In an attempt to not sound braggy, but to provide you with factual information about what I do as a copywriter, we’re going to discuss what makes copywriters different from writers. 

I also want to debunk the myth that anyone can be a copywriter (without training), or your writing as a business owner, will be identical to the copy I would craft for you.

What is copy? What is a copywriter’s job?

Yes, yes, yes, “writer” is in the name of copywriter, but drafting a creative writing piece, or a piece of nonfiction, is different than crafting copy. 

Let’s start with the basics. The purpose of copy is to persuade, inform, or educate a target audience to take a specific action by providing them with real solutions to their real problems.

As a copywriter, there is much work to be done prior to drafting any piece of copy to make sure I am not just writing words for the sake of content. 

My process include the following:

• Industry and brand research 
  • Industry research is conducted to gain a clear understanding of the industry, so I know what I am writing about. Brand research is done to understand the unique selling point of each company, and be able to replicate the brand voice.
• Audience Engagement 
  • I look at your current audience engagement to see what type of content they engage with most often, read comments and messages to address known questions/problems they’re experiencing, and analyze the demographics of your audience. This is all done to be sure I know who I am writing for, and what type of information/solutions they are regularly searching for. 
• Keywords
  • While I am not an SEO expert, there is much to be said for understanding the basics of SEO in copywriting, and that I do. I make sure that the words I am choosing to use are what your audience is actually searching for in their search box, and then I make sure the words are true to your brand voice. (see how it’s all starting to piece together)!
• First Draft
  • Now, we finally get started on the first draft! Can you believe it? I take 3 major steps before I even begin the first draft to make sure when I sit down to write that first draft, I know what I am talking about, and who I am talking to. 

This is what makes great {and effective} copywriting! 

We will leave the process here, but know I write more than a first draft before sending it over for review.

What is a writer’s job?

Now onto what writing is.

Writing is informative, educational, and inspiring, and can definitely make someone want to take action, but its purpose isn’t to get someone to take action. Additionally, creative writing isn’t determined based on research to verify that it will in fact get a specific audience to take a specific action. Again, this is no hit on writers, because they are plenty talented, but they aren’t copywriters, and that is my point.

What an expert marketer has to say about the importance of copywriters

If you don’t believe me, then let’s see what Alina Swanson has to say in her book “Magnetic Words”  about the role of copywriters: 

“A Copywriters’ job isn’t easy. Not only does it require creative brainpower that helps you craft copy that knocks the socks off their audience, but there’s a lot of pressure that make sure every piece of content is valuable enough to generate the results that we’re hired to do. Every marketer knows that a good copywriter is the secret success of any campaign that gets rolled out.”

Alina Swanson, Magnetic Words, Chapter 5, 0-20 seconds

Oh, and here’s another one:

A copywriter isn’t just a writer. It isn’t about just stringing in words. They have to take account of the audience they are writing for so that people actually read what they’ve written. They have to figure out how to optimize for SEO, how it will come across on social media, whether it’s effective, missed details, and possibly have to work with other teams to make sure it’s seamless content with design, etc. (this section is paraphrased from chapter 5)

“Anyone can be a writer, but it takes great skill to be a copywriter”

Alina Swanson, Magnetic words, Chapter 5, 2:14 seconds

Again, this isn’t to sound braggy, but to clearly explain what my job is when you hire me, and why I can write copy that is much more effective than what you or a writer can create. Not to mention how much time you will get back on your calendar when you don’t have to worry about writing your own copy!

While I am sure you are able to write good content, if you aren’t trained in writing copy, your writing will not compare to my copywriting. When you hire me to write your copy you can be confident that I’ve done research to back up the words, phrases, and solutions I am presenting to your reader in the copy I’ve written. 

Hire a copywriter today and see the difference 

Copywriting is so much more than just making something sound good. It’s about knowing what and who I am talking to so that I can provide real solutions to their real problems, all while sounding just like your brand! 

If you’re ready to upgrade your DIY copy on your website or upgrade your email copy to include email series that educate and sell, then let’s schedule a quick call to chat!