What Is A Copywriter? (And Why Hiring One Is A Game-changer For Small Businesses)
Even if you don’t know what a copywriter does, you’ve seen their work. It’s everywhere. You can find it online, on tv, in print, and on billboard advertising. Yet, great copy is invisible.
Why?
Because when a brand message is clearly delivered, the only part that should register is the brand, value or action, not the words.
Take this advert from Marmite—just eight simple words portray a powerful message.
It takes a bold brand with a strong identity to partially hide its product in the advert, but with the power of these few simple words, readers understand the message right off the bat without getting bogged down in a sea of written explanations.
While excellent copy goes unnoticed, bad copy stops people in their tracks.
Take this little gem from the multi-billion dollar company Airbnb:
These beauties were plastered all over San Francisco in an 8 million dollar ad campaign back in 2015 but wow, seriously! Effective copy, THIS AINT!
Why?
Because it’s a tongue-in-cheek rebuttal to the fact that the company was ordered to fork out millions of dollars in lodging taxes. While Airbnb is clearly making a point, the question is this.
How is this helping to build their brand, gain customer loyalty or educate consumers?
It isn’t!
And maybe that wasn’t the point but:
The ad sounds like a spoiled child stamping their feet when they don’t get their way, and we all know how that story ends.
Okay, maybe that gives you a clue to the answer of ‘what is a copywriter?’ or rather, what makes a good copywriter? But let’s take a look anyway.
In a nutshell, a copywriter uses clear, concise and compelling words (copy) to sell products and/or engage or educate consumers.
Copywriting is an art. Get it right, great copy accelerates business growth and increases the bottom line. Get it wrong, however, and (as the example above shows) it discourages people from ever buying your products or services.
Here’s the thing:
You don’t need to be a big brand company to utilise great copywriting. Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can benefit too.
Hiring an experienced copywriter levels up the playing field, enabling you to compete for a share of the market vs larger corporations. In other words, it can be a cost-effective game-changer.
Here’s why.
Copywriters help to define your target audience
Successful copy is all about knowing what makes your audience tick. That’s the ultimate goal of great content marketing.
Get into a potential customer’s head, tap into their emotional psyche, and make a connection and they’re more likely to purchase or use a service.
Skilled copywriters know how to do this. A good copywriter spends time researching your prime user/buyer before they open up a word doc.
When a business truly understands its target audience, that target is more likely to make a sale than a company utilising a scattergun approach to randomly pump out content.
Ultimately, when SMEs hire a good copywriter, it puts them in the driving seats
Copywriters write without impartiality
I’m a dental copywriter by profession, and as an ordinary Joe, I visit the dentist. Okay, maybe not as often as I should, but the point is I’m also a service user. In other words, I see things from an end users perspective because, well, I am one
It can be difficult for a company to write copy without impartiality because, understandably, they believe that their product or service is the best thing since sliced bread.
In other words, they don’t always see things from the consumer’s perspective, so they’ll extoll the virtues of that product without asking the reasons why.
- Why would someone buy or use this particular product or service over others?
- Why would it benefit them? And,
- Why would it make the consumer’s life better?
Nail this aspect of content creation and you set yourself apart from your competition- Simple!
Copywriters understand Aida
I don’t mean your partner’s very odd but loveable aunt or that lady across the street who tells you their life story every time they see you. 
Instead, I’m talking about
- Attention
- Interest
- Desire
- Action
Oh, that type of AIDA!
Essentially, these are the four steps experienced copywriters take to guide readers through understanding your brand – hence, attention, interest, desire and action.
For example:
- Good copy quickly grabs readers’ attention using words or phrases like a catchy headline or opening question.
- Following on, it maintains interest by focusing on the reader’s needs.
- Next, it taps into a reader’s desires – How this product or service may make them feel.
- Finally, it lets the reader know the next steps or action to take. Action may include signing up for a newsletter, downloading a discount coupon, or booking an appointment.
Copywriters nurture customer relationships
Often, it isn’t enough when a business makes an initial connection. In a recent McKinsey report, for example, Seventy-two per cent said they expect companies they buy from to recognise them as individuals and know their interests. Doing so takes time and a great deal of nurturing.
A skilled copywriter can help you put content plans in place to build that trust, bridge the gap and drive the consumer towards taking action.
In other words, they help you visualise the stages of a buyer journey (a marketing funnel) each customer goes through before purchasing or signing up for a service.
Here’s an example:
- Top of the funnel – People who are just learning about your company or business.
- Middle of the funnel – Those who know about you and are looking to purchase.
- Bottom of the funnel – Existing customers or those who have previously purchased.
Each stage of the marketing funnel calls for different types of content. The goal is to provide consumers with the right information, depending upon where they are in that journey, thus giving them a reason to buy from you.
So, top funnel content is typically helpful or informational and answers people’s questions and queries. Types include:
- Blog posts
- Videos – Vlogs
- Social media posts
- Podcasts, and
- Infographics
Mid-funnel content proves to audience that you’re an expert in your field and might be things like:
- eBooks
- Case studies
- White Papers
- Reports
Bottom funnel content is designed to reinforce a sale but also adds value, It includes the following:
- Testimonials
- Customer success stories
- Free trials
- Email blasts to entice returning customers
So now you know what a copywriter is, the types of content they create and how they can level the playing field for small businesses, the next question is:
What content (copy) should an SME be adopting?
The best place for any small business to start is by focusing on one form of content – usually blogs.
I wrote a post a while back on how blogs work for businesses, You can check it out here. It’s aimed at dental practices, but the same principle applies for any business.
Focusing on one aspect (blogs) lets you figure out your style and gain experience.
Then, once you have sufficient blog content, it can be repurposed into different formats like video blogs or infographics. If you write regular newsletters, they can be used to create a string of social media posts. If you have ‘how to’ guides, they can be turned into more detailed eBooks – and the list goes on.
Essentially, as businesses grow, content needs change. A good copywriter helps maintain customer loyalty, build brand awareness and assist in driving sales throughout the process, leaving you to focus on what you do best.
So there you have it. Hopefully, I’ve addressed the question ‘what is a copywriter‘ and how they can help small to medium-sized businesses.
Have you worked with a copywriter before?
What was your experience? I’d love to know.
Leave a comment in the section below.