“Copy~what? Are you a lawyer?”
“How wonderful to have a lawyer in the family!”
“Umm no”...awkward pause… “she’s a writer. She writes advertisements and stuff”.
“Oh well, I guess it’s good she has a job.”
And that’s the end of the conversation. Well, the one that takes place in my mind’s eye when my brain decides it wants me to feel like a disappointment to my family.
But the fact remains that people DM to ask me about copyright law...although I think that really says more about those people than it does me.
I am sorry to all the people hoping they’ve just hit the jackpot and befriended a lawyer. I would be as good at representing your copyright lawsuit as would your great grandparents’ dog… you know the one that’s been dead for half a century.
Seriously though, a copywriter is a writer. Specifically, a writer who writes with the purpose of selling. Not to be confused with content writers who write to entertain or inform. Although some copywriters also write content (like me), but very few content writers can write copy.
Copy requires a special skill set that takes some time to develop. We have to master the art of persuasion while soaking up all knowledge about marketing in general. This means more of my days are spent deep in research than actually writing.
This is why copywriters (real ones) NEVER charge by the word. My job is to convey the right message in the fewest amount of words. Generally, if a project takes me 1 hour to complete. I spend half that time researching, one-quarter revising, and one-quarter writing. That might seem counter-productive, but actually, the best ideas come from doing really good deep dives into the audience and what they need.
When I’m writing a sales page or landing page or website for a business. It isn’t about me or my style or what I think is a good idea. It isn’t even about the business…
It’s all about the target audience. The person who currently desperately needs that particular product or service, even if they aren’t aware that they need it… yet.
If you’re deciding on a copywriter to help you with your business, make sure you hire someone who knows that very important fact. You’re wasting your money if the copywriter isn’t going to at least do some market research.
You get the biggest bang for your buck if you hire someone who knows how to do comprehensive customer profiles and market research. (*Cough...I do that…*Cough) Okay, that might be a shameless plug, but this is my blog.
I could go on forever talking about copywriting and all the nuance involved. For now, I’ll leave you with this. Copywriters make connections. We connect people with the things they need and businesses with the people who will become their biggest fans.
And honestly, I have a lot of fun doing it.
Talk soon,
Jenn 💛
P.S. If you’re looking for some more fans for your business, give me a shout.
