What is Copywriting?

And how one can save you tons of time and money. 

When I tell people (especially non-business owners) I now run a copywriting agency, the reaction is usually one of feigned excitement and then a confused, “What is copywriting?” 

At least 50% of the time, the person I am speaking to thinks that I am helping to copyright intellectual materials. 

I get the confusion –  but obviously not accurate, at all. 

I even talk to business owners on the regular who, until recently, had no idea that copywriters existed. 

And that is totally fine. 

Until I started digging into copywriting as a business owner, I probably couldn’t have told you what it was either. 

So often, as entrepreneurs, we think that we have to be masters of all the things. We have to do the business planning, the marketing, take beautiful images, do the finances, answer the emails, and do all of the writing. 

I could do a whole other blog on the benefits of outsourcing (and probably will) but basically, the whole premise of outsourcing is this – do what you are good at. 

Outsourcing is at the heart of every successful business. 

Outsourcing is what allows your business to grow without your business taking over your life.

 No person runs a successful business alone, no matter how it looks on social media. 

So, What Is Copywriting? 

According to the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI), copywriting is the process of writing persuasive marketing and promotional materials that motivate people to take some form of action, such as making a purchase, clicking on a link, donating to a cause, or scheduling a consultation. 

So you know how you always hear the talk about calls to action? You need to have a call to action on your website, on your blog posts, emails, etc, etc, etc. 

Well, getting people to respond to those calls of action are what copywriters excel at. 

Just having a button to “contact me” isn’t enough to motivate someone to reach out. 

You have to give them a reason. 

You can’t just say you have a product for sale. You have to give people a reason why they need to buy it.

You use copywriting to hit that nerve—trigger that emotion—and show them how you solve their problems. 

Simply showing them what you do is rarely enough. You have to use your words to compel and inspire, to motivate and connect…. All in a way that isn’t sleezy or pushy. There is no room for used-salesman tactics in contemporary copywriting.

And it is more than that even. Copywriters are masters at weaving stories into the fabric of your business, keeping your words personal and relatable in a way that feels natural. 

There is a difference between copywriting and content writing (which you can read about here) but, because there is such an overlap between the two closely-related genres (and some would even argue they are the same thing) and really, any copywriter should be able to create content, I am referring to the two as one here.

Where Do You Use Copywriting in Your Business?

In short, copywriting is basically all writing that you put out into the universe in regards to your business. 

Copywriting is the email newsletter that you send out weekly (or should send out weekly). 

Copywriting is the blog you post every Monday.

Copywriting is your webpage, your sales page, and your freebie that you use to entice subscribers. 

Copywriting is at the core of everything in your business my friend. 

Here are the main areas that I help creatives with their copywriting: 

Webpages

This is an easy place to start. 

Your webpage should be you (and your business) in internet form.

Visitors should come to your page and feel like they know your brand and your personality within a few moments. 

I work with entrepreneurs to create enticing and not-at-all boring web pages that keep visitors on their site longer (great for SEO too) and to get your audience to take that next step in your virtual relationship – which on a website is usually to schedule a consultation or sign up for a newsletter. 

Blogs

Blogs are sometimes considered more content writing than copywriting but truly it all falls under the same umbrella. You use blogs to inform, establish yourself as an authority, and create a loyal following. 

But where the line becomes blurry between content and copywriting is that you can (and should) use your blogs to encourage further action from your audience. Too often, we publish a blog and walk away, but a creative copywriter will be able to use your blog in a way that goes beyond the norm. 

Sales Pages

This is probably one of my favorite areas of copywriting.

It is one of the most challenging and in-depth areas of copywriting which is precisely why it is my favorite. 

There is so much that goes into a sales page – from researching your audience, understanding their pain points, knowing your story and your “why”…. Effective sales pages are seriously time-consuming and detailed.

Freebies

This is another area that is my favorite. 

I love creating freebies for people. 

Freebies are great tools for conversion because you are giving something valuable in return for an email address. And in turn, the freebie shows your audience how brilliant and intelligent you are…quickly escalating your level of authority in the eyes of your authority.

Email Newsletters

And finally, another popular mode of copywriting is email newsletters—those pesky, time-consuming emails that you send (or should be sending) out weekly, yea, those. 

A good newsletter strategy fluctuates between content and direct sales. 

You don’t want to be selling in every email you send. But you do want to engage and give them the opportunity to interact with you in other ways, even if you aren’t directly selling… hence where the line between copywriting and content writing blurs even more.  

Regardless, hiring a copywriter to write your emails is a great way to make sure they actually get sent. 

Hopefully, this helped you see how copywriting is elemental to the growth and sustainability of your business. 

Here are a few more links that you may find helpful: 

Content Writing VS Copywriting

How to hire a copywriter