What Does A Copywriter Do?
In the world of digital marketing, having a copywriter on your team is essential. However, we often come across the question: “What does a copywriter do?”
The fact is, the art of copywriting surrounds our lives; it’s everywhere. When you scroll through your social media for promotional posts, check your email inbox for sales letters, read a product description, or pick up a store catalogue — all the text you see is the work of copywriters!
What is a copywriter?
A copywriter is a professional writer who writes for marketing and promotional purposes.
While anyone is capable of writing, copywriters have learned to specialize their craft to write distinctively. Their main goal is not merely putting words into sentences; instead, their focus is to persuade you to make a purchase, click a link, or sign up for an event through their writing. It is a skill that takes time and experience to hone.
What does a copywriter do?
It is important to note that a copywriter does not only write. Many aspects contribute to the role of a copywriter. They take up typical duties including:
Research
When a copywriter is briefed on a new project, one of their first steps is to research the brand, the products or services that they are selling, and the target audience.
For example, is the voice of the brand bold, educational, or fun? What are the strengths and weaknesses of their products or services? Is their target audience students or working adults?
By researching what to write and whom to write for, copywriters will have a more robust direction in their writing.
Strategize
Copywriters need to plan ahead to maximize the impact of their work. For texts published online, a copywriter has to strategize on SEO (search engine optimization). They have to develop keywords that will drive traffic, generate leads, and motivate people to take action. They also have to brainstorm creative means to keep up with current trends and engage with their audience. This is essential for the target audience to resonate with the content and eventually purchase the product or service.
Write
Of course, a copywriter would have to pen down their thoughts into text eventually. However, these are no ordinary texts. Copywriters must write high-quality content that reflects the brand and supports the marketing plan.
Present
Once a copywriter has a reliable guide on where their project is heading, they have to present their underlying strategy to the rest of the marketing team or client for approval. This process may include proposing concepts that were not discussed before and providing several copies of draft work.
If a proposal is turned down, a copywriter needs to be versatile and adapt to new solutions.
Edit
Before publishing their work, a copywriter has to ensure that their work is error-free. 59% of consumers would avoid buying from a company that made obvious spelling or grammar mistakes. As such, copywriters have to review their work multiple times. The editing process may include small tweaks like re-formatting, correcting the grammar, and spell-checking. It is also imperative that a copywriter’s job is free from plagiarism; it needs to be authentic and original content.
What do copywriters write?
As mentioned above, the works of a copywriter exist and extend beyond various forms. It could be published in print or online, or be scripts for video commercials. Here are the common types of content that copywriters deliver.
Blog posts
Blogging and guest blogging are useful strategies that digital marketing teams implement. Blog posts provide helpful information to the company’s audience, position the brand as industry experts, and boost the SEO ranking of a website. This is imperative in the online world. If blogs are optimized for SEO, they can be one of the critical tools to getting your website to the top of Google results.
Blog posts usually range from around 500 to 3000 words. Depending on the style of the brand, these blogs may be more formal or opinionated.
Emails
Email marketing is one of the top ways to build direct connections with your target audience. The content, and therefore ideal length, tone and structure of an email varies depending on its purpose. It may be short and inviting to inform consumers of a seasonal promotion, may be an auto-generated email to address a consumer’s complaint, or a long, in-depth newsletter. Newsletters are the perfect tool for cross-posting between platforms. A newsletter can contain a video or blog, which, when clicked, takes the reader to the company website, boosting page views, view time, and SEO. Likewise, you can encourage newsletter signups on social media and your website, enabling another means of contacting interested clients, your easiest target market to sell to.
Social media posts
Guess what? The witty status updates, captions and comments that you read on social media require copywriting too. This sometimes includes adding relevant hashtags to the post as well.
The foundation of a social media strategy is to exert the brand’s voice, and what better way than to get a copywriter to do just that.
Website content
Apart from blogs, many other texts are displayed on a website. This includes the Home page, the About Us page, the Contact page, likely every page! A copywriter will ensure that your website provides clear information for your audience and adheres to your brand’s tone all at the same time.
Qualities to look for in a copywriter
You might be quick to catch on that a copywriter’s job does not necessarily take the spotlight. The nitty-gritty of a copywriter’s role mostly occurs behind the scenes. However, they play a massive role in ensuring that their brand gets centre stage in the market. As such, it is quite a rewarding job, and many copywriters pride themselves on their work.
It is easy to identify whether a copywriter is passionate about their job or not. The top qualities to look for in a copywriter include:
Attentive
A copywriter needs to have an eye for detail. This not only applies to their writing style but also the demands of their client and the market. Knowing that a copywriter’s work will be published to the public, there is a low tolerance for any careless mistakes.
Creativity
What makes a copywriter valuable is their ability to think outside the box and produce fresh, quality content. You do not want to be reproducing the same materials that your audience feel they’ve seen before. Instead, you want to develop creative strategies to engage potential customers and have an edge against your competitors.
Communication
As the saying goes, communication is critical. A copywriter must have strong communication skills to understand their clients and team. They will also need to be able to communicate their ideas clearly when proposing to the higher-ups.
Strong command of the language
Does their writing make sense? Is it easy to read and understand? Remember, the work of a copywriter represents the company. If you want to maintain professionalism, you need a copywriter that is eloquent in their command of language.
Trendy
A copywriter needs to be up-to-date with the current ins and outs of their market. This includes social media and SEO strategies. By keeping up with trends, their copywriting will resonate with more people.
Understand their target audience
Who are the actual people reading their work? This is the critical consideration that a copywriter must prioritize. By understanding their target audience, a copywriter will know how to cater to their needs and engage with them meaningfully.
Specialize in a specific niche
A copywriter is viewed as an expert in a field when they specialize in a specific niche. In short, their content is considered to be more reliable and accurate for the audience. There are two ways to distinguish a copywriter’s niche.
They only write about a specific industry. For example, they specialize in technology, cars, food, travel, health, or fashion.
They only write a specific medium. For example, they specialize in email marketing, social media posts, or blog posts.
Most copywriters typically have a bachelor's degree in the field of Journalism, Communications, or English. However, you can learn copywriting if you invest time and effort into it.
Who needs a copywriter?
Every business involves copywriting; it is the essence and makeup of a business.
You need a copywriter to catch people’s attention, inform others about your products or services, and gain trust with potential customers. These are all vital to expanding the operations of your business.
We highly recommend hiring a copywriter for your marketing initiatives. It is a valuable skill set that should not be overlooked. Their expertise will ensure that your promotional content reaches the heart of your target audience and motivates them to support your business. See it as an investment for generating profit in the long-run.
FAQ
What’s the difference between a copywriter and a content writer?
In this article, we learned that copywriters write marketing and promotional materials. On the flip side, content writers write informational and engaging materials.
However, both copywriting and content writing can exist in similar forms such as blog posts, website content, social media posts. They also both represent the voice of the company. Besides, content writing can be related to the duties of a content marketer as well. As such, content writing is generally viewed as another type of copywriting.
How much do copywriters make?
The pay highly depends on the expertise of a copywriter. For instance, if they specialize in a specific niche or have an outstanding portfolio, they can quickly charge much more for their service. As WebFX reports, copywriters can charge anywhere from $25 to $25,000 per page.
Where can I hire a copywriter?
For one-time projects, you may consider hiring a freelance professional to get the job done. The majority of these writers can be found on freelancer websites such as Upwork and Fiverr. However, it is essential to note that these freelancer websites do not check for qualifications or certifications, meaning that anyone can sign up regardless of experience. Though freelancer sites may be cheap, it’s also tricky to find a high-quality and skilled copywriter suitable for your company’s particular needs.
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