Copywriting

Copywriting is persuasive writing used to sell something or convince someone to do, buy, or support something. The term copywriting should not be confused with copyrighting, which is the legal protection of a creative work or invention.

Sometimes written as two words, copy writing, the term is most often associated with marketing and advertising. However, it also applies to writing used for fundraising, and it is often part of political campaigns. Commercials, advertisements, brochures, direct mail letters or postcards, emails, social media posts, blog posts, and the content on many websites are examples of copywriting.

The text used in commercials and ads is called copy. It is different from another common form of writing called content. Content is written material intended to educate or entertain without directly attempting to persuade the reader to purchase, support, or do anything specific. The two forms of writing are different. While both require the ability to write using proper grammar and structure, copywriters and content writers present their information in different ways.

Background

The earliest known use of copy to persuade people to buy something is an advertisement for a prayer book printed in 1477 in England. This notice was tacked to church doors and so had limited exposure, but it is the earliest example of advertising that has been found. Other pamphlets containing ads were printed over the next 150 years. In 1625, ads were appearing regularly in newsbooks, forerunners to contemporary newspapers. By 1652, so many ads were appearing in newsbooks that people began to complain about them.

Early advertisements were usually plain, containing information about the product and possibly a testimonial from a satisfied customer. In the latter part of the eighteenth century, people attempted to attract attention to their products or services by adding humor or some other form of creativity to their ads. Jokes, riddles, or amusing slogans were often used, sometimes in conjunction with funny illustrations.

Advertisements—and the copy they required—became increasingly popular in the nineteenth century as literacy rates increased and more people began reading newspapers, periodicals, and the single-sheet documents known as broadsides, which included news and ads. Companies also started sending advertisements directly to consumers through letters or cards. During the twentieth century, radio and television provided new mediums for advertising. The material that was part of these ads was written solely to encourage people to purchase something or take an action. Even though it was presented in a different format, it was also considered copy.

The widespread use of the Internet beginning in the 1990s created more opportunities for copywriters. Websites for businesses often include a combination of copy—material written to convince people to buy something or take some action—and content—editorial material intended to educate or entertain. As a result, the lines between content and copy can blur. This can make it difficult to tell the difference between online sources meant to inform and those meant to persuade someone to buy or do something. For this reason, the contemporary consumer should exercise caution in discerning which information is accurate and informative.

Twenty-first-century trends in copywriting include artificial intelligence-powered copywriting, voice search methods, and the practice of experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, or E-E-A-T. While artificial intelligence methods help fact-check and increase the speed of the copywriting process, the ability to contextualize content and use emotional intelligence to appeal to readers remains uniquely human. Some other commonly used frameworks include the "Five Cs" (clarity, consistency, correctness, conciseness, and engagement) and the "Four Ps," which consists of a promise to the reader, an outline of benefits, proof of these claims, and encouragement for the reader to take action.

Overview

Copywriting became increasingly prevalent over the centuries. In the twenty-first century, it is nearly everywhere. There are more ways for marketers to share information and more products to promote than ever before. A single product or service can require a large amount of copy. In addition to the copy needed for a product’s packing, a copywriter may also need to write copy for brochures, sales copy for the product’s website, social media pages, video scripts for demonstrations, and copy for television and radio ads. In addition, the copywriter may need to produce copy for social media ads, print magazines and newspapers, emails, social media posts, and direct sales letters.

Promoting products and services costs companies a great deal of money, some of which is spent on paying copywriters. These copywriters aim to write material that meets several key requirements:

• Copy should identify and connect with the target customers for the service or product. This requires an understanding of who the customers are, what their needs and desires are, and how the product can address those needs or desires.
• Copy should identify and present a specific benefit that customers can expect from the service or product. This sometimes involves making customers aware that they have a need or desire of which they were previously unaware.
• Copy should convince customers that the service or product being promoted is the ideal way to meet that need or desire.
• Copy should include a specific “call to action” to encourage customers to take the next step toward acquiring the product or service.
• Copy should be reviewed for effectiveness and adjusted as needed.

For example, if a company is launching a new cell phone, its employees will already have researched who buys cell phones to identify its target audience and determine what those people want in a new phone. Imagine that they have identified their prospective customers as individuals between the ages of twenty-one and fifty who use their phone’s camera often. An effective copywriter will investigate or brainstorm ways people use their cameras and the types of pictures they take. The copywriter will use this information to identify some specific ways that the camera in the new phone will make taking pictures easier or better. For example, they might note that the camera takes better close-ups of children, reduces blurring during action shots, or gives the user more ways to edit photos. The copywriter might inform customers that their older phone camera does not have these new functions and that they could take much better pictures with a new phone. The copywriter will explain how the new phone will improve the photos the customers can take and help them see how they can better preserve special moments, etc. The copy will include a call to action, such as a limited promotion or discount if the customer buys now. Finally, the ad's success will be analyzed and adapted as needed.

Bibliography

Anderson, Meghan Keaney. “Copywriting 101: 6 Traits of Excellent Copy Readers Will Remember.” Hubspot, blog.hubspot.com/marketing/good-copywriting-practices-list. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024.

Gulas, Charles S., and Weinberger, Mark G. Humor in Advertising: A Comprehensive Analysis. M. E. Sharpe, 2006.

Clare, Dodd. “What Does a Copywriter Do? Your Content Writing Guide” Articulate Marketing, 10 Aug. 2023, www.articulatemarketing.com/blog/what-does-a-copywriter-do. Accessed 19 Dec. 2018. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024.

Roderick, Leonie. “TV Ads at 60: A History.” Marketing Week, 21 Sept. 2015, www.marketingweek.com/2015/09/21/tv-ads-at-60-a-history. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024.

Strachan, Derryck. “10 Top Tips for Being a Successful Copywriter.” Guardian, 5 Dec. 2013, www.theguardian.com/careers/become-a-copywriter-top-tips. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024.

von der Osten, Barbara. "What is Copywriting? Learn the Main Techniques and Triggers to Persuade and Sell With Words." Rock Content, 18 Feb. 2023, rockcontent.com/blog/copywriting. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024.