What is copywriting? How is it special?

Copywriting, like most other forms of writing, is about the spread of information. The kind of info a copywriter produces however is what sets it apart from novelists, poets and academics. This style of writing is all about marketing, sales and calls to action that support a business.

What copywriters do is take your business or products’ benefits and spread those to their readers through one or many “channels”. This can be with social media, emails, landing pages, blogs, physical mail and so much more. Some copywriters even specialize in doing product descriptions.

Basically, anywhere you need writing that sells a product or generates business, that’s copywriting.

That’s cool, but what does it do for me?

What copywriting does is entice, persuade or educate customers and clients. This is of course the 30,000 foot view of it, so let’s dive in…

When you have a new product, say the Potato Peeler 8000, and want your potential buyers to know about it, you don’t just send a picture of your new gadget to people and rake in the money.

Instead, you take that same picture and put it next to a list of features and then send it out…right?

No not quite, but were getting closer.

What you need is called copywriting, written sales that go alongside your beautiful photo and features and sells it to your customer. This style of writing takes the features of your Potato Peeler 8000 and turns them into benefits. As nice as “a potato peeler that spins at 8000 RPM” sounds, readers can’t quantify why that’s useful.

If you instead had something like what’s below, your readers would understand you AND be enticed by what it does for them:

“Spinning action that not only peels your potato, but makes sure you never need to clean the mess! With high-speed action, this peeler takes your potato’s skin and throws it right into the bin.”

Now obviously, this example is a bit exaggerated, but let’s look at some more.

Can it work for my product in this specific format?

Absolutely!

Even though we typically see copywriting in ads, emails and “junk-mail”, it is incredibly versatile.

Here’s a list of some of the other forms copywriting can take:

1. White papers: Near academic level, research-like papers about a product or service that explain what it does on a more technical point of view
2. Chat-bots: Trendy and handy “AI” companions for your website that have predetermined text conversations with customers
3. Case Studies: interviews with customers and clients who’ve interacted with your brand and have a positive view
4. FAQ’s: A staple in today’s business world and a way potential customers can get quick information about your brand or product
5. Video/Podcast Scripts: Information spread to people who interact with other parts of your businesses’ media and slightly newer for the copywriting scene.
6. So much more!

Can I do my own copywriting, or should I hire someone?

Now this depends.

Some business owners prefer to do their own copywriting and that’s entirely ok. If you feel like you can properly do what I’ve lightly described above, then go ahead. The only issue I foresee is you may not know all of the ins and outs of the trade, and may end up with subpar writing.

Copywriting is a practiced skill after all.

If you want what you will know will be good copywriting however, you’ll either have to keep practicing and make it one of your skills, or hire a professional.

This is what I suggest the most (not just because I’m a copywriter) but because I wouldn’t try to paint something to impress guests with zero skill. Just the same, you probably shouldn’t try to sell the next, newest gadget with no skill in copywriting.

It’s easier to go with a professional in most cases. You’ll save yourself a headache or three and get a good product out of it.

What does it look like to work with a professional?

This will be different from one person to the next, but there will likely be a lot of cross-over. I’ll use my own process as an example of what it could look like with a lot of other copywriters.

I like to start with a creative brief, maybe even some finer business details. This gives me an idea of what I’m writing about, what voice I should use and what kind of tone the company likes to use. This all especially helps out in the beginning as the wheels start to turn.

Creative briefs also let me know who I’m writing too, which will change how I write. If I’m writing too older men, I’ll use a different voice and tone then I would for younger women. A lot may be the same, but different people are attracted to different things. Your copywriter should always be selling to your audience, not the general public (unless your selling something so large that everyone is your audience).

Next, I need to know what it is I’m even writing about! Is it a service, a place, a thing or just a lead generator? What sort of benefits am I giving to my reader, what about it will stick with them and pull them into the writing? What makes it unique from every other gizmo out there?

Last is the “channel”. This is deciding what format I’m writing in. Is this for Facebook, your website, a banner ad or physical mail? All of these formats have their own standards and practices that finish off the “shaping” of my writing.

All that’s left to do after that is write up a contract and figure out pricing.

How much does a copywriter cost to hire?

Again, this is usually different from person to person.

As freelancers go, I’ve seen two trends. Those like me who charge on a project basis, and those who charge on an hourly basis.

Both methods have their pros and cons and neither is more correct than the other. It’s really just a choice on how that person runs their business.

Being someone who charges on a project basis, I will charge different amounts for different services. One Facebook post is about $70-$100. It’s not a large job, so the price is small.

Now if I was to help redo your whole website and take a consultant/writer position for a month or two, that would get into a higher price range.

Someone who charges hourly would instead just keep track of however long they worked on your project and bill you for whatever that was. I’ve seen rates from $20 an hour to $100 an hour, so even within this category there is variation.

The last thing that can effect prices is experience/fame. If you go to someone who has been writing strong copy for 20 years and has a huge portfolio of multimillion-making sales letters, you’re going to be charged a pretty penny or five. The reverse is also true. Someone newer will most likely have smaller prices, but less experience.

All that comes next is writing and submission. Maybe some edits if needed.

So how do I find a copywriter for my next project launch?

Thankfully, this is pretty easy!

First off, you happen to be on a great website to find a copywriter. I work with people internationally and would love to have a talk with you about your business’s needs.

Second, LinkedIn is a great place! You can search up copywriters, post jobs and put out posts looking for copywriters. There are a lot of us on there, so you’ll find a good one fairly fast.

Job boards are another great place to put out a line or two. There are a lot of copywriters who make a great living on job boards, so they can be quite dependable.

The last way I can think of is to contact friends or colleagues at other businesses who’ve had work done and ask for their copywriter. There’s a good chance that person will be willing to write for you too (as long as they have space open and there’s no conflict of interest).

Overall, copywriters are easy to find. Our whole job is to write visibly, so we don’t tend to hide away.

Any final advice?

You should always try to have a good relationship with your copywriter. Someone who you trust and can stay with your company, either as a hired position or a freelancer, is amazing. They can have experience with your brand and set up a clear an unified voice for your business. They will become a fantastic asset to bring in new business all the time.

Never be afraid to ask questions or request edits. It’s natural and an expected part of the writing process. Just don’t edit too much. You’ll start to water down or entirely change what the copy is supposed to be about. I find that two rounds of edits makes everyone happy 99% of the time.

If you’re stuck between two or more copywriters and don’t know who to choose, ask them to write a sample for your business. You’ll get directed writing for your brand and can choose the best objective product. Plus whoever you chose already has some of the writing done and you save some time. Just remember that anyone who you don’t choose will still own their writing and it will likely go into their portfolio.

That’s all for today!

I hope that all of this is helpful and sheds some light on what copywriting is and can do for your business. It’s a powerful thing and can really make a huge change in your profits. There are so many different types of copy as well that you can customize it to fit any business plan.

Whether you write it yourself or hire a writer to help you, copywriting is an ever evolving field. New types of copywriting come out all the time as new innovations are made in communication. There really are endless possibilities on how you can move forward with what we’ve learned today, so feel free to experiment.

If you want to learn more about copywriting, schedule a call with me here: https://calendly.com/zackscopywriting/1-on-1-business-chat. We can talk all about what your business needs and what I can do for you.

Interested to see if I’ve worked on a project like the one you need? Look through my Portfolio.

Now go have a great day!