Copywriting is a medium for communicating emotions, information, and understanding. The main task of any copywriter is to persuade their readers. This can be done through colorful language, compelling arguments, and supporting facts. However, the copywriting industry can still be quite daunting to most eager writers taking their first steps into the field.
With an evolving digital landscape and rapidly growing media consumption, the art of copywriting can easily be muddled. The modern copywriter needs to keep up with a lot more than just content to appeal to a generation with shorter attention spans, multiple media formats, and a lot less patience for the delivery of a convincing hook.
It takes more than an expansive vocabulary and some flowery prose to land the right blows when you’re dealing with copywriting these days. This is why we’ve rounded up some of the most critical frequently asked questions for any emerging copywriter looking to create compelling content in this day and age:
So, we start with the basics. Copywriting is the art of creating compelling copy – or words - to persuade, inform, or update readers. This can include the creation of articles, blogs, press releases, case studies, and more.
The goal of any copywriter is to keep your readers engaged and wanting more. Whether it’s an advertisement, blog, or brochure – your copy needs to be unforgettable and carry a clear and concise message. Anyone can simply jot down a few facts about a product or service, your job is to convince readers that they need it in a natural way that has them thinking it was their idea the whole time.
Search Engine Optimization - or SEO – is the process of making a webpage rank higher on search engines. This helps to drive organic traffic to blog posts through the use of frequently searched keywords or topics. SEO is a crucial element of creating copy in a digital age and focuses on keeping the clicks coming.
There are several techniques to create SEO-optimized content. You need to use keyword research tools – such as Google Ads Keyword Planner, Moz, or Semrush. These will provide you with the keywords you need to place within your copy to gain more traction on the results page of search engines. Remember, your content will only go as far as your SEO optimization will let it.
People tend to confuse and conflate content writing and copywriting, however, as a copywriter, you should be able to navigate between both fields with ease. The goal of a copywriter is to persuade readers and provoke a specific action – usually the buying of a product. However, a content writer is mostly informative by nature and tries to engage the audience with their writing.
To some extent, yes. Copywriting is a vastly dynamic field and you need to have some understanding of marketing techniques and tactics to fully convince your readers to buy products or invest in specific platforms.
Yes. For a lot of copywriters, the aspect of conveying the right or enough emotion through writing can be challenging. While you might get caught up in listing off facts and features, your content also needs to engage readers on every level – including emotional. This creates a sense of emotional leverage. You need to create a sense of joy, urgency, fear, or sadness to effectively present a call to action in your writing.
Copywriting will sometimes demand that you write in a specific style or format. From articles to user manuals, you can’t always stick to one style of writing. Do some research, be creative, and don’t be afraid to ask specific questions before tackling the job. Treat every challenge as an opportunity to sharpen your skillset and you might surprise yourself. Remember, you can only add to your skills by trying something new.
No. Despite the shift to digital mediums, copywriting has evolved – if anything. The modern landscape has been the ideal place to create a dynamic and rapidly shifting copywriting industry where copywriters can thrive.
Yes. One of the great parts of copywriting is that it requires almost no office stagnation. Your copywriting can take place at home or wherever you are as long as you have a stable internet connection and a working laptop.
When tackling a global market, copywriters might feel limited by localization issues or language barriers. Fortunately, one of the main principles of effective copywriting is to create copy that can defy those limitations and reach a global audience. Creating copy for global businesses can help companies develop across the world, reach wider target markets, and innovate on an international scale.
The arrival of AI technologies like ChatGPT has shaken copywriting and creative industries. While most people feared that the AI’s ability to generate content would replace copywriters, it seems more likely to remain a tool that helps copywriters. AI is capable of many things, however, mimicking the genuine human connection fostered by copywriting is not one of them. While AI has been useful in generating taglines and editing projects, it hardly seems to be going all Terminator on the copywriting sector just yet.
A good copywriter knows that you can only create content with the right toolbox. While your brain might be doing most of the work, it’s important to make use of the several impressive tools and resources at your disposal to create truly engaging content. This can include:
Different clients will request work in different sectors. To keep your content compelling while still staying within the industry, you need to actively do research. Find out more about the industry, the competition, and the most recent trends. Look at examples of other websites within the industry and how their copy is structured for ideas on what works. Your copywriting abilities need to be flexible enough to navigate between industries with ease – especially if you’re doing work on a freelance basis.
A particularly challenging part of any writing process is finding ideas for content. However, finding completing topics doesn’t have to be that terrifying. Research trending topics in your industry, find inspiration in movies or shows, see what’s trending on social media, or re-examine previous perspectives. Make use of AI to generate ideas and bounce those around till you find interesting content.
Copywriting is a wonderful way to sway public opinion and achieve better results. As an effective copywriter, you need to be flexible and capable at all times. With the changing digital landscape and new industries each day, there’ll never be a shortage of things to write about. The challenge is to write with intention and effect and these copywriting FAQs will help you find your way. Now, there seems to be only one more question to ask:
TMG Global is a group of talented, dedicated, and enthusiastic copywriters who can enhance your content beyond expectations. From editing content and writing compelling blogs to creating pristine press releases and so much more, TMG Global uses skilled writers with unparalleled creativity and an eye for marketing to help your brand uncover its true potential. Contact TMG Global today for a free content audit or to learn more about how we work to elevate copywriting into an art form.
