So… What Exactly IS a“Copywriter?”
Over the past couple of months, time and again I hear the same question: “what is a copywriter?” The funny thing is, the questioners usually ask this so sheepishly as if it’s something they should know.
The truth is, it’s a term that many people aren’t familiar is, even though examples of copywriting are all around us.
Copywriters and copywriting are essential to every single business which is why I decided to demystify the term!
What is a Copywriter?
Traditionally, a copywriter refers to a professional writer who specializes in creating the text for advertisements and publication materials. That said, I believe that this definition is too limiting for 2019.
With the evolution and growth in online businesses, copywriting comes in so many more forms. That coy Instagram caption you just wrote? Copy. That email you just sent to a lead? Copy. The label on that seltzer you’re sipping? Copy!
Copy is literally all around us.
That’s why I define copy as any piece of text that you write and produce for your business.
In today’s world, a copywriter is so much more than a professional sales writer.
An effective copywriter is also one who will represent and champion your brand voice, authenticity and identity throughout all of your communications.
How Copywriting is Changing
Now, the approach to copywriting has certainly changed over the past several years with more and more content moving to the digital space.
Originally, copywriting focused on selling and persuading individuals to buy. Consumers are now tired of being ‘sold to’ and copywriters have had to evolve accordingly.
With the endless amount of information available on the internet, consumers are savvy. VERY savvy. Essentially we’ve moved away from the old-school disruptive marketing strategy to the inbound marketing strategy.
In inbound marketing, brands focus on the longer-term nurturing of their potential consumers by providing them with continuous value.
Just look at Hubspot (one of the market leaders in Inbound Marketing software) and how they define inbound marketing:
“ Inbound marketing is a business methodology that attracts customers by creating valuable content and experiences tailored to them. While outbound marketing interrupts your audience with content they don’t want, inbound marketing forms connections they’re looking for and solve problems they already have” — Hubspot
The movement today is to consistently provide VALUE with compelling content so that when someone is ready to invest in an expert in your industry, you’re who they think of.
But, for businesses who are trying to keep running and are not focused on content writing, the idea of providing valuable content to their users regularly becomes incredibly overwhelming.
That’s when you look for a copywriter who specializes in content creation.
Do I Need to Hire a Copywriter?
Odds are, the answer here is yes. You and your business will likely need to hire a copywriter at some point, and if you haven’t then I encourage you to consider it. Why?
- Copywriters help brands stay authentic and consistent in their communications and brand voice.
- Valuable, well-researched, rich content is one of the best ways to also cut through the noise online and stand out from your competition. That said, regularly churning out content can be quite the headache — but a copywriter can help you keep that moving!
- We are professional writers. Do you dread writing? Do you feel like you can’t properly express yourself? That’s what we are here for!
At the end of the day, copy and copywriting are all around us — and effective copywriting remains one of the most impactful techniques to position your brand and your business in 2019.
