal details about me and my “backstory,” as well as a few insights into my worldview.)

Check it out. I hope you find it helpful.

A Weird Thing About Dreams

January 10, 2016April 20, 2015 by Donnie Bryant

Have you ever nodded off to sleep for just a few seconds – and somehow had an entire dream play out in that short span of time?

I think it’s happened to most of us at one time or another.

I don’t know the science behind it, but I don’t think it’s simply the result of an inaccurate perception of time that occurs when you’re sleeping (like the “dream in a dream” scenes from the movie Inception). Could it be that the mind is packed with energy, excitement and curiosity that is released the moment unconsciousness opens the door? The story doesn’t need to until in a logical, linear way; you brain looks at and plays with that curious energy from multiple angles. And it all happens in an instant.

Words are very much the same. When you read or hear a word, you immediately feel the feelings and remember the memories you associate with that word. You don’t think about the multiple ways Webster defines it. For me, “love” paints a picture of the Dina, the joy of my life.

We’re all like that.

There’s something similar at play in your business – or there can be. A well-articulated Unique Selling Proposition is packed with intrinsic meaning for the kinds of customers you serve. It resonates deeply with them.

You USP isn’t something you come up with so you can sound special, nor is it just something you think your target market wants to hear. It’s your story, stripped to its essence, at the point where it intersects with your customer’s story.

It’s not an issue of being unique for the sake of being unique. It’s about being uniquely-suited to produce the happy results your customers are searching for.

As John Carlton puts it, “This is the key to everything good that will happen in your business for the rest of your life.” It’s THAT important.