How Copywriters Can Bounce Back After A Client Messes Up A Direct Marketing Campaign
Keywords: copywriting, freelance, direct marketing
Recently a copywriter named Chris asked me what she should do when a direct marketing campaign fails. “How do you bounce back in your freelance business after a client royally screws up a DM campaign?”
The short answer is that no copywriter wins all the time. The law of averages in the business of marketing won’t support it.
Many factors must combine properly to make a winning campaign, and the degree of your success will depend on the degree to which EACH element is “right on.”
Marketers depend on the copywriter to guide them in the creation of the campaign. So the copywriter should first have her pulse on the two most important aspects of any mailing:
1. The list
2. The offer
The list is the most important element of any campaign because if there’s anything wrong with it (poorly targeted, old and dirty, etc.), it won’t matter how great your offer is or how masterful your copywriting. The campaign will probably do poorly, or fail.
The offer is the second most important element of a direct response campaign. An expert copywriter will make sure the offer is extremely appealing to the target audience before he ever starts copy. In fact, there are many copywriters (myself included), who consider exceptional offer development to be the “secret weapon” behind their winning campaigns.
So setting yourself up for success is the number one rule for creating winners.
But of course, that’s only half the battle. Chris said that the venerable Dan Kennedy once told her face-to-face that if anyone was going to screw up a direct marketing campaign, it’s the client.
And while one can’t lay 100 percent of the blame on the client all of the time, clients do have a way of monkey-wrenching the best laid plans.
In my opinion, many direct response campaigns fall short of their potential because the marketing team is constrained by time and/or budget. Often times they agree with the copywriter’s vision for the campaign, but substitute poor offers for good offers, or push copy too fast, or other types of “corner cutting” to meet time or money pressures.
Other less obvious elements may be at play as well. Years ago when I was senior writer for Rosen/Brown Direct, a well-known direct response agency, we were baffled by a syndrome that emerged.
Our unique selling proposition what that we could get the client blockbuster response rates. On that basis we won lots of clients. But when it came time to execute their campaigns, the marketing directors would often put roadblocks in the way of our success. Richard Rosen and I were puzzled as to why.
Years later Richard told me he’d figured it out: Everyone wants high response rates initially, but if you get high response rates, it raises the bar for future campaigns.
It was his hypothesis that ultimately, the marketing director wanted good but not phenomenal success. This would maintain their job security without setting them up for super-high expectations in future campaigns.
What does this all means to the copywriter who has suffered a failed campaign?
First, all copywriters suffer failed campaigns. (You just don’t want it to become the norm.) In fact, if you’re doing it right, you’re encouraging your client to test lists, offers, headlines, and more. Sometimes these tests will fail.
When I promote myself I pretty much offer “guaranteed” success. But that’s only if the client allows me to run the whole show…and that means having a hand in list selection, and in creating the all-important offer.
These are the two most important elements of a direct response campaign…unless you’re a mature marketer who’s exhausted the available lists to test and tested enough offers to know what works best.
Then, and only then, is copy the sole star of the show. So when making promises, make sure you base your expected success on the confidence you have in the three crucial elements of any on- or offline mail campaign: the list, the offer, and the copy, in that order.
But if everything falls apart, how do you pick up the pieces?
In agencies, and more sophisticated marketing departments, a meeting will sometimes be called to discuss the results of a campaign. If anyone ever tells you there will be a “post-mortem,” that’s what they’re talking about. It’s a negative term, for sure, and I’ll be glad when it’s no longer trendy marketing language as I think it implies an expected negative result.
If the client doesn’t call a post-mortem, and the results were dismal, then I’ll call a meeting to go over every element of the campaign, and offer a write up as to why I think the campaign failed.
This is a very smart step to take, and for lots of reasons. First, you may uncover a “buried” influence. I recall one client who came to me and said “We don’t want any response, we just want them to know we exist.” To which I replied, “If we’re making the effort, why not see what we can get? It doesn’t cost us anything more.”
When the campaign pulled a 0.7% response rate, the marketing director was disappointed. But when I reviewed the campaign from beginning to end and wrote up my analysis, we were all reminded that the number one objective of the campaign was awareness; any response would be gravy. On that basis, the campaign was then seen as a success.
A post-mortem analysis will uncover weak offers, reveal poor targeting, and sometimes lead to market intelligence you can use in subsequent campaigns. For instance, a back-end analysis of a recent campaign for the client I just spoke about revealed that the extra cost of personalizing does NOT pay off for a segment of their target audience.
By calling a post-mortem and by offering a written analysis of the campaign results, you show your client that you’re not a fly-by-nighter. That you believe in your work. And that you’re still their “partner.”
I’ve found that the client is usually willing to work with you to make the next campaign more successful, by learning from past mistakes. Slinking away with your tail between your legs tells them that you were in it only for the paycheck.
Stand up to the situation and see what you (and your client) can gain from it. Not only is it the professional thing to do, but it can turn a failure into a learning experience, and provide value for future campaigns.
Master copywriter and coach Chris Marlow publishes a free ezine for copywriters who want to quickly build a profitable business. Visit:
www.FreelancersBusinessBulletin.com
Previous Articles Highlighter:
What Copywriters Can Do With Good Work That Was Never Used (1)
Everyone loves a good story. And the story about the mailing that didn't mail, or the brochure that didn't get published, or the web site that didn't go up, has power.
The Biggest Lie Potential Clients Will Tell A Copywriter (2)
When I priced the work, the total came to about $12,000. Obviously, this was a client I wanted to say "yes" to, but knowing the "big lie," I also realized I would be on the line for lost income if he didn't provide me with the promised work.
Understanding Auto Depreciation - What The Salesman Won’t Tell You (3)
Keywords: corvette accessories, corvette apparel, corvette parts, corvette gift ideas, corvette products The question in the back of your mind after you’ve bought a used or new car is always, “I wonder how long I can drive this car till I have to sell it.” Hand-in-hand with selling your car comes the question of what will it be worth in the future.
How Important Is It For Copywriters To Have An Agency Quality Website? (4)
He already knows that, even if he doesn't know how to write copy himself. What he's looking for is validation that you could be the right copywriter for him.
Conquering Insecurity: Every Copywriter's Hobgoblin (5)
Could they use improvement? Do they help you obtain your financial goals? If not, the best thing you can do is drop what you're doing and get your pricing tools in order.
How To Get 50% Of Your Freelance Fee Up Front -And A Whole Lot More! (6)
But before we get started I'll make a couple of points: The first concerns semantics: Somewhere along the line I read that the word "contract" is negative and off-putting, and after some thought, I had to agree.
Where To Find The Best Copywriting Clients (7)
and pull up information on thousands of archived mailers selling seminars. For an extra $40 or so, you can request that one of these mailers be copied and sent to you in either a traditional photocopied format, or (if available) an instantly downloadable PDF.
Two Of The Most Powerful Ways To Market Your Copywriting Services (8)
But most copywriters have neither the time nor the finances for multiple marketing efforts; most pick one or two methods that appeal to them, and work hard at making them effective.
Find Out Where The High-Paying Freelance Copywriting Jobs Are (9)
In terms of pay structure, most B2B companies work on flat rates and would find the idea of "bonuses" and "royalties" foreign. However, I have successfully negotiated pay structures that offer extra pay for goals met.
How Copywriters Can Cultivate Quality Clients By Creating Powerful Newsletters (10)
For instance, if you are very good at creating offers, you will get more interest with an ezine that focuses just on offers than you will with something more general or "catch all." Notice the difference between these two potential ezine titles and taglines: "The Copywriting Tip Sheet" and "Tons of Tips for Writing Better Copy" versus "Offers Monthly for Marketers" and "Mastering the Offer as an ROI Generator." As a title, "The Copywriting Tip Sheet" is weak because: A.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
Specialty Copywriting: How To Select The Right Niche Market For You (1)
But today, work opportunities for copywriters have expanded greatly. That's because clients became tired of unaccountable general advertising and pushed their agencies to do more direct response. Over time direct marketing became mainstream and shed its image as the "ugly step sister" of image advertising.
How To Price A Job Correctly Even When You're Totally Stumped (2)
Project management? Are you expected to attend on-site meetings? When you price, price for everything you bring to the table... not just the copy. 3. Avoid small businesses.
How To Transition Into Copywriting By Moonlighting - Even If You Already Have A Full-Time Job (3)
The most important thing to remember when you pick up moonlighting jobs is to estimate your time, and then double it. Award-winning copywriter Chris Marlow publishes a free newsletter for freelancers who want to build a successful business.
Fatal Negotiation Mistakes Copywriters Make, And How To Avoid Them (4)
She asks: "Do you always quote based on your time or do you quote based on the value the project has to the client?" The answer is to always quote based on the value to the client.
How To Get B2B Clients: A Primer For Copywriters (5)
You must have a Web site. And it had better be professional. A professional Web site for the corporate market must exhibit obvious elements of good lead-generation.
Your Unique Selling Proposition: Use It. Or Lose Everything (6)
On the other hand, if your competition does a poor job of conveying their USP, you can gain an advantage by making your USP the primary "concept" in each of your mailings.
How The Freelancer Can Build A Super Powerful Prospect List (7)
It lists over 5,000 names, addresses, and basic facts about U.S. firms doing business by mail. Library sources I used in my early days of freelancing included the "Standard Directory of Advertisers" and "Standard Directory of Advertising Agencies." Also known as "the red books" by industry insiders, you should be able to find them at any main library; I've had less luck finding them at the local level (and they're too expensive for most freelancers to buy).
Why Every Copywriter Needs Great Testimonials... And How To Get Them Quickly (8)
Now he has to think and spend time on your behalf, and it doesn't benefit him in any way. Another "objection" is that he may be intimidated. Many people are poor spellers or insecure about their writing ability in general.
What Copywriters Need To Know About The Proper Use Of Copyright (9)
You do retain copyright until the work is paid in full. So use this fact to your advantage. Make sure your Fee Agreement points out that you will retain copyright until paid in full.
Failed Agreements: What Copywriters Must Know About Negotiation (10)
They confirm my timeworn advice to avoid small businesses and seek work from more marketing-savvy mid-size and large companies.) An example of financially ruinous negotiating tactic #2 comes from one of my recently "graduated" coaching students.
Permalink to How Copywriters Can Bounce Back After A Client Messes Up A Direct Marketing Campaign