Let’s say you’re a freelance copywriter. (You are, right?) Now let’s say you bought the latest laptop on the market, loaded it with all the tools a good entrepreneurial writer needs (like, say, a mini espresso bar app). Six months later, if the folks who sold you the thing clear out all those multiplayer online gaming data files clogging the system (“No idea where those came … [Read more...]
How Copywriting Projects Actually Come Together
For people who are just starting out as copywriters, there's an element to the copywriting process that's often kind of a mystery. Namely, well, pretty much the whole process. How does a project get started? How when do you work with a designer? How does your work get seen? Where does the writing fit in? Believe me: what seems confusing and intimidating now will eventually … [Read more...]
Copywriting Q&A: The Dangers of Using Swipe Files
Some ads are just so good, you have to tear them out and keep them. In fact, many people will advise you to do just that. It's for inspiration, right? But sometimes "inspiration" can get in the way of "creation". Find out how to use other ads to help you—and when having them around is a really bad idea... Today's question comes from Candace H. who asks, "I read an article … [Read more...]
What’s a Creative Brief? A Guide to a Copywriter’s Essential Document
In the simplest terms, a creative brief is a write-up of everything a forthcoming project should entail. It gives all of the background information as well as all of the requirements and expectations for a project. When it comes to copywriting, this is the one magical document that you cannot do without. It guides you, it protects you and, yes, sometimes it even calls you … [Read more...]
What’s an Internal or In-House Ad Agency?
Sure, all copywriters daydream about being Don Draper and commanding—or even just being a part of—a creative team in a big, hip advertising agency. But there's another kind of opportunity you need to know about that offers all the smart coworkers, interesting projects, and, yes, sometimes tough deadlines outside of the traditional ad agency: in-house agencies. Ad Agency … [Read more...]
Fake Job Alert: What You Need to Know About Being an “SEO Copywriter”
For all the companies that are looking for "SEO copywriters," you'd think it's a super-specialized field. But the truth is, any copywriter worth their fees is an SEO copywriter—and most people looking for SEO copywriters have no idea what they're actually asking for. Despite all of the show about differentiating it from "regular copywriting," what separates SEO copywriting … [Read more...]
Your Unique Selling Point: Set Yourself Apart from the Competition
We're all in the business of selling. We're either actually trying to sell products or services, or we're trying to "sell" people on taking some kind of an action. Even nonprofits are trying to sell people on making donations. But with the unemployment rate constantly making the news and articles about "how to get a raise" and "how to brand yourself" across magazines and … [Read more...]
What Is Direct Response Copywriting?
Copywriting work often has different focuses. Some is designed to sell people on a company—that is, to get people to be aware of, trust, and like the brand. Other copywriting work is designed to get an immediate response. Here we look at what the term "direct response copywriting" means and what makes it different from other writing. There's a fairly decent chance that … [Read more...]
Content or Copy: How to Tell the Difference and What Should You Charge
When you're looking at job posts, you may see some that mention content writing. But what's the difference between copywriting and content writing? Aren't content and copywriting the same? When it comes to content writing vs. copywriting, is one better than the other? And what should you charge for each? Many people outside of the writing industry don't understand the … [Read more...]
What’s a Persona?
As a copywriter, there are plenty of things you may be asked to write. Writing a "persona is one of them. A "persona" is a description of an imaginary person that represents one of your brand's target audiences. It's basically a composite of all of the most pertinent details of the demographic: age, interests, income; and things relevant to what you're trying to sell, like … [Read more...]