B Y T O M T O R T O R I C I
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF MARKETING WRITERS AND HOW TO WORK WITH THEM
UNDERSTANDING COPYWRITERS
What do copywriters do?
Copywriters produce the headlines and text (‘copy’) that promote the benefits and appeal of a company’s offerings. Copywriters, often paired with designers, develop promotional websites, ads, email, and social media. The typical goal of these marketing efforts is to persuade the buyer to respond with a purchase or inquiry.
Learn More: Marketing to the Eye, the Mind, and the Heart
Why should I hire a copywriter?
Good copywriters engage buyers by appealing to their perceived needs, circumstances, frustrations, and aspirations. By contrast, company insiders can inadvertently come off as boastful or self-serving in their attempts at copywriting. Copywriters also know how to draw the reader in, with meaningful headlines and bite-size sections of text.
Learn More: A Website Writer? Why Would I Need One of Those?
Is hiring a copywriter worth it?
While good writing skills are sufficient for many types of communication, a professional copywriter is a worthwhile investment when trying to elicit a response, such as making a purchase or inquiry. Copywriters understand how to build desire, address buyer obstacles, and ‘paint a picture’ of post-sale satisfaction.
Learn More: Web Design Is Easier With a Web Writer On Board
HIRING COPYWRITERS
How do I choose the right copywriter?
Review their past work. Is it succinct, engaging, and easy to read? Also, strategic copywriters focus on needs and solutions from the buyer’s perspective, with the words ‘you’ and ‘your’ appearing frequently. If ‘we’, ‘our’ and ‘us’ are more prominent, the copywriter may merely be appealing to company insiders.
What is a copywriter vs. a content writer?
Copywriters work to persuade people to do something, such as make a purchase or inquiry (main website pages). Content writers inform or educate on a topic (blog posts). Copywriting that successfully gets readers to respond is generally considered a higher-level skill.
Learn more: Did You Use the Wrong Type of Writer for Your Website?
Should I hire a copywriter or a copy editor?
If you’ve written a topical blog post, a copy editor can sharpen it up. However, if the aim is to attract, engage and convert readers, the writing task is more complex, balancing multiple considerations. In that case, the copywriter will write from scratch, using what you provide as source material.
WORKING WITH COPYWRITERS
How do I work with a copywriter?
Start by conveying the nature, aims, and scope of the project, for an initial price quote. Next, plan a Discovery session with the writer, so they can learn about your company, offerings, and target market. The writer will then write the pages you need, for you to review and revise.
Learn More: Web Design is Easier With a Web Writer on Board
What are the steps of copywriting?
Discovery Phase (gathering information); Planning Phase (creating an outline of pages and sections); Content Organizing Phase (categorizing and prioritizing the information collected); Writing Phase (preparing a copy draft, based on the previous steps); Review and Revisions Phase (client feedback is addressed).
Learn More: The Most Important Step in Copywriting is Often Left Out
Which should come first, copy or design?
Copy should always come first. By analogy, think of the copywriter as an architect, and the web designer as a builder; it wouldn’t make sense to have the builder arbitrarily build something BEFORE the architect has submitted plans with the rooms and features you wanted.
Learn More: 3 Common Web Design Practices That Really Don’t Make Sense
KEY ASPECTS OF COPYWRITING
What is Discovery in copywriting?
Before the writing begins, Discovery may be a call, meeting, or questionnaire that helps a copywriter initially understand more about a company, its products or services, its competition, and the needs and circumstances of potential buyers. Discovery may also include competitive research, market research, and research on current industry issues.
Learn More: Brilliant Websites Start with Smart Discovery Interviews
What is the role of strategy in copywriting?
After reviewing company strengths, customer needs, and the competitive environment, a copywriter can help determine a strong, unique core message and ‘market positioning’ for the firm. The copy they write is based on this strategy, and is optimally approached in terms of benefit to the buyer.
Learn More: Solutions, Aspirations, and the Marketing Sweet Spot
What are personas in copywriting?
A persona is a profile of an imaginary person who typifies the company’s target customer. Multiple personas are common when there are various types of potential buyers. This tool is used by copywriters and marketers to help focus on a ‘real’ person, rather than on a vague, faceless ‘target market.’
Learn More: The 7 Buyer Persona Questions You Really Want to Ask
COPYWRITING AND SEO
What is SEO copywriting?
Website writing that includes one or more ‘keyword’ phrases. Each keyword should be used multiple times on the page, in headlines and text. The idea is, if someone uses a phrase in an online search, web pages that also include it will come up early in the search results.
Learn More: Optimizing for Search Engines and Humans Too
What is SEO Over-Optimization?
Including too many keywords can turn the website copy into meaningless and unhelpful gibberish. Good copywriters can find the right balance between appealing to buyers and appealing to search engines. While ‘keyword stuffing’ sometimes worked in the past, Google is now more likely to penalize over-optimized sites.
How else can copywriters help with ‘on-page’ SEO?
1. By writing compelling copy that gets views, shares, and ‘inbound’ links. 2. By including ‘internal’ as well as ‘external’ links. 3. By adding keyword variations and synonyms. 4. By writing compelling Title and Description Tags to appear in search results. 5. By organizing site info for easy navigation.
AI WRITING
What can copywriters do that AI can’t?
While Generative AI can quickly and inexpensively write ABOUT topics, it typically lacks the ability to make a deeper, more meaningful connection with the reader. For example, a human writer can tap into the emotional nuances of a potential buyer’s frustrations or aspirations, seeing things from their point of view.
Do professional copywriters use AI writing apps?
Sometimes, yes, but typically not for writing. Generative AI can be used for quick research, topic ideas, creating outlines, and summaries of what competitors are saying. Even when AI is used to create a first draft, good writers will consider it just a starting point.
WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW
What’s the difference between B2B and B2C copywriting?
B2B copywriting can be more complex, requiring an understanding of both the sellers’ and the buyers’ industries. Also, B2C writing tries to solicit an immediate or impending sale, whereas segmented B2B messaging is often tailored to different prospect groups depending on where they are in a longer-term ‘sales funnel.’
What are the most common copywriting mistakes?
1. Focusing on product features instead of customer benefits. 2. Vague claims and industry jargon instead of specific competitive advantages. 3. Long sections of plain text instead of bite-size chunks of information. 4. Talking too much about the company instead of helping buyers achieve what they need.
Learn More: Don’t Welcome Me to Your Website
How much do copywriters charge?
The average freelance copywriter charges from $200 to $400 for each website page. Complex technical writing may cost more. ‘Discovery’ may be billed separately. Two rounds of client changes are typically included. Remember that the costs include not just the writing, but the strategy and thinking behind it.
How can I learn more about copywriting?
There are a wide range of copywriting articles, videos and courses available online. However you can also learn much by ‘paying attention to your attention’ when looking at websites, ads, and other marketing media. Note which copy approaches and arrangements draw you in, and which make no impression at all.
Learn More: Why Marketers Should Pay Attention to Their Attention
How can I talk to a copywriter about my specific needs?
If you’re wondering how a professional writer can take your company’s website or marketing materials to a higher level, it costs nothing for a helpful, no-obligation initial consult. Contact Tom Tortorici at 404-606-2715, or send a message to get started.
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About the Author: Tom Tortorici is an Atlanta copywriter and web content writer who helps companies make a genuine connection with their audience. His classes and conference presentations have focused on how writing, strategy and design can work together to grab attention and interest even among readers with short attention spans. In addition to working directly with businesses, Tom regularly partners with web designers and marketing agencies.
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Tom Tortorici Inc. | Tom@TomTortorici.com | 770-934-7861 | 3101 Rockaway Rd | Atlanta GA 30341
