You’ve probably come across the term copywriting many times, but you may not necessarily be able to explain what it means. In this article, you will learn what copywriting is and why it is worth using the services of a professional copywriter.
Table of Contents
Table of Content:
- What copywriting means
- How to learn effective copywriting yourself?
- Copywriting prices and offers
- Jobs for copywriters in other languages - how to do it?
- What characterizes a good copywriter?
- Copywriting and content marketing – how do they differ?
- Where copywriting is used and whether it is worth using it
What does copywriting mean?
Look for the Polish equivalent of this term with a candle. Copywriting can be defined differently. Personally, I understand this as a process of creating effective, persuasive and functional texts, most often of a sales nature (even indirectly). Copywriting, therefore, is not journalism, fiction, or the creation of dry technical descriptions (boiling right down to, as an example, providing the parameters of a given device).
Copywriting is the creation of texts for marketing and advertising, containing a specific message for the consumer. The copywriter must know how to sell, and for this purpose, they must know the product, the target recipient and the communication strategy adopted in the organization. Let’s consider what conditions an effective advertising message should meet.
It’s also worth knowing what SEO copywriting is. This is typing for Google. It can be understood both as creating content on the site that raises its topical authority, increasing the number of keywords, building a long tail, etc., as well as creating content in the form of a medium for links from other websites.
How do you learn effective copywriting yourself?
Do you want to become an author of advertising content? There are quite a few trainings, books and online courses on the market. It is worth collecting theoretical knowledge as well as writing and working on your own workshop.
There are many techniques for creating content, but experience is very important and reading up to 100 books will not guarantee that you will be able to create good sales texts. Also, remember that you learn the language and its operation all the time. Not only industry literature, but also good novels, reports and even writing on the Internet will help develop skills.
Copywriting prices and offers
Copywriting is valued either by design – e.g. for developing a given advertising slogan (usually as part of a broader campaign) or, in the case of functional texts, to the knowledge base, company blog, etc., for PLN 1,000 (characters with spaces). Usually asking for offers (e.g. on a Facebook group – Copywriter wanted), you can specify the purpose of the text, assumptions about the author (sometimes the copywriter must have more experience in some field – e.g. technical copywriter), the number of texts.
You should also send your portfolio. You can also ask the candidate to prepare a text on a given topic which will allow assessing its level. Remember that it is good practice to pay for even the smallest orders, for which you can settle only at the stage of signing the contract. Facebook is also a great place where many copywriters are looking for jobs, so adding an ad to a popular group will help you choose the best person. There are also a lot of small agencies (creative boutiques) that willingly share their knowledge and experience – it never hurts to ask them for an offer.
Jobs for copywriters in other languages - how to do it?
Remember: the ability to write texts is not the same as knowing languages! Not every Pole can write an advertising text or article for a website, although he knows Polish and speaks it fluently. Similarly, a candidate’s mere knowledge of English is not a guarantee that he will be a good content provider. A higher level of text manipulation requires great skills, knowledge of contexts and avoidance of mistakes, but also some cultural and cultural background regarding a given country.
Therefore, if you are looking for someone to order in a foreign language, then opt for a specialist with a rich portfolio. Another way is to order texts in Polish and then give them to a professional translator. It is often a cheaper solution than finding a good copywriter who speaks and writes Spanish, for example.
What characterizes a good copywriter
A good copywriter must first of all be fluent in the language in which he creates texts. You can laugh it’s a truism, but very often even people with education, let’s say journalistic, make terrible language mistakes. It happens that they create text with errors and then such a slogan lands on billboards, on a website or in social media. The image affair is ready.
First, in addition to knowing the rules of correct writing, the copywriter must be simply read and have the so-called light feather. The texts he creates must be easily absorbed. Otherwise, they will scare the reader away instead of encouraging them to act.
In addition, he must know the basics of sales psychology. Must know the nature, needs, and behavior of the target audience of your text. Another language is used to create content for the lady of the house, different for children, and different for high-level managers. Everyday products are sold differently than holidays for the whole family.
A good copywriter must also be able to use proven solutions. There are a number of rules for creating eye-catching titles, headlines, and text composition techniques.
A small example. When you write the text advertising insurance, you first suggest potential risks to the recipient and then indicate the remedy for all the evil – the insurance product being sold (see how many ads are based on this simple scheme). To make the recipient, or potential client, feel really threatened, one cannot write: Accidents are dangerous. Buy our policy. I mean, you can, but it won’t work, because we won’t arouse the emotional state that will make him buy the policy. The truth is, we make very few decisions, especially as consumers, in a rational way. That is why reaching the client’s feelings, needs and emotions are so crucial.
In summary, the features of a good copy are primarily:
- Linguistic correctness,
- Light pen and knowledge of techniques for creating persuasive texts,
- Ability to understand the client and reach his subconscious needs.
Copywriting and content marketing – how do they differ?
For several years now, content marketing has been talked about instead of copywriting. See how many blogs and websites are currently running by companies, are their author’s copywriters, or maybe a group of people having access to information about the company? It has now been accepted that articles, blog entries, newsletters, sponsored texts, product descriptions and many, many more are content plots. Whereas copywriters create content and scripts for advertisements, both online and television, radio or press. Most often they are shorter but more creative content.
Where copywriting is used and whether it is worth using it
In small companies, it is often assumed that writing a text for a website is no challenge, that anyone can write content for mailing, and the secretary will prepare materials for the catalog for the fair. Of course, this can be done in this way, but by creating promotional materials without the help of a copywriter we lose time and money as well as the chance to acquire customers and partners for the company more effectively.
Websites filled with professionally prepared text content are able to achieve sales effectiveness several times higher than pages written amateurishly. The ability to properly direct the message, influence website traffic, use, in addition to language treatments, appropriate tools (such as buttons, thoughtful linking, CTA phrases, or techniques affecting SEO) allows you to achieve much better business results. It is worth remembering this already at the stage of commissioning the creation of a company website.
It’s worth considering ordering content created by professionals. Remote cooperation with an external subcontractor may not always be a guarantee of the highest quality, but it is a better solution than entrusting such activities to an inexperienced person, without competence. And if you manage to hit a talented specialist, then with remote cooperation you can effectively achieve the intended goals.
If you think that the texts on your site are not well developed, please contact us using the contact form. We offer content audits for usability, conversion and search engines. We can also help in establishing cooperation with copywriters and content marketing authors.
