As a copywriter, you get to write for a whole range of different brands and industries (especially when you follow our “no niche” advice). And while you might get your fair share of exciting projects writing about exotic travel, luxury products, and delicious food, other topics may seem a little more…dull.
We get it–it may seem hard to convince someone that a tractor part is going to transform their life. But it is your magical superpower as a copywriter that means you can turn any subject into an engaging piece of writing! In this episode, Nicki and Kate remind us why the target audience should be at the forefront of our minds if we want to write killer copy, especially for industries you’re less enthused about.
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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[1:49] A lot of the copywriting projects that you work on may not be of interest to you or they may not seem compelling to you. Make sure you start with the creative brief, as you would for any project, and don’t be afraid to reach back out to your clients to gather more information from a subject matter expert.
[3:42] The more you dig into a project and the creative brief, the more you get to understand why it’s compelling for the target audience, which is what really matters.
[4:35] It’s not often that we are our own target audience. That is why a big part of our job is to get into the heads of our target audiences and figure out what makes whatever it is that we’re writing about compelling to them.
[5:14] As a copywriter, you have a responsibility to dive deep into truly understanding the target audience because that can change an entire marketing campaign. It’s a good idea to ask about their biggest pain points, challenges, and what they are looking for in the service or product that is being offered.
[8:10] Don’t be afraid to get curious and question everything. Clients usually love it when you want to dig into their business and understand it inside and out.
[9:23] To make something interesting that’s fundamentally not interesting to you, think about what would make it compelling first, and then ask your client to see if they have anything that would support that point.
[12:23] It’s important to not impose your judgment on the target audience. It’s not our jobs to judge how valid or important their need is and instead, we should go into it with our target audience hat on.
[14:15] Every copy project is a solution to a problem or need and deserves the same level of attention. It’s not about comparing project to project or audience to audience. It’s about the right message, at the right time, to the right people.
[17:05] Nicki cautions against going into a project thinking it will be boring (or even turning it down) because the more that you dig into projects, the more you find ways to make them interesting and to the target audience as well.
[18:34] Asking your client if they have done any client research can be a great way to really make sure that you and the client know who you’re talking to.
[21:17] No matter what you are selling, the interest point is there and it’s your fun job as the copywriter to find it, pull it out, and then share it with the world.
Must-Hear Takeaways
As with every episode, we highly encourage you to listen to the entire conversation! But here are a few of the highlights:
“it’s very rare actually that we are our own target audiences. Instead, a big part of our job is to get into the heads of our target audiences and figure out what makes whatever it is we are writing about compelling to them.” – Nicki
“We don’t just write words. We get into the minds of the target audience, we get into the minds of the people who are selling/trying to persuade and we find a way to connect both of those through our words. It’s not easy work, its valuable work (partially because it’s not easy work!).” – Nicki
“I think it’s important too to not impose our judgment on the target audience. Just because we think ‘oh that’s not a big deal’ doesn’t mean that whatever it is that you’re writing about isn’t the exact thing that someone has been looking for.” – Nicki
“It’s on us to treat every copy project with the same level of care and strategy and creativity. Every project deserves that, no matter what, because every person that we are helping this company to sell to or persuade or message or communicate with, every person deserves that.” – Nicki
Related Links
- Episode 137: How To Structure Your Copy for Every Project
- Episode 126: Good vs. Bad Copywriting: How Do You Tell the Difference?
- Ep. 5: Why Choosing a Copywriting Niche is Terrible Advice
- How to Avoid the Copywriting Niche Trap
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About the Build Your Business Podcast
Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.
Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.
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Last Updated on June 12, 2024
