People who call themselves writers or journalists often look down their noses at ‘copywriting’. But, in reality, it is just a form of communication like any other discipline, it simply promotes the reader to engage with a brand or buy a product.
It is a safe bet that almost everything you read, anywhere outside the ‘editorial’ world of books and newspapers, has been through the hands of a copywriter.
Like any good writing, be it news journalism or fiction it needs to connect, it needs to capture the attention and it needs to evoke a response. It is a more commercial form of stringing words together.
Copywriting isn’t simply writing advertising slogans, it could be writing a blog, descriptions of products for an e-commerce shop or catalogue, a blurb for magazine adverts, an award ceremony speeches or even a jingle for a radio advert. The scope is huge.
A copywriter will usually be a freelance creative whose services are called upon by small to medium companies or marketing agencies for specific campaigns. Some larger companies will hire full time copywriters if they offer a range of products or services to promote.
Know your subject and understand the product.
It might sound obvious but some companies forget this basic rule. You probably wouldn’t hire a car salesman who hadn’t driven a vehicle but when outsourcing a copywriting project might sometimes be swayed by the lower fees quoted by some freelancers.
If all you want is bland google-ised text to fill a slot in your blog schedule this might work but it won’t have any effect on the one metric that really matters: Sales!
Part of the process, and an important part, is getting to know the product, understanding who the buyers are and recognising other players in the market. Only then can you write something that will really sell.
Hiring a copywriter doesn’t just cost the time it takes for them to type something out it should also cover the research of the market and development of an idea. This additional research will often pay dividends in opening up the marketing to a new approach that you had not considered. It could attract an entirely untapped buyer profile.
It is not just typing headlines, it is building confidence in a brand.
