Why Copywriting is More Than Words
In the past year or so, maybe thanks to AI, I’ve noticed a lot of incorrect assumptions being made about copywriting. Yes, writing or writer is in the job description or title, but writing is far from the only thing we do. I'm not sure how we got here. I assumed after the success of Mad Men, more people would realize that copywriting is more than words.
Since it appears my assumption is wrong, or at least a little off, I thought an educational series providing insight into copywriting and copywriters was needed. First up in our series, why the copywriting process involves more than writing. In the second part of the series, we will delve into what a copywriter does and doesn't do.
But first, a quick reminder, copywriters are not copyrighters who put the copyright symbol on things. This is what copyright lawyers do.
“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.” Leo Burnett
Copywriting is more than words…it’s a process
Before a copywriter starts writing a single word of copy for an ad, blog post, email, website, social media post, etc., there is a lot of upfront work to complete. We can’t write a clever headline or body copy that tells an engaging brand story without first understanding the brand, product, target audience, and the creative brief's objective.
Step 1: Research and Discovery
This is where the copywriting process begins. First, we will review the creative brief to gain a better understanding of both the type of project we’re working on and the client's goals. They will also be researching the brand, products or services, target audience, competitor, and industry landscape.
If we are working on a product launch or rebrand, we may also conduct an audit of the brand’s current copy and messaging to assess what changes are needed. We may also conduct market research or ideal customer interviews to ensure we have a clear picture of who we are talking to and what they think of the brand or product. Sometimes, market research is done later in the process to test out initial concepts and messaging.
Step 2: Strategy and Concept Development
Once research and discovery are completed, we move on to the concept and strategy development phase. During this step, we conduct brainstorming sessions, either alone or with other creatives, to develop the most effective creative idea to achieve the brief's goal, such as a new product launch.
In other words, this is where we throw everything at the wall. We want to make sure our concept is both creative and strategic. Creativity for the sake of creativity won’t sell products or drive your ideal audience to take action. Once we have the idea nailed down, we will create a plan or strategy to execute it and decide which tactics will be most effective. This will all be presented to the client for review and approval.
For example, a brand wants to showcase its FIFA World Cup sponsorship, so the creative team comes up with an idea to share stories about the various countries, teams, and athletes participating, while also highlighting how the brand is supporting them. They decide to start promoting this campaign in the months leading up to the tournament, in cities hosting the tournament, on sports channels covering games, and on teams’ and brands' social media accounts. To drum up more excitement, they will also host fan pop-up events at qualifying games leading up to the World Cup, to give fans a chance to see what it takes to make it to the tournament, win prizes, and increase customer engagement with the brand.
“Every product has a unique personality and it is your job to find it.” – Joe Sugarman
Step 3: Writing the Copy
During this step, the copywriter will finally sit down to write all the copy needed to execute the campaign/project. This could involve writing everything from headlines and scripts to taglines and website content. It could be long-form or short-form copy. It could be copy designed to sell or copy needed for an educational campaign.
If the copywriter is working on a website, this is the stage where they will determine the content strategy for each page, format for product descriptions, and SEO/GEO/AEO. They may work with other creatives or strategists to outline the user experience, ensure the most competitive keywords are used, and determine what is the best way to build authority and show up in AI search.
In some instances, copywriters are also often tasked with creating an outline or explanation of how a promotion or event will run. In the example above, the CW would outline how each aspect of the pop-up events would be executed, the different experiences available, whether there would be athlete appearances, and what prizes are available and how they are won. In other words, they make the event come to life.
Step 4: Revisions/Testing
During this last step, a copywriter will make any client-requested changes or updates to the copy. They also might provide alternative headlines or subject lines if A/B testing is being conducted. And for those of us copywriters who have a bit of a perfectionist in us, we may take another pass at the copy if we think it could be better or if we don’t like the flow.
We may also review metrics such as email open rates, call-to-action click-through rates, and social media engagement to determine whether any adjustments are needed for headlines, subject lines, or CTAs.
“When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.”– David Ogilvy
Additional Steps in the Copywriting Process
It is also important to note that, depending on the type of project a copywriter is working on, there may be additional steps in the process, such as developing a brand story, crafting brand messaging, creating a content strategy, and implementing SEO. Some of which I mentioned above, but I will talk more about the types of projects copywriters work on and how the copywriting skill set is more than words.
Stay tuned for part 2 of our copywriting series: Copywriting FAQs, what we do and don’t do
