First, let’s clear up a very common and easily-made misconception. Copywriting and Copyrighting are two very different things!
Copyrighting is a legal action giving the creator of a piece of work (written material, music recordings etc) exclusive rights to the work. You’ll usually see ‘©’ next to a piece of copyrighted work. Suffice to say, copyrighting has little to do with copywriting.
Copywriting is writing that advertises, promotes and sells. A copywriter is the person doing the copywriting. A copywriter may also be called a Marketing and Advertising Writer, or something similar.
A copywriter’s main role (and a good copywriter will do this very well) is to connect people with a need or a problem to the solution to that problem.
Think of it like this: a business has a great product or service; a copywriter writes the words to market and advertise that great product or service. Businesses often don’t have the time or know-how to effectively market their wares via the written word. This is where a copywriter steps in.
Copywriters write words (known as copy) for websites, email, newsletters, brochures, newspapers, magazines, billboards, commercials... the list goes on. Every word of marketing and advertising that you’ve ever come across on any of these mediums was likely written by a copywriter (or if it wasn’t – it probably should have been!)
Good copywriting is a very powerful thing.
Good copywriting lets people know exactly how a product or service can address their needs. It takes into consideration potential customers’ main pain points, and tells them how the product or service in question will solve those pain points. It should be able to do this without the customer needing to ask.
If the words hit the spot, the customer will be more likely to buy. As my tag line suggests: Words can move. Words can motivate. The right words inspire ACTION.
If the words don’t hit the spot – if they aren’t geared towards the customer and their needs, if they are overly ‘salesy’, or if they don’t highlight the benefits of the product or service, the potential customer will most likely not be inspired to act.
When it comes to advertising and sales, it is worth remembering these points:
People generally don’t like to be sold to
People are really looking for a solution to their need or problem
People want to feel the feels – if your product or service can get them to feel a desired way (eg. more attractive, more rested, more fulfilled), they are more likely to purchase it.
Most folk actually aren’t interested in your product or service per se.
Sound shocking? Well, it’s true!
What they are interested in is what your product or service can do for them. There’s a difference. You may want to wax lyrical on the design of your product, or the features of your service, and all of the hard work that you put in to creating these things.
You may know that your product or service is great, that it’s the real deal, and be convinced that others will love it as much as you do. You may hope or assume that its greatness alone is enough to get it over the sales line. And maybe it should be. But it probably isn’t.
Unless a person can be convinced that your thing will solve something pressing for them, they aren’t likely to buy (or sign-up for, or hire) it. A copywriter’s job is to use persuasive writing to help with this process.
A good copywriter will research both your product and your company, along with your direct competitors products and companies, and in consultation with you come up with a plan of action to help get your products/services off the ground, and into the hands of the people who need them.
This plan of action may include (to name a few ideas) a website revamp, an email program or social media posts and advertisements. It may also include helping to identify and develop your unique brand voice. To get a full scope of what’s possible, check out my Services page.
A good copywriter will be able to move between industries, using their skills to write convincing and compelling copy for just about any product or service. This is because good copywriters have studied, and practise, both the fundamentals and advanced tactics of copywriting.
These are universal copywriting practises and rules, and include how to write copy for a variety of mediums (website, newspaper, television etc), how to write to a brand voice, and how to write to a particular audience. Following these practises is what makes a good copywriter truly adaptable and able to write for a variety of industries and niches.
Having a copywriter take your unique product or service, and write compelling words to promote it in your company’s voice, has the potential to be a game-changer for your marketing plan.
Really, it would be difficult to think of any business — small or large — that wouldn’t reap (or hasn’t reaped) the rewards that come with effective copywriting. The right words truly can change the game.
If there are areas within your business that you feel could benefit from the services of a copywriter, CONTACT ME. I’ll provide a free assessment on an area of your choice!