We love the old-timey description ‘wordsmith’. Much like a smith working at a forge, copywriters take the raw, unshapen materials of their clients and create something beautiful and functional. Or they can take a client’s already formed piece, knock the dents out, fix the broken bits and give it a polish, drastically increasing the value and the function of the item.
Okay, enough metaphors you say, what do copywriters actually do?
In a sentence? Anything that involves words and is customer-facing. This makes it hard to list every instance a copywriter could add value to a company, but the common ones are:
Advertising copy. A lot needs to be said, in very few words. And it needs to sizzle. It takes an alchemic knowledge of language to be done well. That’s what copywriters do.
Website copy. In this digital age, your website is your storefront, your signage, your aisles, your salesperson, your cashier and your catalogue. Jeez, no pressure! All this information needs to be conveyed using words.
The words need to be compelling, informative, accessible and fit your brand. And after all that, they need to be Search Engine Optimised (SEO) and focused on sales conversion. That’s what copywriters do.
Social media posts. They aren’t just for influencers selling workout clothes to Gen Zs and Millennials. The various social media apps give businesses huge reach to connect and communicate with customers, for free. It’s where your brand can become a persona that customers can relate to on a personal, emotional level. It’s where your brand becomes a part of your customer’s day and a relationship is built and maintained without the need for one-to-one contact. Posts need to be varied, entertaining, educational, influential (of course we had to include influential), and absolutely embody the personality of your brand. That’s what copywriters do.
Blogs. They’re a big contributor to driving traffic to your website, all while building credibility and authority for both your brand and your industry. Blogs need to engage, intrigue and educate. They need to be written with a clear understanding of what value your customer will get from reading them. And they need to be SEO optimized to stop them from getting lost in the ether. That’s what copywriters do.
Newsletters. They need to be compelling to get people to click on the first link or open the first email. They need to be consistently good in order for your customer to stay subscribed. They need to be digestible and succinct, keeping your reader’s attention and convincing them to take action, whether that’s clicking on a link to the website or taking up a special offer etc. That’s what copywriters do.
Your brand’s voice. A lot of thought goes into a brand’s logo, font, colour scheme and graphics. The same amount of care needs to be taken in creating a tone of voice. Is your brand’s voice professional, informative and expert? Or witty, irreverent and entertaining? Or a mixture of the two? From creating the voice, to effortlessly writing in a brand’s chosen style, that’s what copywriters do.
Copywriters are key to delivering the outcomes of any marketing plan. Too often, companies fall into the trap of paying big money for a designer and website developers but doing the copy themselves. What and how you communicate with your audience is as important as the look and functionality of the site. By not investing in your messaging, impact and opportunities are lost, and the intended outcome isn’t met.
Check out our blog post why hiring a copywriter is better for business for more on the subject. Or, if by this time you’re yelling “I believe you, help me!”, contact us to talk about how Craft ‘n Connect can help your business thrive.
