Copywriting is the act of creating marketing materials such as ads, brochures, and website content. The goal of copywriting is to persuade the reader to take a specific action, such as purchasing a product or service.
How does Copywriting work?
Copywriting can be complex but we can break it down into 4 major elements that essentially can drive the audience to make a purchase.
Many new copywriters also choose to use ” Copywriting Formulas” to outline their copy. You can read more about it here.
- Written to a specific audience
Each copy has to be written to a specific kind of people. You cannot write a copy that appeals to everyone.
For example, let’s say there is an advertisement for book readers. If you write an advertisement for a generic type of book reader, you will get people to buy but you will have a hard time hitting their “pain points” or triggers. Instead, you write for specific kinds of book readers, maybe for ” Busy Entrepreneurs” who want to read but cannot because they are too busy. This way you can tailor your writing to a specific issue. - A Big Claim & Problem
Every copy has to have a big claim that solves a specific problem. In the case of “Busy Entrepreneurs ” who want to read for don’t have time. The claim could be, ” Read 5 Books A month In Under 20 Minutes”
Now, that’s an outrageous claim and certainly catches the attention of the reader. A big claim can be used as a hook to get their attention as well. - Proofs – Show that you are correct!
After you have made your claims, The burden of proof falls on the writer to show the reader the proof, because if you don’t, your copy is “unsound”, meaning, it lacks “logic”.
The PURPOSE of PROOF is to Build Credibility.
For example, if you get a chance to take a photo with a well-known celebrity then you can get “clout”.
Proof can come in many forms, it can be testimonials, screenshots, or endorsements. ( That’s why you see celebrity endorsements on products)
A. A big claim: Read 5 Books A month In Under 20 Minutes
B. Proof: Testimonials, Screenshots, Videos
C. Conclusion: If others are successful with this, i will be too! - Call To Action
The last element of a good ad is “Call To Action”, you gotta straight up tell people to do something. BUY THIS NOW, CLICK HERE TO BUY THIS BEFORE THE PRICE GOES UP. You know what i mean.
A good copy always has a CLEAR Call To Action.
Don’t Get me Wrong: There are other elements to copywriting as well. Such as scarcity, triggering emotions, getting people to read what you have to say, but above 4 elements are the foundation of a good copywritng.
Copywriting is everywhere: It’s used on every ad you watch on TV or YouTube. That billboard that you saw while driving or Even the marketing email that you received from a company. They have all been written by a copywriter to persuade you to take action.
SwipeFolder.com shows various examples of copywriting.
What is a Copywriter?
A copywriter is someone who arranges words, phrases, sentences, and formatting to create text that can be used on various marketing materials.
Most copywriters are not born with these talents, they practice their craft by writing as much copy as they can and testing it in real life to see if it makes an impact. Anyone can call themselves a copywriter but a real copywriter will test their material in the real world and see if it made a dent. If it doesn’t work, they find tweak it to make it better and keep testing it with as many people as they can. Becoming a good copywriter means that you are willing to test and improve. Something that worked yesterday, might not work today or tomorrow.
Who Uses Copywriting?
Copywriting is used by everyone who is trying to convince people do something. It doesn’t necessarily have to be “marketing”, it could be to make people aware of something.
A good copywriting campaign makes the “IDEA” or “POINT” stick in people’s heads.
Copywriting is used by companies to promote their products, and presidents while writing their speeches, TV ads, Billboards, Company websites, sales pages, and Magazines.
Copywriting Vs Content Writing
The main difference between copywriting and content writing is that copywriting or “copy” uses words to get people to buy or take action of some sort, while content writing is usually used to educate people.
Content writing is part of copywriting, it is used to educate the audience to make them aware of a concept using company branding.
READ MORE: The Key Difference Between Copywriting and Content Writing
Content writing has a purpose, its purpose is to make an idea or concept stick, so in some sense, content writing is also part of copywriting. A good content writer will write content that helps their audience understand the concept.
Is Copywriting A Growing Industry?
Copywriting is an amazing skill to have. Every business needs a good copywriter to convince people to buy their product. Even if a company has the best product or service, without a good copywriter, the potential buyer will not be convinced to purchase.
In the past 15 years, the interest of people looking to become copywriters or to learn copywriting has increased.
No matter what you do, copywriting will help you advance your career. You don’t have to especially sell something to learn to Copywrite, you will learn how to communicate better, write better emails, and write text/SMS that’s more clear and concise.
How Much Do Copywriters Make?
It depends, but the average salary of a copywriter is between $50K to 100K, given that they understand a basic foundation and have some experience, but most start with 0$.
READ MORE: How Much Does A Copywriter Make
A lot of copywriters in their early days work either for free to get testimonials or work for a lower fee to make ends meet. Copywriting is a craft & like any craft, it gets better as you practice every day!
READ NEXT: 4 Copywriting Fundamentals
