What is Copywriting? The Complete Guide
Copywriting is one of the most useful tools a business can utilise. It increases sales, but it also helps marketing teams build brand awareness, which results in loyal customers. As a professional copywriter, I get asked what is copywriting all the time.
So in this post, I'm going to talk about copywriting techniques, the art of writing excellent copy and give you some tips to develop one of the most sought after skills among SME's.
OK, What is Copywriting?
In its simplest form, copywriting is the art of using words to sell a product. Take a look around you, and you'll see that copywriting is everywhere. From the labels on your food to television adverts, it's the method brands use to communicate their product/service's:
1. Worth
2. Use
3. Benefits
There are many forms of copywriting, and most professionals choose not to specialise because it would restrict how much work is available to use.
Online Ads
Online adverts are the most popular form of copywriting because they offer a convenient alternative from traditional methods. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube are all platforms businesses use to advertise their services.
Traditional Ads
Traditional advertising focuses on physical print, and it's the OG of the copywriting world. From magazines to billboards, brochures and leaflets, it's still a popular form of business promotion.
Website Copy
Websites are the bread and butter of business copywriting agencies. But why are forward-thinking companies willing to pay copywriters to write some words on their website?
A website is the most essential platform for your business, especially in today's technology-infused world. If your website doesn't highlight what makes your business special, your potential customers will go elsewhere.
Copywriting is an art form because its goal is to use words that ignite readers. While many people believe writing copy is a selling technique, it's actually the opposite.
What Are a Copywriter's Responsibilities?
Copywriters have a realm of responsibilities, but few people actually understand them. While some copy professionals will tell you their primary role is to sell a product/service, I look at it differently.
Sales talk can be really cheap, and let's face it - it gets boring. Imagine you have a pet food product, and you want people to believe it's the best pet product out there. The problem is, so does every other business that manufactures and sells pet food.
So, let's look at the copywriting rules great writers live by.
The Client Comes First
Each client I work with has an idea of what they want their product to convey, and it's my job to bring their ideas to life. Advise, but never tell a client what to do.
Research & Write
No copywriter should ever start writing without performing research. This includes looking at competitors and conducting market research. We ask the question "What aren't people getting from their current retailer or service provider?"
When we have those answers, we can get creative and come up with copy that reaches our target audience and makes them want to learn more.
Editing & Adjusting
Depending on the business I'm writing copy for and the target audience, I'll change my wording and make edits accordingly.
Strategy
Most clients will also ask a copywriter to help with their content marketing strategy. It's a massive part of making sure the copy we create reaches the right audience.
The Rules of Writing Great Copy
As you've just seen, copywriters have a lot of responsibility, but we also have rules that we live by. Everything we do has to be with the client and target audience in mind. It often means clearing our own heads of what we think sounds great and putting ourselves in the place of a set of people we have nothing in common with.
Here are the rules we live by.
Add a Touch of Magic
Here's a common problem for the average company: They know what they want to say, but they have no idea of how to convey it. It's a copywriter's job to find the right words.
You can think of it as adding a touch of magic to something that is already established. For example, take McDonald's. There's no doubt that the fast-food chain is the worlds most popular, but why do people choose to eat there?
Because they love the food.
So when McDonald's asked their copywriters to come up with a new way to celebrate the long-running brand, they looked at who McDonald's is and most importantly, why people go there. The result?
I'm Lovin It.
Three simple words that defined the brand for years to come. Now the copywriting team for McDonald's could have gone for something outlandish and crazy, but they kept it simple, and that was when the magic happened.
Just like the simplest magic tricks often bring the most joy, words shouldn't overcomplicate things.
Get Creative With Copywriting
Creative copywriting is one of the best things you'll ever learn and it can make or break your brand.
It involves looking conceptually at a product and finding a unique way to promote it to others.
There are so many outstanding examples of creative copywriting, but nobody can forget the Durex advert that made people laugh during desperate times.
The 2016 presidential election left people in the US in a state of shock. Hilary Clinton was the favourite, and most thought of Donald Trump as a joke. But when he made it to The White House, the tears of laughter turned to heartbreak.
Durex decided to capitalise on Trump's shock win with their stunning "Get In Anywhere" campaign. It shows that creative copywriters can take events worldwide and use them to create unique marketing opportunities.
How to Nail Business Copywriting
Business copywriting has one important goal in mind. Take prospects and turn them into loyal customers. It's not all about selling, because the most prominent brands understand that it's a lot cheaper to advertise to their current customers than to find new ones.
Once you understand your purpose, you can follow this golden rule:
Follow the target audience.
What do I mean by this?
It's simple, really. You write like your customers talk and you find out what annoys them most. We all have wants, and most of us understand that you don't always get what you It's simple, really.
Write like your customers talk and you find out what annoys them most. We all have wants, and most of us understand that you don't always get what you want.
But, if you're able to convey that you can solve their problems, you'll have a winning copywriting strategy.
Research Your Audience
There are plenty of ways to gain insights about the issues your audience face, and most of them are free.
Amazon Reviews - What do people hate about the products they buy? Find out and tell them why yours is different.
Reddit - Reddit is one of the most useful platforms because it gives you insights into what people are talking about.
Other methods include Facebook groups, following social media conversations and conducting customer research.
Show Them What Makes You Different
When I write copy, I become the product or service I'm selling. It's a complicated process, but it involves looking at every aspect of the thing we're advertising and asking myself:
- What makes me special?
- How can I improve?
The answers to those questions are what I base my copy on.
The Best Copywriting Strategies That Lead to Conversions
There are some ingenious copywriting strategies around, but some are more effective than others. Let's take a look at them.
The "AIDA" Formula
AIDA is probably the most common formula around, and it's the basis of most copywriting courses.
- Attention: Create an eye-catching statement or slogan.
- Interest: Make a bold promise (that you know you can keep).
- Desire: Spark your readers want to obtain whatever you're promising.
- Action: Finish with a strong call-to-action.
Turn Features Into Benefits
Features are great, but believe it or not, they don't sell products. Take each feature and list the benefits it offers. Those are what turn clicks into conversions.
Here are some great examples of feature-to-benefit copywriting:
Feature: Headphones with noise-cancelling technology.
Benefit: Get lost in the music with zero distractions.
Feature: Our laptops come with 1TB of storage.
Benefit: Memories that last a lifetime. Store all of your photos and videos without running out of space.
Keep it short and sweet
Never underestimate the importance of keeping your copy short and sweet. Fluff doesn't sell, and many readers get put off by large streams of text.
You need to explain what you're advertising, the benefits it offers your audience and get them to take action.
With great strategies like these, you can follow a set of rules to make your copy stand out. Professionals use these strategies because they work.
The Bottom Line
In this brief guide to copywriting, I've discussed the foundations of fantastic copy, but there's so much more to learn. From power words to calls-to-action, copywriting is a complex form of marketing that many businesses prefer to leave to the professionals.
If you'd like to scale your business through copywriting, but don't want to spend time learning about how to do it right, hiring a copywriter could be a wise investment.
Find out more about my copywriting services.