How Understanding What A Copywriter Does Can Help Your Business
“Wait, when you say you're a 'Copywriter', that means you do whatever it means to make my business legal and get that little © on the bottom of my website?" -easily the most FAQ in my business.
No, that's not quite it. And if you're confused on what a copywriter is, what a copywriter does, and why you need to hire one, then you're not alone. The confusion around what a Copywriter actually does is quite common.
So I wanted to clear things up today.
What is a Copywriter?
A Copywriter is someone who writes persuasive pieces to motivate people to take an action. This action could be: buying something, hiring someone, clicking a link, booking a consultation, or subscribing to an email list. And the materials can be in print, online, or as part of a video script (for YouTube or commercials).
All of the written text is called "copy".
And that's where the term "copywriting" comes from.
So a Copywriter is someone who writes copy ;)
Ok... so what actually is copywriting? What does a Copywriter actually do?
Copywriting takes your brand's voice and messaging and, using both data-driven research and creative skill, weaves it all together to have a conversation with your ideal client with the sole purpose of trying to motivate him (or her) to take action.
A copywriter is telling your brand's story.
And they're doing it in a way that resonates with your ideal client.
Every time you write a caption for Instagram or whenever you write an email to your subscribers, you're writing copy. Every time you write the words on your website, you're writing copy.
You're pointing your visitor or ideal client to the next step.
That's why it's paramount that your words are chosen carefully... why the structure of your words is laid out perfectly... why you appeal to both logic and emotion... and why your words need to be personality-packed.
You've got to compel someone to take action.
And to do that, you have to have a solid grip on your brand's voice, personality, and messaging. You also need to be acutely aware of some data that you've performed during the research phase of copywriting (yep—good copywriting involves research!).
What are the different types of copy?
There are SO MANY different types of copy. Here are some of them":
Website Copy: All the words on your website that are written for SEO while converting your visitor to take action
Sales and Landing Page Copy: These are those pages that are trying to sell you ONE thing (e.g., a course). They're focused on one thing and one thing only: convincing you to buy whatever it is they're selling.
Email Copy: Email Newsletters, Email Nurture Sequences, Email Funnels, etc.
Video Script Copy: YouTube scripts, radio ad scripts, TV ad scripts, etc.
Social Media Captions Copy: I mean...the captions you put on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc
E-Commerce Store Product Descriptions: The descriptions for your products you're selling
Ad Copy: Any text written for any ad, whether in print or online
Press Releases: An official announcement to the journalism world about company news, an event, or a product.
Media Kits: A package of information that is used to tell someone (usually journalists or other companies) about yourself, your business, your event, or your product.
Different Copywriters specialize in different types of copy. If you're looking to hire a Copywriter, be sure to find one who writes the kind of copy you need.
I personally specialize in Website Copy, Sales and Landing Page Copy, and Email Copy. I will sometimes take on a Press Release, Media Kit, Product Descriptions, or Video Script Copy project.
Why does this matter for me and my business?
If you have a website for your business (and you should because it's 2022...), then you have copy. That copy is the whole point of your website. Because the copy is what's getting your message across to your website visitors.
Yes, your visuals and imagery and website design paint a pretty picture, but it's the words that are going to convert your visitors. It's the words that are going to do the selling.
Do I need to hire a Copywriter for my business?
Unless you want to learn how to write copy yourself, then, yeah I encourage you to hire a professional, experienced Copywriter.
If you've got the time to learn how to do it yourself, then absolutely go for it! But if you're like more business owners who are wearing all the hats, you probably don't have much extra time. So in that case—hire a Copywriter.
That's a lot, I know. I'm going to go into more detail about different aspects of copywriting over the next few weeks, so stay tuned.
And, as always, if you have questions, shoot me an email!
