What is copywriting?
When I tell people I’m a copywriter I generally get met with one of these responses:
Oh yeah, like copyright law? Music and stuff?
What sort of books do you write?
Oh they still have jobs like that? Like in advertising agencies? (perhaps followed by a Madmen reference)
Erm… what’s that?
So I’d like to set the record straight about what a copywriter does, and why it’s so valuable.
Copywriting is ‘writing well’
In its simplest form, you could say that copywriting is just ‘writing’. Yes, I write the words that go on websites, brochures, social media posts, billboards, etc. etc.
I have a really excellent grasp of the English language (if I do say so myself), and I know where commas and apostrophes should go. I also understand the subtle differences between words like ‘huge’ and ‘massive’, and can select which one is most appropriate for a scenario. English is a really difficult language with so many nuances, so it requires specialist knowledge to really wrangle sentences expertly and get the right message across.
Copywriting is a mix of art and science
One of the best definitions of copywriting I’ve come across is from Anita Siek at Wordfetti. In her podcast Brandfetti (do check it out, it’s excellent), she explains copywriting like this:
“Copywriting is a combination of art (so, think originality, creativity), and science (the understanding of consumer psychology and behaviour – why people buy, why people don’t buy), and a brand’s ‘unique sauce’. Everything that comes together collectively to set the brand apart. From the message, their mission, the tone of voice, the brand values, the brand personality, to the words they use. It is the cornerstone of effective online marketing. Copywriting is the science of using words to persuade someone to act, to feel something and ultimately, sell.”
I love that definition because it describes the three essential areas of copywriting:
Art
Science
Brand personality.
Getting a message across well requires creativity, research and a deep understanding of the brand you’re working on and how they uniquely communicate that message.
Copywriting is strategic
Another great quote from the Brandfetti podcast:
“While copywriting is about writing words… while the outputs are words, the decisions, the ideas, the strategy and the rubik’s cube that go behind a copywriter’s brain to producing those words, is essentially what you’re paying a great copywriter for. It’s the understanding of how certain words in the English language have the ability to trigger different emotions in the reader. It’s the appreciation of how emotions and feelings play a role in the way people make purchasing decisions.”
Interestingly, a copywriter doesn’t spend 100% of their time writing. Actually, I probably don’t even spend 50% of my time writing! There’s so much more to it than punching copy out.
Copywriting involves research, collecting data and information, and even testing to get it right. Then there’s a process of editing and reworking the copy once it’s written, to get it spot on. So much more time is spent on the strategy behind the piece of copy than actually writing it.
Getting a piece of writing perfect takes time and requires a strategic process. Process is a huge part of it actually. It’s not just about words, but about structure and how you want the reader to experience and interact with the words. It’s thinking about things like, ‘what do I want my reader to do next?’, ‘what should this button say?’, ‘where on the page should it go?’.
So yeah, it’s a lot more than just writing.
Copywriting is a specialist skill
Hopefully if you’ve read this far you understand by now that while anyone can write well, what sets a copywriter apart is the ability to write, combined with a deep understanding of consumer psychology and a brand’s unique personality. Believe me, you notice the difference between the work of someone ‘with writing skills’, and someone who’s built their entire professional career around writing.
I’ll mention the Picasso thing too, to further illustrate my point.
The story goes, Picasso was sitting in a cafe one day when he was approached by an admirer. She asked him to scribble something on a napkin and she’d pay whatever he thought it was worth. He spent less than a minute drawing a quick picture, and then handed the napkin to her saying, “That’s [insert exorbitant sum, let’s say $20,000], thanks”. The woman was shocked saying, “But that only took a few seconds to draw!”. And Picasso’s reply was, “No ma’am, that’s taken over 40 years to draw”.
So the idea is, experts are valuable because they’ve spent a lifetime honing their craft and getting really good at it. Think about the guy who came up with Apple’s slogan ‘Think Different’ or Maccas’ ‘I’m lovin’ it’. Yes, they’re only a few words, but those few words have made these brands iconic. And chances are, a copywriter somewhere wrote hundreds of possible taglines before settling on The One.
Again from Anita at Wordfetti:
“It’s never just a headline or just a small paragraph. Great words take time. And with a copywriter’s knowledge of just how important copy is to a brand, it should never be rushed.”
Copywriting WILL add value to your business
Getting your copy right will result in genuine connection with your audience, more clarity, and more sales. It’s as simple as that!
If you’re interested in seeing how working with a professional copywriter could take your business to the next level, please reach out to me – I’d love to help you!
