You might be familiar with the phrase “copywriter,”[1] even if you’re not sure what it means. You might write text for websites, social media posts, or even brochures and catalogs, and you might be surprised to hear that you have actually been performing copywriting for most of your life.
A copywriter is someone who creates written content as part of a marketing strategy. So, they might write a press release to get articles and blog posts published in top tier publications or they might write an email to persuade potential customers to buy a product or service. In essence, copywriting is making words and phrases that someone else will want to read or hear.
History Of Copywriting
While the phrase “copywriting” dates back to the early 1900s, the practice itself is a relatively new endeavor. In the early days, people who were good at penning letters and memos were often called upon to write marketing materials, such as sales letters, product descriptions, and more.
With the invention of the computer, the practice of copywriting moved into the digital sphere. Over time, many of the responsibilities of a writer shifted to software tools like SEO copy, which stands for “search engine optimization.” SEO copy is the type of content that appears in search engine results when someone types a query into a search engine. The goal of SEO copy is to rank highly for keywords that are relevant to your products or services.
The line between editorial and marketing writing became blurred as journalists started toiling in marketing departments and vice versa. In today’s world, it is difficult to define where one role ends and the other begins.
The Roles Of A Copywriter
As the name suggests, a copywriter is typically tasked with creating written content for marketing purposes. However, that is a very broad role, and it includes many responsibilities. A copywriter can start by performing keyword research to determine which words and phrases users are entering into search engines to find information about your company or product. From there, you can develop a content strategy that includes the following:
- Keywords
- Blog posts
- Product descriptions
- Email campaigns
- Social media posts
- Press releases
- Brochures
- Website copy
Depending on your industry, your product, and your target audience, you might require more or less content. But, at a minimum, you should have content for the following:
- Home page
- About Us page
- Product page
- Blog
- Contact page
- FAQ page
Once you have content for each of these areas, you can begin to populate each page with relevant content. For instance, if your product is a cookbook and you are targeting people who love to entertain guests, you might want to include recipes for hors d’oeuvres, main courses, and desserts in your content strategy. As for the copywriting itself, you will want to look into purchasing copywriting software that is geared towards SEO. Using software to generate high-quality SEO copy is a simple and efficient way to generate leads and eventually, sales.
The Importance Of Branding
Branding is very important to the health of your business. While you are busy developing your content strategy, you should also be considering how you will brand your company and the marketing materials that you will use to represent your brand. The better the brand, the better the marketing material will perform – and that means more leads and eventually, sales.
If you are just getting started, take time to develop a brand identity that is uniquely yours. Use your company logo, color scheme, and typeface to establish yourself as the expert in your industry. Keep consistency throughout your brand materials, whether they are words or visuals. This will help establish your authority as an expert in your industry and give your marketing materials credibility.
Aside from establishing your brand, you will also want to consider the following factors when developing your content strategy:
- Target audience
- Products
- Keywords
- Digital marketing platforms
- Competition
- Seasonality
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An effective content strategy will evolve as your business and your products change, but at the very least, you should have content for the following: