If you’re looking for a career in copywriting, then congratulations! You’ve arrived at the right place. In this article, we’ll teach you the ropes to become an effective copywriter, breaking down the essential skills and secrets to developing your own copywriting career.
The Basics Of Copywriting
Before you start blazing your own trail as a copywriter, it’s important to understand the basics of the job. What is copywriting? What is a pitch? How do I pitch a business? How do I pitch an idea? What is the difference between these three things? Let’s dive into the details.
What Is Copywriting?
Copywriting is the process of taking any form of writing — whether it’s an article, white paper, business plan, or novel — and transforming it into a structured, polished piece of ‘copy’ that will draw in an audience, compel them to take action, and hopefully, make a sale.
This may seem fairly straightforward, but there are many facets to it. To begin with, there is the artistry of the copy itself. The copywriter’s job is to ensure that the text is both compelling and interesting. This requires a certain ‘voice’, or manner of speaking. To give you an example, let’s say you are writing about Apple products. You would strive to write using the same language and approach that Steve Jobs would use if he were describing new products for the company. Your copy must reflect that same voice and style, otherwise, the reader will lose interest and the text will seem amateurish.
What Is A Pitch?
A pitch is a short sales pitch, or piece of advertising content, used to promote a business or idea. Although the term ‘pitch’ can be applied to any form of advertising, for the purposes of this article, we will consider it to be an oral or written business proposal. A pitch for a product or service, whether it’s a new app, website redesign, or sales letter, is made to a potential buyer, or group of buyers, known as a ‘buyer’ group. A group of individuals or companies who share a passion for, or an interest in, a particular product or service and who are likely to be receptive to a business proposal. Getting the opportunity to pitch to a buyer is the primary goal of a salesperson, or ‘sales lead’, who is seeking to make a profit from the sale of a product or service. A pitch is often used in conjunction with other marketing methods, such as advertisements, to persuade individuals to take action. The purpose of a pitch is to get the person listening to you — whether they are an informed buyer, or somebody simply looking for a good story — to take action, hopefully, leading to a successful sale.
How Do I Pitch A Business?
Developing a successful pitch for a business can seem difficult. The key to creating a winning pitch is to find the common ground between you and the listener. This is the place where your interests intersect, and it is in this sphere that you must forge a relationship. Too often, businesses present themselves as ‘win-win situations’ to new customers, but neglect to mention the fact that they need to make money in order to stay in business, and that, in some instances, this may result in a loss for the consumer. The general rule of thumb is that you must always put the interests of the customer, or potential customer, first. If you can do that, then you can be sure that you have pitched a winning business idea.
How Do I Pitch An Idea?
An idea, in the form of a business, needs a business plan to present itself as a bona fide opportunity for investment. This is where you will introduce your unique idea to the world, explaining how the idea will operate, explain any challenges you might face, and what the potential rewards could be. An idea, in and of itself, is not something that is purchased and owned by the person or company that comes up with it. It is, however, a good starting point for the development of a business.
Developing a business plan is not as straightforward as you might think. In fact, it is very much a skill in its own right. There are many pitfalls that you can fall into if you are not careful, so it is imperative that you take the time to plan out all the angles before you begin to execute.
As a copywriter, your job is to pitch business ideas, products, and services to potential customers. Naturally, as with any other job, there are certain skills you need to develop. So before we begin, it’s important to note that a pitch is only as good as the skills which go into it. You can have the best idea in the world, but if you lack the ability to pitch it effectively, then your idea — and your career — could be over before it has even begun. To that end, here are the key skillsets you need to develop as a copywriter:
1. Research
When you are pitching an idea, product, or service to somebody, your first port of call should be research. You must carry out extensive research into the industry, the competitors, and the marketplace before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). When we say ‘research’, we mean deep research, not just a quick Google search or a superficial reading of a business magazine. This is what separates the professionals from the amateurs. An experienced copywriter will have conducted extensive research into the industry and the marketplace before they even begin to work on a project. They will have discovered what is working, and what is not, and will have an idea of the customers, the problems, and the motivations of those they are trying to reach. When doing research, you should try to discover all the angles, or views, that could be interpreted from the information gathered. Only then can you begin to develop a full and rounded picture of your ideal customer, and the kind of person or company you are trying to pitch to. This is essential if you are to write effective copy that will sell a product or service.
2. Organisation
If you’re presenting your pitch in written form, then you will definitely need to take into account the structure and flow of the text. Before you start drafting, it’s important to know how you want the information to appear. You can use a basic guide such as the inverted pyramid structure or the elevator pitch model to develop an idea for your business plan. Once you have a clear idea of how you want the information to appear, you can use this guide to help you develop an outline, or rough structure for your business plan. The basic premise of these two models is that you begin with a broad level of introduction, which should include the nature and objective of your plan, the corporate overview, the mission statement, the problem/opportunity statement, the market analysis, the competitive analysis, and the financial analysis. From there, you can develop a series of coherent and easy to follow smaller sections, such as the executive summary, the introductions for each of the ideas/products/services, and the conclusions. These smaller sections should be accompanied by a series of clearly defined and measurable objectives, or gains, as a result of implementing the plan.
3. Language
An element that is often overlooked by beginning copywriters, or even seasoned pros, is the language they use. Your choice of words, whether they are nouns, verbs, or adjectives, can have a profound effect on the meaning and sentiment of your pitch. For example, if you are trying to sell a product which will solve a specific problem that the listener is facing, and you use the word ‘solution’, this could imply that there is a simple answer to the problem. Of course, the opposite is true as well; if you use the term ‘solution’ and the problem is not solved, then you are probably using this word incorrectly, or perhaps, in the wrong context. The point is that you need to find the right fit between what you are trying to say, and the words you are choosing to say it with. The most effective copywriters are keen readers, and they are also skilled at using language creatively to evoke emotions and response in their readers. If you want to write winning copy, then learn to use the right words, in the right context, and with the right intonation. Take note of the language used by experts in your chosen field, and be sure to incorporate this into your own pitch, whether it’s verbal or written.