“I’m a copywriter.”
Awkward pause.
“Oh. That’s nice.”
A puzzled nod.
More silence.
“And do you enjoy it?”
I nod. “Yes, I do.”
Another silence.
Finally, I cave in – “And what do you do?”
The relief on my new acquaintance’s face is evident. Phew, back to familiar ground!
This scenario is not unfamiliar to me.
Sometimes I feel like copywriting must be some sort of secret profession since so few people actually know what it involves.
Most often when I tell people “I’m a copywriter”, they nod knowingly (those these people are few and often work in marketing). Otherwise, they ask me upfront “What’s that?”
More awkwardly, sometimes they fuddle through some questions like in the scenario above until I either provide a description of my job, or I give up and move back towards common ground.
What is copywriting?
Sometimes copywriting is confusing with copyrighting. Of course, in conversation with someone unfamiliar with the job, there’s no way of knowing (thanks so much, English-language, for your silent use of the letter ‘w’ there).
Copyrighting is a legal reference to a creator being able to maintain and protect the intellectual rights to whatever they have created.
Entirely different is copywriting, which is the writing of something called ‘copy’. The latter is a mid-14th century term referring to a record or an account which is written down.
So essentially the word ‘copy’ (in this sense, as a noun) is just a general term for words, usually ones which form part of an advertising campaign (though not exclusively but we’ll discuss that in a moment).
Just as a copyeditor edits words, so they must first be written by a copywriter.
Okay, enough of the definitions.
But what does a copywriter actually do?
Right, we’ve established so far that a copywriter writes copy (aka words).
Great.
That is still not particularly helpful though.
What sort of words?
Essentially, copywriters put together the words which make up things like advertisements, general written communications businesses use (like annual reports or corporate profiles), and other forms of marketing material.
Copywriting is not a static field either.
The digital age has changed the work of copywriters significantly. Marketing material is no longer confined to printed brochures and banners.
Digital marketing demands the skills of copywriters every day. Businesses are increasingly using email newsletters, social media platforms and regular blog posts as methods of continually selling their product or service to potential customers. Not to mention all forms of web copy like companies’ About Us pages and product and service descriptions. Most of these digital forms of copy need to optimised for search engines too.
All of this is done by copywriters.
And writing successful copy is a skill.
Good writing makes good copy which, in turn, gets good results.
But excellent writing makes excellent copy and, therefore, excellent results.
Excellent writing makes excellent copy and, therefore, excellent results.
Top 6 tips to writing good copy
1. Nail the headline
In our current world of skim reading and scrolling, the headline is crucial. According to Copyblogger, 80% of people will read the headline but only 20% will read the rest of the copy. The headline must pique interest and engage a reader into continuing with the rest of the copy. Be it an advertising brochure, an e-newsletter or a blog post, give some time to getting the headline right.
2. Get the tone right
Consistency is key. It is confusing and incongruous for a customer to get mixed messages about the nature of a business because the tone in its marketing copy is entirely different to the tone of the business itself. If the company has a chatty, friendly sort of vibe, ensure those qualities are translated into all written words.
3. Sell the benefits not the features
It’s great for a customer to know that the socks they are considering purchasing are 100% merino wool, knitted by hand by a weekly knitting group using needles fashioned from vintage china.
But these features don’t actually make them want to buy the socks.
A person will buy the socks because they are guaranteed to keep their feet warm without being itchy and are washing-machine friendly, saving the time spent on hand-washing.
The benefits are how a product or service positively affects the customer.
And it’s the benefits which get the sales.
The features are the pretty wrapping which makes the ad look and sound nice.
4. Know the full story
This is essential in understanding where the copy sits within the wider landscape of the business. Know the brand story to ensure the copy you craft not only fits within the tale but actually enhances it. For more on brand storytelling and why it’s important, read our article on it here.
5. Less is more
Use less words but ensure those you pick have maximum impact. White space is an integral part of advertising and marketing copy – too many words and the eyes get tired, searching for somewhere to rest for a moment. Short sentences, short paragraphs. Compelling word choices.
6. Include a Call To Action
It’s great to craft impactful copy but, once a customer finishes reading it, don’t lose the opportunity to gently steer them in a particular direction by including a call to action. A bit like this one below…
If you want more tips on how to write good copy and updates on the world of copywriting, subscribe to Blue Labrador Copywriting’s monthly newsletter. You’ll also get a free copy of our e-book on ‘10 Common Mistakes in Web Copy’ to ensure you make your online copy as compelling as it can be.