Senior Direct Response Copywriter

Posted May 23

Tried and True Media (TNT) is a digital direct response agency in the health/wellness/beauty space which has generated over $1.2B in sales for our clients. We’re hunting for talented senior direct response copywriters who specialize in high-converting 1-5min video ad scripts that drive traffic to VSL funnels.

You’ll join a kick-ass team of writers, performance managers, media buyers, creative producers and video editors who share a common goal – generate clicks that convert into high ROAS sales and scale ad spend. Plus, you’ll earn uncapped royalties on all your winning ads (as long as they are running) in addition to your base comp.

Why TNT?

Because every copywriter knows more reps = more learnings = more income. At TNT, you’ll get a ton of reps. Plus, you’ll be surrounded by other driven copywriters and marketers who will challenge you to become the best you can be.

So, if you want to take your direct response copywriting/scripting skills to the next level, and…

  • You have a knack for crafting compelling copy that gets results…
  • You love sifting through data to find the signal in the noise…
  • You thrive in a collaborative environment of other high performers…
  • And you organized enough to deliver quality copy on time and on spec…

… then please keep reading as you may be the perfect fit.

Especially if you’re tired of the freelance hustle to find new business… you’re stuck inside a single brand, writing the same thing repeatedly... or you’re sick of slaving over a long form VSL for months, only for compliance to neuter your idea.

What are the Key Points?

  • Core Compensation: $120,000 - $216,000 (base + royalties)
  • Location: 100% Remote (global team of 60+ with no corporate office)
  • Hours: Must be available Mon – Fri between 10:30 and 5:30 ET
  • Culture: Good Humans Who Want to Win
  • #1 Objective: Write Breakthrough 1-5min Video Ad Scripts

Who Will You Report Into?

Hello, my name is Tom Clayson, Creative Performance Director and lead copywriter at TNT, and I need your help. I joined TNT as a junior copywriter when the team was just me and two other writers. I've since progressed from junior copywriter to performance manager, to senior copywriter, to now leading an industry-beating team of copywriters and video editors. It hasn’t been an easy journey, but the training and support I received, the easy access to my ads’ performance data, and the hundreds of reps writing video scripts forged me into the writer I am today.

It was one thing to get better by studying the art and science of copywriting when I was just getting started… but nothing collapsed time and progressed my skills to the next level faster than the thrilling, yet humbling, experience of testing dozens of my scripts a month in the cold traffic arena where only the fittest survive.

And that’s where you come in. TNT has grown beyond our wildest dreams with 9 figures in annual ad spend under management. But we’re only getting started. To sustain that growth, we need a crack team of senior direct response copywriters who can deliver quality under pressure, love being surrounded by creative talent… and who aspire to progress as rapidly as possible in their careers.

What’s the Ideal Candidate’s Background?

The ideal candidate has been writing video ad scripts for VSL funnels for at least a year for paid social (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or YouTube either for an agency, brand, or as a freelancer. You’ve also had significant experience writing various VSL components - particularly leads and closes. Ideally, you’ve also written copy for supplements, health and/or beauty long-form VSL funnels (please do not apply if you’ve only written brand, SEO, and/or e-comm copy).

To ensure we can collaborate optimally, we need you to be available during our standardized meeting hours of be 10:30 – 5:30 p.m. ET (UTC-5, New York), Mondays to Fridays, regardless of where you live. We understand if you have children that need picking up etc., but in general, these are the hours we expect to be able to schedule meetings with each other.

Most importantly… you live and breathe copy, obsessively spending time breaking down ads to gain key insights, you pour over metrics like CTR, AOV, ROAS, CPA, and CVR, truly love the grind of perfecting a piece of copy until it sings… and passionately study the art and science of direct response copy on your own time, because, quite frankly, you simply cannot get enough of this stuff.

You love working in a team environment with other high-caliber creatives. You love to share insights, brainstorm hypotheses, run experiments, collaboratively deconstruct winners and losers and methodically create winner after winner, virtually high-fiving each other along the way.

What’s It Like Working at TNT?

We’ve gone to great lengths to set up a culture that supports the creative freedom, skill progression, and handsome compensation that senior copywriters deserve. Moreover, we’re extremely focused on collaboration to ensure we have proper coverage across all our clients.

For example, we’ve structured our teams into cells, each of which has a portfolio of clients it’s assigned. Each cell is comprised of a performance manager, media buyer, creative producer, junior and senior copywriters, and video editors. Every cell is focused on the goal of helping their clients hit their ad spend and ROAS targets. Senior writers have a primary cell they work in but will be asked to write new ads for offers outside their cell as well.

Regardless of what cell you’re in, everyone benefits from the following:

  • Access to Data – Access to the same performance data as everyone else so you can instantly see how your creative performs, detect patterns and gain insights.
  • Shared Learnings – Participation in our weekly Best Ads call wherein we review the top performers to see what’s working, or not, for everyone else, accelerating your learning.
  • Clear Feedback / Mentoring – You’ll be given clear feedback on your scripts and routine mentoring sessions to ensure you continually upskill and develop your craft.
  • Subject Variety – You’ll be given a huge variety of subject matter to write about, with a mix of clients who have a mix of offers in your assigned cell, rotating to other cells over time.
  • Career Progression – Your success determines how fast your income progresses… there is no mandated bureaucratic waiting period; only success matters. As you prove your skills over time, you will be rewarded with higher pay and royalties. Alternatively, if leadership and management calls to you, you may progress to the role of an associate copy chief, mentoring other writers to perform at their best.

You’ll often be given ideas to flesh out from myself or other creatives. At the same time, you’ll be expected to come up with new ideas, hooks and angles. There’s simply nothing like grinding out a great script from A-to-Z... ushering it from idea to words to video with the help of a solid team... and eagerly waiting for your stats to come back after a weekend of traffic. The feeling of landing a control is... well, priceless.

If making great money writing 1-5m winning scripts one after another, constantly getting a stream of data-driven feedback to optimize your ads, and collecting royalties on your controls excites you... you may be a perfect fit.

What Will You Be Responsible for?

There are two types of writing you’ll be doing:

First is writing video ad scripts for clients’ offers. This will be 90% of the writing. The scripts could be as short as 30 seconds or as long as 5 minutes. Each script will include at least 5 different hooks, which will be tested to see what delivers the best ROAS.

Second is writing or rewriting the first 3-10s of our winning ads. That’s coming up with new clickbait, hooks, and other attention-grabbing mechanisms. As a seasoned copywriter, you know how crucial those first few seconds are. Well, now you’ll be tested to see if you can create pattern interrupts, open loops, and shocking ideas that STOP THE SCROLL!

How Will Your Time Be Spent?

While any given week can vary based on client demands, here’s a rough estimate:

  • 60% writing scripts
  • 20% strategizing, analyzing, brainstorming, getting feedback, or mentoring others
  • 20% for research and resource gathering to prepare to write

Requirements

  • Minimum 3-years Direct Response Copywriting Experience – Must have written copy where long-form DR funnels are used (VSLs, TSLs, webinars) and you saw results from your copy (CVR, AOV, ROAS, EPC, etc.). Preferably in the health supplement, wellness and beauty space.
  • VSL Writing Experience – Have written leads, CTAs, closes and other high-leverage VSL elements that move the needle on CVR and AOV.
  • Passionate About Copy – In love with DR copywriting, appreciating the genius in it, obsessing over every word, phrase, sentence and paragraph, but more importantly, understanding that DR copy is about persuasion, human behavior, and quantitative, measurable results.
  • Constant Upskilling – Relentlessly works to improve copywriting abilities, studying courses, mentoring with senior writers, deconstructing ads, etc. all to perfect your craft
  • Marketing Mindset – Understands that DR copywriting is about measurable results. You understand what copy levers to pull to increase CTR, ROAS, CVR, AOV, etc. You also understand how those numbers affect the economics of a DR business.
  • Ownership Mindset – Takes extreme pride in submitting high-quality work that’s on time, on spec, been double checked, meetings all compliance guidelines, etc.
  • Contributes Ideas – Ability to formulate strong ideas and articulate them easily and clearly to others to get feedback and make the ideas even stronger

IMPORTANT: If you are interested in the role, please apply. Please do not email or DM me or one of our team members directly. This will not get my attention in the way that you might be hoping.