Nowadays, copywriters are key to the success of your marketing strategy and efforts, especially if you’re using an inbound marketing strategy.
What are copywriters and what do they do?
Copywriters are basically people who write content for the sole purpose of advertising or marketing. The piece of content written is called copy and is aimed at increasing brand awareness and driving people to take action.
But then, what’s the difference between copywriters and content creators?
Both copywriters and content creators create content, but the difference lies in for what purpose they write that content.
As mentioned, copywriters’ purpose is related to marketing and advertising.
Content creators’ purpose, on the other hand, is to entertain the audience by making the company’s website and platforms highly enjoyable.
Now, what exactly do copywriters do?
The short answer: a lot of things!
Copywriters devise a content strategy and actively create said content for various purposes (for marketing, for the sales departments, etc.).
The more companies drift towards creating content, the more copywriters are needed, and the more they work.
Copywriters don’t just write: they research, edit, proofread, track and report data, and manage campaigns and projects.
Moreover, copywriters should have basic knowledge of SEO strategies, graphic design, and HTML, not to mention good knowledge of social media strategies, source citation, blogging strategies, and email marketing.
Copywriters work on a wide variety of content: social media content, blog articles, ads, email campaigns, press releases, e-books, case studies, product reviews, newsletters, sales content, and more.
TL;DR: Copywriting is a big package.
The majority of copywriters’ work is content. Why content, though?
Content is one of the ultimate ways to attract, convert, and delight your customers. It’s the new it-girl of marketing.
Get this: 93% of B2B marketers are using content marketing, and 86% of them think content marketing is a key strategy.
Over 270,000 pieces of content are shared every day, and even consumers love it! 50% of consumers say content marketing has a positive impact on purchase decisions.
Content is the future of marketing, and as such, so are copywriters.
What does it take to be a copywriter?
Copywriters should excel at grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and all there is to the technical, academic part of writing.
Moreover, copywriters should have more than just good knowledge when it comes to content marketing and inbound marketing.
Personality still matters.
When it comes to copywriters’ soft skills, they have to be:
- Creative. Like super creative, and a great storyteller.
Creativity works like a charm, and storytelling is one key ingredient in any good content recipe. People love stories, even if they don’t know that they do. - Analytical and highly resourceful.
I know, it’s weird. Creativity is on one side of the brain, and analysis is on the other side, but copywriting is the best of both worlds. - Interpersonal and interactive.
Copywriters should be great communicators who are friends with everyone. They are a part of a team, so teamwork, communication, and bonding are crucial. - Well-educated.
Whether they’re educated on the market, topic, or strategy, the point remains: a good education is very important for copywriters’ success. - Passion-driven
Not just passion, but also values. Copywriters should be self-motivated, driven by believing in their own values as well as the company’s values, and inevitably driven by their own passion for what they do. - Adaptive.
The world changes so fast and since copywriting is becoming huge in marketing, copywriters have to be able to adapt to all of those changes and know how to apply them as soon as they happen.
Copywriters are a lot of things, but at the end of the day, copywriters are not magicians even if they try. You should expect great results from copywriters, but never forget that marketing always has been and always will be a trial-and-error business. Find a copywriter who isn’t afraid to go back to the drawing board and adjust a strategy when there is a need for a new approach.
So while you can expect a lot from hiring copywriters, don’t expect magical results from them on every first attempt.
Content is amazing, and it has a bit of a magical effect, but it’s not magic!
You might also like: Listen Up, Copywriters: 6 Tips For Highly Effective Written Content
FAQs
A copywriter must have proficiency in the language used for promotion, as well as knowledge of wide vocabulary. He/she must also be creative and able to think out of the box. Additionally, a copywriter should have the ability to think like consumers and see from different points of views. Not to mention that they must have great research skills.
Having a marketing background is great to start with. This could be a bachelor’s degree in communications, media studies, English, or marketing, or relevant work experience in the advertising field.
To work in the advertising industry, it’s better to have a bachelor’s degree in communications, media studies, marketing, English or any related field.
Outsourcing copywriting tasks to an expert will save you time while getting someone professional to handle it. Copywriting is essential as it works on persuading potential customers to buy your product.
