“Copy is not written. Copy is assembled.”
Eugene Schwartz
Having studied communication in school my idea of copywriting was pretty bland and generic. So I decided to expand my ground of knowledge by reading David Ogilvy’s works and maybe a bit of Shakespeare for control. The unfortunate thing about Zimbabwe is career paths like copywriting aren’t taught in school, but you do a lot of self-teaching. Which means a surplus of mistakes and lots of misunderstandings.
You are probably wondering “what the heck is COPYWRITING?”
Sounds fancy and hella complicated, right?
No! It’s not. Before I delve into the technicalities… allow me to say that copywriting is a form of creative writing.
Copy-writing is the process, system or art of creating or writing for marketing and advertising purposes. This means that concepts are developed, text and words are developed or structured to make adverts whether it’s a brochure, TV ad, billboard or radio jingle.
This text is known as “copy.” Copy is everywhere — it’s part of a $2.3 trillion industry worldwide.
That’s a big number for something a lot of people don’t understand.
Copywriting is commonly mistaken for Copyrighting. Copyright is when an individual or company has the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute someone’s work (such as books, music, artistic items). The purpose of a copyright is to protect that material and prevent illegal use of it by unauthorised agents. It’s basically big talk for the rules surrounding intellectual property. The owner designates the material is copyrighted with the symbol ©.
Let’s break it down together:
- Copywriting involves the analytical and creative process of coming up with words that go on any marketing material
- Copywriting is the conceptualisation of out of the box ideas that can be used to communicate either to businesses or consumers
- In copywriting there is a lot of singing, dancing and slam poetry involved (well if you have two left feet it’s still ok you can get a professional for that). Copywriting encompasses song (jingle) composition, visual conceptualisation, choreography and voice direction.
The assumption is that copywriting is just about coming up with words…
Not entirely… a copywriter is the consolidator of ideas that are then developed by creative designers and the rest of the advertising team.
Why is Copywriting a form of creative writing?
“Shop at powersales…”
“Where your money buys you more…”
One of the most popular Zimbabwean jingles. Which had SAS (sense appeal sticky). The thought process or ideation that probably went through the copywriters head when they came up with that jingle was:
“I need to write something everyone will sing from mom, dad to the kids. “
Something super catchy but makes sense, something that will tell us that powersales is here to save my money.
Get it? Copy-writing is creative because… it’s fun lol
It’s creative writing in the sense that you are finding a unique way of selling, communicating and reaching an agreement with your customer. So from TV scripts, radio jingles, tag-lines your thought process as the writer is to be the seller and the buyer. Sell it in a unique but non invasive way, and from the buyer point of view make me believe that I really need that product.
Have you ever just seen an ad on TV or in a magazine that made you want that product really bad?
Exactly that’s what a copywriter does they sprinkle fairy dust and make you believe you need something that you probably don’t.
Copywriting is the ability to move minds, or convince people to take action based on the art of writing.
Copywriting is the sexy art of persuasion!!!!
Copywriting focuses on getting your audience to take action. By action I mean buying the product, joining the club, donating to your cause or signing up for your mailing list.
Still confused?
Remember the brochure you read when you visted your friends church? Or the Billboard you drive past every morning?
Who did that?
That’s right, a copywriter. Well, obviously they had a team. Any marketing material you see with words has passed through the hands of a talented writer via the process of copywriting.
Perhaps an illustration will help:
David Ogilvy wrote this ad in 1958. This is considered to be one of the best ads of all time.
“In my Rolls-Royce advertisements I gave nothing but facts. No adjectives, no ‘gracious living.’” – David Ogilvy
Active Campaign https://www.activecampaign.com/blog/copywriting-examples
Why is copywriting important?
Copywriting is everywhere. The Billboards you see on your way to work, the church pamphlet, the TV ad or the radio jingle you sing-along to.
Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble.” -Yehuda Berg
Words are a powerful part of human interactions. In business the power of words is often underestimated. One word can make or break your brand and the entirety of your business.
Copywriting is important and here’s why:
It drives profitability. Every business is focused on SALES, SALES, SALES, but how are you convincing your consumer that your product is what’s best for them?
Yes, through good copy. Understanding your product and understanding your consumer go hand in hand. This means once you’ve understood both you are able to use any kind of word to persuade your consumer.
- Brand Visibility- copywriting provides depth to your brand. This means it gives your brand a relatable feel that consumers are able to identify.
- Gives consumers a solution to their problems. Consumers makes purchases to either alleviate pain or increase pleasure. Through copywriting your consumers are able to see what benefit your product brings.
- Higher Search Engine Optimisation. SEO is the way to getting traffic from organic or editorial search results on search engines.
- Attracts and converts sales leads.
Where does copywriting appear?
Copy appears anywhere there’s an audience:
• Online (web content, pop-up ads, banners, social media, emails)
• In print (in papers & magazines, leaflets & brochures)
• In physical advertising spaces (billboards, poster sites, public transport)
• Everywhere! (radio, TV)
What are the different types of copywriting?
- Creative copywriting- this applies to television adverts and radio jingles.
- Public relations- press releases and brand packs.
- Technical- white papers and industrial guides/ articles
- Web Content- social media, blogs, podcasts or vlogs
- SEO- web content and product description
Copywriters are an essential part of any marketing strategy and any design team.
How can The Grammar Queen help you?
At The Grammar Queen, we understand the importance of high quality copywriting to the success of your business. Don’t spread yourself thin, trying to juggle all your business processes. Focus on the important stuff and let us take care of your copywriting needs.
If you need further clarification reach out today: grammarqueenzw@outlook.com
The Grammar queen 