Some Copywriting Truths
The first copywriting truth is: Research the market to meet their expectations. There is no such thing as a magic formula that sells every time for every product. What works for one product will not always work for another because the expectations of each market and how they want to be approached are different.
The second copywriting truth is: Copywriting is a highly specialized craft. A journalist, after doing all the appropriate research, might be able to write a 1,000-word story in about a half hour. For a copywriter, producing a 1,000-word sales letter might take the better part of eight hours and sometimes more.
The purpose of successful copy is to lower sales resistance by validating the expectations and needs of the marketplace. People buy only when they are ready and highly motivated to act.
The third copywriting truth is: The way to become a copywriting expert is to test, test and then test again. There are no expert gurus who get it right every time. There are no magic guarantees. The usual return on a 15,000 mailing is about .05 percent or 75 responses. Since a campaign of this size can cost up to $12,000, the minimum sale needs to be between $160 to $200.
The goal of testing is to make the sales piece pull more effectively and, perhaps, reach 2% or 300 responses, making the sales piece not only highly effective, but also very profitable, bringing in between $48,000 to $60,000 in gross receipts.
The final copywriting truth is: Good copywriters are NOT a dime a dozen. While there is a lot of competition in the copywriting field, good copywriters are worth every penny they charge because they make a difference in the bottom line. My advice to copywriters in establishing fees is:
- Charge a reasonable upfront fee that covers the cost of doing business.
- Maintain control of the copyright on the material produced. It is an asset to you and your company. The upfront fee allows the client to use the campaign for a limited period of time after which the rights return to the author.
- Negotiate a back end fee of between five and ten percent of gross sales or five to ten percent of the marketing budget to be paid every time the sales piece is distributed. (Do NOT negotiate a percentage of the net proceeds. Most companies will “pencil down” putting other costs ahead of yours until your fee disappears completely).
Negotiating a back end fee not only gives you a vested interest in the success of the ad campaign, it can also provide residual income that can make finding other clients easier. Beginners in this business may have more of a challenge negotiating these kinds of fees, but I highly recommend making the effort.
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