How Copywriting Works: A 101 to the Writing that Fuels the Web
Most copywriters know exactly what this conversation feels like: “What do you do?” “I’m an SEO copywriter!” “Oh…great! So, what do you do?” When you say you’re a writer, most people assume you’re an aspiring Hemingway, tapping away at your typewriter in pursuit of the next great American novel. Unless someone has experience in the digital marketing, content marketing, or online world, few people know what a copywriter does. (Not a copyright-er. I have another post on that.) That said, though, everyone is familiar with the work of copywriters, whether they know it or not. In a world as marketing-dense as ours, copywriters essentially make the digital web spin. They write the scripts for television commercials, radio ads, mail and email marketing materials, and articles that help people find answers to problems and learn new things. In other words, copywriters are everywhere! As such, it’s never been more critical than it is right now to understand how copywriting works, and what a massive role it plays in our modern world. What Copywriters Are (and What We Aren’t) First things first: not all copywriters are clones of Don Draper. Although romantic to imagine, that was way back when. Today, it’s 2017. There’s much less drama, smoking, and drinking in the office in this industry than what you see in the Mad Men series. 😉 That said, however, copywriters today fulfill a vast selection of positions. Here are just a few of the things that define what copywriters are: 1. Copywriters Write Copy for Various Industries and Specialties Depending on a copywriter’s unique job description, he or she might create marketing copy for a website or work one-on-one with an SEO company to write their website or create their Facebook posts. In other cases, copywriters write physical text material, like books, pamphlets, and educational sheets. No matter what industry they work in, copywriters work with words daily. 2. Copywriters Work with Other Teams to Create Marketing Copy In most cases, copywriters work with other specialists, like SEOs and sales teams, to create well-rounded marketing copy that fulfills a broad series of goals. 3. Copywriters Wear Many Hats A great copywriter is also a part-time marketer, editor, and publisher. While copywriters typically work with teams of editors, these skills are indispensable, and the best copywriters must know how to evaluate their content for quality and figure out what will and will not work for a client. What today’s copywriters are NOT: 1. Novelists. While copywriters do sometimes create text copy, they’re not developing books that sell as novels. Those are typically ghostwriters or other forms of writers. Instead, copywriters may create ebooks, articles, or white papers. 2. Machines. Good copywriters pay a lot of attention to each piece they create. They don’t just churn out work in a one-size-fits-all manner. Instead, they collaborate closely with teams and managers to build customized material for each client. 3. Outbound Marketers. The wheelhouse of copywriters is to create material that makes people want to connect with a company. They don’t typically push themselves or their content on other people. Instead, they work hard to create content that delights readers and makes them want to interact with a brand. The following graphic applies very much. 😉 What’s Under the Hood at a Copywriting Agency: What Express Writers Does Here at Express Writers, we know a thing or two about copywriters. Not only do we hire them – we are them! Before I founded my company, I worked as a copywriter on various freelancing platforms. I landed hundreds of gigs and dozens of clients, and within three months of self-teaching as an online copywriter, I went on to start my agency. (Check out my full story here.) Today, my agency has a full-service Content Shop with over 40 products: And our content agency staffs a team of more than 50 copywriters, strategists, and editors, handpicked by moi (more on our standards here), who specialize in writing, creating, and publishing the following types of content: Blogs and blogging packages Web pages, landing pages Product descriptions Infographics Meta copy Interviews (with our writers, strategists, project managers) Research In-line and developmental editing Keyword strategy Content planning/editorial calendars Expert copywriting in all areas, including Financial, Technical, Creative, Legal, Medical, & more Press Releases Ebooks Slides (PowerPoint or PDF) Ad Copy Slogans/Taglines Scripts Sales Pages Whitepapers Email content Social media posts and custom imagery Social media plans, profile creation Here’s an example of what we create in a year, per our year-end report for 2016: ALL this content is created by our handpicked copywriters, strategists, and editors, who specialize in different industries, content types, and services. This gives you a pretty good idea of exactly how diverse copy offerings can get! What Qualifications do Good Copywriters Have? The field of copywriters is a very diverse one. While some copywriters attended school for degrees in English or Journalism, others have spent their pre-copywriting lives working as attorneys, cooks, or dog mushers! Copywriters come in all shapes and sizes, and this unique assortment of backgrounds allows copywriters to bring their experiences into the field, creating more diverse and interesting copy. As it stands today, there is no one-size-fits-all educational program for copywriters. Instead, a copywriter that’s going to succeed in the industry just needs to possess a few key traits. These are as follows: 1. Creativity First off, copywriters need to be creative. While many people assume creativity is only necessary for people writing novels and short stories, and not people writing marketing copy, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Since copywriters write for such a diverse selection of clients, they need to be agile enough to think on their feet. Storytelling is central to great copywriting, and the best experts out there know how to access their creativity to weave compelling, unique copy that will engage an audience and help a brand meet its goals. 2. Strong Writing Skills While copywriters don’t need a college degree to excel in the field, they do need strong writing skills. While it’s true that copywriters write about everything from firearm … Read more
