A direct response message is not just about response.
It’s comprised of three elements: it must be 1)
captivating (it captures the reader’s attention), 2)
riveting (it pulls her into reading further) and 3)
engaging (it calls her to act). (In fact, these are the
“three simple steps” I talk about in my DVD video.)

How can you incorporate those three vital elements?

If I were to answer that question adequately it would
likely take me an entire book the size of an
encyclopedia! But for now, let me give you a succinct
explanation…

First, write to be scanned.

On the Internet, people are fast-paced, click-happy
(with an attention span the size of a DNA molecule) and
easily bored. The burden of getting visitors to stop
what they’re doing and start reading rests entirely
upon the headline, the headers and any grabbers —
things that help grab people’s attention (e.g., boxes,
borders, graphics, etc).

But once you captured your readers’ attention, the next
step is to keep them (and to keep them reading).

If you know the AIDA formula, you know this is where
you need to generate interest. But I go a step further
by saying that your job is even more important here,
since you must not only generate interest but also
maintain it. And that is a much harder task, especially
online.

It’s also the crux behind a long copy salesletter’s
success.

The debate about long versus short copy can be
wearisome for most copywriters, since they must
constantly explain to their clients the benefits of
using long copy. Even though long copy is statistically
proven to outperform short copy, many clients still
tell me that longer copy will never be read, and that
on the Internet things are short and fast. And then
they ask me to trim my drafts down.

(I often fervently protest when this happens, and
you’ll soon find out why.)

Sure, I completely agree that things are short and fast
online. But there is a difference between grabbing
people’s attention and holding on to it. Keeping
readers riveted, hanging on to each and every word with
an intense desire to know what’s next, is the goal of
any direct response copy.

Remember this:

There’s a difference between long copy and long-winded
copy.

(It sounds the same as reading a story, right? Well, it
is. Like a book that’s called a “page turner,” copy
that keeps people glued to each and every paragraph is
one that is intensely interesting, curiously inviting
and uncomfortably compelling.)

As an aside, why do you think we now include
“stickiness” as a measuring stick in web analytics?
Granted, some of it is entertainment value, like videos
and graphics. But 9 times out of 10, it’s copy. Period.

Here’s a known fact:

Prospects who are qualified and genuinely interested in
the product or service being offered always want more
information about it, not less. If they are not
qualified or interested from the outset, no matter how
long or short the copy is, they will simply never buy.
If they’re not interested or qualified, they won’t read
15 words, much less 1,500 words.

Shorter copy can lead to three potential outcomes:

1) a lower response due to the lack of information;

2) an incessant need for more data, leading to a
barrage of information requests or questions;

3) or a higher number of cancellations, refunds and
returns since the product or service turned out to be
different than what was initially expected.

If long copy leads to poor results, it has nothing to
do with the length. It has everything to do with the
copy.

It’s simply too boring.

It didn’t elevate the reader’s level of interest, and
it failed to keep her reading. Admittedly, it’s a
challenge — and the reason why most online business
owners usually opt for short copy, since writing long
copy that engages, entices and entertains is very
difficult. (Yes, I did say “entertain.” It really is
all about storytelling.)

Good copy, on the other hand, is where the reader hangs
onto every word, and becomes more and more excited the
further she reads it. You see, long copy is like
telling a good story — and copywriters are indeed
storytellers. If your copy tells a compelling story,
people will read it … All of it. When it is written
well, long copy can lead to a much greater level of
response.

Look at it this way:

You visit a bookstore and notice a book that seems to
entice you. For instance, the cover, the title and the
cover copy, such as editorial raves or the author’s
biography, pull you into the book. Even the opening
chapter is delectable. So, you decide to buy the book.

The book seems to be inviting, exciting and
entertaining, and the story compels you to read every
single page, no matter how big the book is.

Take Stephen King, for example. If you’re a Stephen
King fanatic, that means: 1) you’re in his target
market, and 2) you’re interested in everything King
writes. Now, let’s say King publishes a massive, 800-
page tome. Are you not going to read it simply because
“it’s too long?” Of course not.

In fact, the book is so good that you either wish it
was longer or, once done, are prepared to read it over
once more. You just can’t put the book down, even if
time is limited, and you’re busy or preoccupied with
other things.

Here’s a flipside.

Let’s say, as you read it further, the story makes no
more sense. You become confused, perhaps a little
frustrated, and you slowly begin to lose interest. The
plot no longer invites you to keep reading. You drift
away and find it harder to continue. Ultimately, the
storyline fails to keep you excited about the book. So,
you stop, close the book and then shelve it. Now, it
gathers dust in your library.

The excuse? It’s TOO long!

Let me ask you, how many books in your library did you
fail to finish reading (or to start reading, for that
matter)? Perhaps some. Perhaps many. But the same thing
holds true with direct response copy.

Long copy works better than short copy. But it only
works if it’s interesting, captivating and riveting.
Call it “edutainment.” Copy must be educational and
entertaining.

However, in a handful of cases shorter copy is
warranted. (There is such a thing as “overselling” in
copy.) But the only real way to know for sure is to
test, test and test. Claude Hopkins, author of
“Scientific Advertising,” wrote an important axiom:

“Almost any question can be answered cheaply, quickly
and finally, by a test campaign. This is the only way
to answer them, not by arguments around a table. Go to
the court of last resort… The buyers of your product.”

As my mentor, copywriting genius Dan Kennedy, once said
in a recent interview:

“Now, the person who says ‘But I would never read all
that copy’ makes the mistake of thinking they are their
customer … And they are not. We are never our own
customers. (…) There is a thing in copywriting I teach
called ‘message-to-market match’. It is this: when your
message is matched to a target market that has a high
level of interest in it, not only does the level of
responsiveness go up but readership goes up, too…

“… The whole issue of interest goes up.”

The next step is to engage the reader.

Again, you’re like an author telling a good story, and
your copy must read like one. But like all good
stories, the reader must become intimately involved in
the plot. They see themselves in the shoes of the
characters living out the story.

And to do this, you need what I often call “UPWORDS.”
It’s an acronym that means: “Universal picture words or
relatable, descriptive sentences.”

First, using “universal picture words” means to use
words and mental imagery that help to paint vivid
pictures in the mind. Lace your copy with words that
engage as many of the senses as possible, and cause
your prospects to easily visualize already enjoying the
benefits of your offer.

As for “universal,” it means to use words that appeal
to, and can be easily interpreted by, the vast majority
of readers. In other words, use words to “encode” your
message so that, when they are read, can be decoded in
the same way by most of your readers. Your job is to
get the reader not only to read your copy but also to
understand it, internalize it and appreciate it.

Remember this simple yet extremely important rule:

“Different words mean different things to different
people.”

Some words can be interpreted in one way by one reader
and in a different way by another. Your job, therefore,
is to choose words that cater and universally appeal to
the bulk of your readers in order for them to fully
appreciate what you’re conveying.

For example, a challenge among cosmetic surgeons is the
fact that prospective patients will call for an
estimate over the phone when obviously the doctor needs
to see her beforehand. (An initial, in-person
assessment is always required, even by law, to see if
that patient is a surgical candidate. Giving out an
estimate implies that the patient is indeed a good
candidate for the surgery when it may not be the case.)

Here’s the crux of the problem:

Most patients don’t understand the significance of
seeing the doctor in person. Some may feel intimated by
doctors or by surgery, while others may simply be in a
rush and want to “shop around.” While they may
understand the reason, they may not necessarily
appreciate the importance, because cosmetic surgery is
an uncommon process. So, doctors will use analogies,
referring to a more common approach, such as cosmetic
dentistry.

Why? Unlike surgery, most people have had their teeth
done at some point in their lives. They already know
it. They already have a “reference point” in their
minds they can relate to.

So, doctors will say: “Like a dentist, I can not give
you an estimate over the phone without any x-rays of
your teeth let alone the knowledge of how many cavities
you actually have.” People now understand not only the
reason but also the importance of seeing the doctor in
person in order to obtain an accurate estimate.

This applies to every business.

Business owners often become so intimately involved
with their product or business that they tend to forget
to look at them from their prospect’s perspective. For
example, they tend to use a language that only people
in their industry or “on the other side of the fence,”
so to speak, can fully appreciate. But that approach
can backfire… And often does.

Therefore, your job is to use analogies, metaphors and
comparisons, and most importantly stories, all in a
language to which the prospect can relate.

That’s what “relatable, descriptive sentences” mean.
Words are not messages in themselves. They are merely
symbols. Your choice of words can actually alter the
understanding, and particularly the emotional impact,
of your message.

Finally, use action words (i.e., active verbs and not
passive ones) that not only compel your readers but
also “propel” them into action. Tell them what they
must do and take them “by the hand,” in other words.
Don’t stick with mere verbs. Use action words that
paint vivid pictures in the mind, too. And the more
vivid the picture is the more compelling the request
will be.

For example, you’re a financial consultant. Rather than
saying something like, “Poor fiscal management may lead
to financial woes,” say, “Stop mediocre money
management from sucking cash straight out of your
wallet!” (People can visualize the action of “sucking”
better than they can “leading.”) Instead of, “Let me
help you maintain your balance sheet,” say, “Borrow my
eyes to help you keep a steady finger on your financial
pulse.”

— About the Author —
Michel Fortin is a direct
response copywriter, marketing strategy consultant, and
instrumental in some of the most lucrative online
businesses and wildly successful marketing campaigns to
ever hit the web. For more articles like this one,
please visit his blog at http://www.michelfortin.com/
and subscribe to his RSS feed.