Have you ever thought, who is the author of Nike's slogan? Or who wrote that synopsis of the series you love so much on Netflix?
Behind every TV advertisement, billboard, poster, flyer, or social media post, stands a great copywriter, who turns thoughts, feelings, and goals into written or spoken text. Copywriting is not just arranging words on a white sheet of paper, or, in a contemporary world, online. It is creating an impact on those who read it.
What is copywriting?
Copywriting is the process of informing, persuading, or entertaining through written or spoken speech and is highly used in marketing. Companies rely on promotional messages to boost the sales of their products. Such messages contain persuasive phrases to encourage the customers to purchase the advertised items.
It is just like the ads on your TV: buy this because it will improve your day-to-day life or buy that because it will make you happier. The actual phrases used in copywriting are not so obvious, yet they seek to convince the customers to try products or services for a number of different reasons.
Copywriting is the key element of brand creation too. To positively shape the image of the brand, one must convey the company’s mission, vision, values, and other important factors to connect with the targeted audience. And it is primarily achieved through an effective copy.
A great example of compelling copywriting is Nike’s tagline Just Do It, named the best slogan of the 20th century. Created by Dan Wieden, founder of the Wieden + Kennedy agency, the tagline is perceived as a core principle of the brand, conveying its vision and encouraging athletes as well as regular people to join the company in its mission.
Not every piece of copy is equal.
When creating a copy for advertisements of products or services, one must consider the channel that will be used to convey the message. Some means demand two-page-long texts, while others may limit it to 100 words. And in some cases, a copywriter has to make an impact with a single phrase.
Texts for digital ads will be different from printed ones because a client online is able to click on the ad and may purchase the item you are selling in an instance. The viewer of the printed poster will have to make an effort to drive to your location or open the website on his smartphone, prolonging the journey of the customer. So, the message will be distinct and catered to that exact experience.
Texts for billboards, product descriptions, search engine optimized (SEO) content for websites, social media posts as well as scripts for promotional videos will also differ.
In today’s world, you cannot operate without a good copy.
While content consumption online in 2022 is skyrocketing, only a small part of it is actually remembered. On average, a person has an attention span of fewer than 9 seconds. Even a goldfish is more concentrated than us...
Not surprisingly, everyone in the market is fighting for those few seconds to make an impression.
Let’s get back to Netflix for a moment. Synopsys of movies, series, and shows are there to evoke the interest of the viewer and to encourage him to add the latest film to the watch list. If our attention span is so short, no trailer could be sufficient, so the gripping description is essential.
Attention-grabbing headlines, clever phrases, rhetorical questions – it seems that there is no trick in the book unknown for copywriters to attract more customers. Yet, they master this art of arranging the words to develop a unique piece of text.
Everyone can write, but not everyone can be a copywriter.
Being a copywriter requires an exceptional skill to deliver messages through phrases and sentences while influencing the purchasing habits of the consumers. Writing different kinds of copy demands keeping up to date with trends and knowing the newest changes in the advertising world.
But a good copywriter is not only proficient and aware of market changes. He is fast, creative, a team player, not afraid of criticism, a true grammar Nazi, and always open for improvement.
Keep in mind that not every copywriter writes every type of copy. Many specialize in advertising-related content creation while others – in brand development.
There are a lot of character traits and skills that go into being a professional copywriter, so sometimes it is better to trust someone with knowledge and experience to ensure the best possible outcome. For some, it could be a boost in sales, a positive brand image, an improved click-through rate, or a captivating social media caption.
