“Just do it.”
“Think different.”
“Taste the rainbow.”
Let’s play a quick game. Can you guess which brands belong to each of the slogans above? I’ll give you a minute…
Okay, time’s up—and I bet you got a 100%. In fact, you probably didn’t even have to cheat.
That’s because what Nike, Apple, and Skittles all have in common is a great slogan. And there’s nothing particularly fancy or groundbreaking about any of these catchphrases; they’re simple, actionable, everyday language.
Yet somehow, you remember them.
Slogans are one of the small, yet mighty tasks copywriters are responsible for—we also write social media captions, headlines and texts for websites, promotional emails, newsletters, subject lines, catalogs, product descriptions, media kits for bloggers—the list goes on and on.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, a copywriter is very different than copyright law (don’t worry, people confuse these two all the time!).
In short, we’re the ones who write the text for advertisements or publicity material, and our main objective is to persuade the audience. The bottom line? You probably read a copywriter’s work every day, whether you realized it or not.
We’re word nerds (and proud of it, too!).
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Big deal. I learned how to write when I was, like, 7. Why should I spend my money on something I already know how to do?”
This is actually a very common—albeit valid—question, especially after reviewing those slogans above. I mean, they do seem pretty easy and straightforward, right? How hard could it be?
Let me tell you a story.
When I landed my first copywriting job, I thought the same thing: “This will be easy. I’ll just write some fun puns and call it a day.”
Wrong.
The truth? Copywriting takes practice, and there are A LOT of little tactics and tricks you’ll want to know before diving in. This doesn’t happen overnight, either. I’ve been a copywriter for a few years now, and I’m STILL learning. Trends are changing every single day, and the ads you gravitated towards in the 80s and 90s are extremely different than the ones you flock to now.
“Okay, okay. You’ve kind of convinced me. What’s makes good copy, then?”
Good question. Veronica Camara, UX content strategy consultant extraordinaire, explains it perfectly—copywriting is meant to support both the business’s needs and the actual human’s needs:
“For the business: great copy makes sales, which means more profit.
For the reader: great copy makes me excited to buy or take action.”
Great content is not sales-y, complicated, boring, or “off brand.” Great content IS authentic, explains the benefits of product/service in an easy-to-understand way, and it’s intriguing. If you’re a business owner, your content is going to be very different from another business, whether they’re in your industry or not—which is exactly why you can’t just copy off of what another brand is doing.
Enter: the copywriter.
Copywriters will help you decipher which benefits need touted the most. What’s different about your brand compared to everyone else in your industry? How can we make your brand stand out in a fun, true-to-brand way?
We’ll take care of all that.
How do you know when it’s time to hire a copywriter?
Bad with grammar? Hire a copywriter.
Want to amp up your social media presence and gain more organic traffic? Hire a copywriter.
Have a product or service that needs to sound more exciting? Hire a copywriter.
Feel “too close” to your product or service, and need someone with an outside perspective? Hire a copywriter.
Psst…what do I mean by “too close”? I’ll explain! If you’re the sole owner of your business, you’re probably writing everything for your brand using your own personal voice. And while it’s always a great idea to remain genuine and authentic to your brand, sometimes it’s a better idea to visualize your brand as its own being—something separate from you, the owner. Hiring a copywriter helps create a new identity for your brand without sacrificing your values and beliefs behind it.
The takeaway: If you’re looking to sell something on a website using ads, emails, or print materials like direct mail—you will benefit greatly from having a copywriter on hand, even for a consultation!
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Phew! Copywriting is kind of confusing, am I right? If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below—or if you’d like to keep things private, you can DM me on Instagram.
