Do you want to learn about direct marketing from the best in the world? listen to Drayton Bird on this week's show


Direct Marketing by Drayton Bird
“Drayton Bird knows more about direct marketing than anyone in the world.”
– David Ogilvy, founder of Ogilvy & Mather
One of the world's greatest advertising men, David Ogilvy thought Drayton knew more about direct marketing than anyone in the world.

In this podcast, Drayton shares insights about direct marketing, advertising and copywriting. What can you learn from that insight?
What are the deadly sins that small businesses are making in their copywriting?
The answer is the same as large businesses. Those sins can be summed up in THREE words...
Failure to Study
Even copywriters are guilty. Drayton shared a story about a group of UK copywriters. How many of them had read what Drayton considers to be the single most important book on copywriting and marketing - Claude Hopkins Scientific Advertising. Just 10% of those copywriters had.

http://www.scientificadvertising.com/ScientificAdvertising.pdf



 

Drayton says the overwhelming number of people in marketing know the 'square root of sod all'. Hopkins' book was originally published in 1923.

BUY THIS BOOK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scientific-Advertising-Claude-Hopkins/dp/1603866361

Everything that Drayton writes now, is based on the principles that Hopkins established in this book. Ogilvy said nobody should have anything to do with advertising until they have read this book at least SEVEN times.

Read the book and it will make your marketing better.
What makes a good copywriter?
Drayton says he was influenced by David Ogilvy, even before he met him.

These are important if you want to be a copywriter (according to David Ogilvy)...

Obsessive curiosity - be very curious about things. Do you love to learn about new things? Do you get fascinated by new clients' businesses?
Skill at the art of nit picking
High standards of personal ethics - good copywriters are big people without pettiness.
Guts under pressure, resilience in defeat. - sometimes people don't respond, when you get turned down, it is depressing, so be persistent.
Brilliant brains, not safe plodders - ordinary people are not good at writing copy. Most good copywriters tend to be a little odd in some way other.
A capacity for hard work and midnight oil.
Charisma, charm and persuasiveness. Ogilvy had a way of changing the subject without warning. The secret of success in advertising was 'charm'.
A streak of unorthodoxy. Look at things from a different angle to other people.
The courage to make tough decisions.
Inspiring enthusiasts - got to be able to motivate. Inspire people to follow and trust you.
A sense of humour. 44% of Britain don't like their jobs!
A burning desire to take money off people. Get people to buy stuff.

 

Drayton's book Commonsense Direct Marketing - note the testimonial on the fly - "Read it and re-read it, it contains the knowledge of a lifetime" David Ogilvy

It all started because Drayton could not find a simple definition of direct marketing.

Drayton has a revised version of his 1980s book "How to Write a Sales Letter that Sells" https://www.amazon.co.uk/Write-Sales-Letters-that-Sell/dp/0749438762

Also see Bob Bly's https://www.amazon.co.uk/Copywriters-Handbook-Step-step-Writing/dp/0805078045/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M68BDAK67YG890TC70PB
Direct Marketing Definition
"Any communication that goes out to people directly, or if they respond to directly."

Therefore, everything on the internet is all direct marketing.
Which 2 Other Books Does Drayton Recommend?
John Caples "Tested Advertising Methods" - https://www.amazon.com/Advertising-Methods-Prentice-Business-Classics/dp/0130957011

Caples created systems for testing. He tested everything to find out what did and didn't work. Are you happy to throw money at advertising without knowing...

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