While most marketers, advertisers, public relations people, journalists, and related-industry natives are quite familiar with the term copywriter, have an idea of what a copywriter does, and even know a few copywriters, it’s not a role that many people have a good handle on. 

In this article, we’ll dive deep into what it means to be a copywriter, and hopefully also show you what a difference these strange birds can make to your business.

The short version: What do copywriters do?

For those who are time poor, here’s the short version of what you can expect from a copywriter. Copywriters are creative thinkers with a sound grasp of marketing principles and excellent writing and research skills. They excel at using words to evoke emotion in their readers, which then drives the reader to take a desired action. 

What makes a good copywriter?

A way with words

First and foremost, good copywriters are lovers of language. They are distinguished by their passion for and appreciation of a great turn of phrase.

Indepth understanding of marketing principles

Great copywriters are naturally able to wield words in powerful ways due to their in-depth understanding of the human psyche and the principles that govern how purchasing decisions are made.

An incurable curiousity & excellent research skills

Good copywriters have an insatiable curiosity and are keen and adept researchers. They are in their elements when interviewing people, talking to subject experts, conducting online research and quizzing their clients about their industry, products, and services. 

A good copywriter will spend time with you to discover more about your customers’ needs, the problems and challenges they face, and ways in which you are able to solve these.

Creative thinking & fresh ideas

No room for overworked, overused, and clichéd phrases here. A good copywriter will brainstorm ideas, come up with fresh concepts and develop original messaging that will be irresistible to your target audience. 

The ability to tailor copy to resonate with the target audience

You wouldn’t use the same words to attract an investor as you might when trying to persuade someone to buy a burger from you. 

Good copywriters understand this, and they comfortably vary voice, style, and other characteristics of the copy as required by the industry, company or target audience at hand. 

They use their insight into the ways in which humans interact with marketing materials, and they craft their copy to speak directly to particular audiences.

They do this by carefully reflecting the vocabulary, tone of voice, style, values, and attitudes of the target audience in their copy. The result is that your message gets through to the people who matter to you.

The ability to evoke emotion & drive action

Great copywriters know that their copy must do more than simply paint beautiful pictures. Lovely words are no good unless they are carefully curated and crafted into compelling sentences that stir up the reader’s emotions and drive them to take the next step – whether it’s signing up to a mailing list, purchasing a product or service or following a social media account.

Why hire a professional copywriter?

A professional copywriter not only has a formal qualification in language usage, but also brings a host of inherent skills to bear on your project. They know how to pitch your message so that it makes the maximum impact on your target market. 

You could go it alone and gamble your marketing dollars on ineffective ads, posts that don’t attract followers, and website content that has more bounces than the Big Boing. Or you could hire a professional copywriter and reap the rewards that great copy brings. For more reasons to hire a professional writer, take a look at our blog post, Ten Benefits Of Hiring A Professional Writer.