What is a Copywriter? Jobs, Types, Skills, and Tips

What is a Copywriter? – Have you ever seen a product with an interesting caption that made you want to buy it? That means a copywriter succeeded in persuading you.

Copywriters are people who are experts in stringing words together to promote products.

Now, because the business world is growing, especially online businesses, the role of a copywriter is increasingly needed. So, the opportunity to become a copywriter is still wide open!

Want to be a copywriter? Check out the sundries of this job first, come on! Starting from the job of a copywriter, the types, skills needed, to how to become a copywriter.

What is a Copywriter?

A copywriter is a person/profession who carries out copywriting activities, namely offering products through writing or promotional captions.

Copywriters must be able to persuade readers to do something according to their marketing goals, such as buying products, subscribing, signing up, and others.

Initially, the work of a copywriter could be seen in television advertisements, radio, magazines, billboards, catalogs, to brochures. However, nowadays the writings of copywriters are more synonymous with online mass media advertisements, such as social media, blogs, websites, and others.

It can even be said that copywriters cannot be separated from digital marketing activities in the online business world. Have you started to understand why the opportunity to become a copywriter is still wide open?

So, what’s the difference between a copywriter and a content writer?

Difference between Copywriter and Content Writer

Difference between Copywriter and Content Writer

This job is often equated with a content writer because they are equally important in marketing activities. Well, here are some of the differences:

1. Type of Writing

The result of a copywriter’s job is a short promotional sentence. For example, captions, slogans, ad scripts, and so on.

In addition, the writing of the copywriter must be persuasive, interesting, and unique. Even then, it still has to be adapted to the communication style of the target audience, such as using trending terms and contemporary greetings.

Meanwhile, content writers produce articles in the form of articles, so they are longer. Usually in the range of 1500 to 2000 words.

Content writers tend to write a topic in-depth, but it must be easy for readers to understand.

2. Purpose of Writing

Copywriter writing is directed to product promotion in order to increase sales. For example, announcements of discounts, the introduction of new products, the provision of giveaways, and so on.

It’s different with content writers who write articles to educate readers. With informative and relevant articles for the audience, it can help increase business brand awareness for long-term goals.

In addition, content writers must apply SEO in their articles so that they can appear in Google search results. That way, you can get more website traffic.

3. Media Used

The difference between other content writers and copywriters is the media used to carry out marketing strategies.

The results of the work of copywriters generally use media to directly sell, such as advertisements on search engines, YouTube ad scripts, social media captions, brochures, banners, and others.

Content writers need media that can convey information more freely. An example is blogs.

Copywriter Jobs

Copywriter Jobs

Want to know what the job of a copywriter is? Here is the copywriter job description:

1. Writing Advertising and Marketing Materials

The main job of a copywriter is to write text for advertising promotions and other marketing strategies in various media.

Copywriters must master several examples of ad text. For example, taglines, slogans, social media captions, to CTA or Call To Action sentences.

2. Make Interesting Copy

Copywriters must be creative and effective in assembling copy, and promotional text. Why is that?

The message conveyed must be to the point so that the audience understands the promotional message quickly.

In addition, the copy must also be unique, interesting, and persuasive. So, the audience is interested in buying the product and becoming familiar with the brand.

3. Developing Content Ideas and Concepts

The next task is to build and develop content ideas to be relevant to promotional needs.

For this reason, copywriters need to always keep up with updated trends and consumer needs.

Copywriters also need to work closely with the content team, so that promotional texts and visuals carry a unified message for a particular product campaign.

Types of Copywriters

There are eight types of copywriters according to the stages of product or business introduction, namely:

1. Marketing Copywriter

Marketing is a type of copywriter whose job is to introduce the audience to brands and products.

The copy made by the marketing copywriter contains product information which includes the benefits, functions, and advantages of the product. Marketing copywriters are at the awareness stage, which is to make the audience familiar with the brand and product.

2. Brand Copywriter

Brand copywriter whose job is to build a good brand image or identity.

This type is what makes a brand slogan or tagline that is easy for the audience to remember. In addition, brand copywriters are also responsible for processing copy that tells how the company is doing. If on the website, it is usually found on the about us page.

3. SEO Copywriter

As the name implies, SEO copywriters focus on ensuring website pages about a product or business can appear in search engines.

When the audience types in keywords related to the product, the website that appears in the search results will benefit because the search often ends with the purchase of the product.

So, the task is to write information in accordance with the keywords most used by potential customers. An example of an SEO copywriter is a meta description for ads on Google Ads.

4. Technical Copywriter

The next type is a technical copywriter, whose job is to educate the audience. Technical copywriters mostly write about tutorial information, how the product works, how to care for the product, and so on.

The information is written must be able to help the audience to consider the pluses and minuses of a product before buying it.

Technical copywriters are in high demand, especially for technology, beauty, health, and financial products.

5. Direct Response Copywriter

As the name implies, direct response copywriters are responsible for creating copy that invites the audience to do something right away. For example, buying products, subscribing to emails, signing up for membership, and more.

Usually, the copy created is in the form of a CTA or homepage button, landing page, social media ads, and others.

This type of copywriter must be able to play psychologically with the audience so that they are willing to directly buy the product. One of them, using the FOMO (fear of missing out) technique.

6. Email Copywriter

Mail copywriters have a responsibility to increase open rates. The more promotional emails you read, the more successful the task will be.

There are various things that must be done, ranging from segmenting email recipients, creating interesting email subjects, to writing persuasive email body copy.

Well, with the right promotional emails, businesses can get new customers and also keep old customers from buying the product again.

7. Public Relations Copywriter

Public relations copywriter (PR Copywriter) is a type of copywriter who performs specific writing activities on behalf of the company.

The results of this work are usually in the form of official announcements or press releases, cooperation proposals for business partners, and others.

8. Social Media Copywriter

As the name implies, social media copywriters promote through writing using social media, regardless of the platform.

Each social media has various characteristics, ranging from typical users, and algorithms, to different trends. That’s why this type of copywriter is needed to help businesses market their products.

Skills a Copywriter Needs

Here are the skills you must prepare to become a copywriter:

1. Understand the AIDA Concept

AIDA is a formula for writing product promotion text that is widely used. AIDA stands for four stages to get consumers, namely:

• Attention – Provoking the attention of potential customers.
• Interest – Discussing the problems of potential customers to attract their interest.
• Desire – Offers a product as a solution.
• Action – Inviting potential customers to make a purchase.

Well, copywriters can use the steps above as a basis for making a copy. Later, every copy written must be able to understand the audience’s problems, explain the benefits of the product as a solution, and invite the audience to buy the product.

2. Able to Write Creative

The copywriter’s work must be concise and clear. Especially if for advertising purposes that determine a limited character according to the budget you have.

That’s why copywriters can write as creatively as possible. Not only, the message must be worded in a clear and unique language, but it can also be understood quickly.

3. Communication Skills

How can a copywriter persuade an audience to buy a product? Of course with communicative and convincing language, right?

To do so, the copywriter must research the target audience for the promotion. Because, of different audiences, different communication styles are also used.

4. Understanding Buyer Personas

A buyer persona is a representation of the typical target audience for your business product. By writing copy according to the buyer persona, the success rate will certainly be better.

Before writing copy, copywriters need to research what their target audience is, what their pain points are, what the audience wants, what your product can offer them, and so on.

So, when the copywriter’s work is read by the audience, they will feel the suitability of the information provided. That way, it will be easy to influence the audience to buy the product being promoted.

5. Understanding the Promotion Platform Algorithm

Each social media platform has different characteristics, as well as the algorithm. So, understanding the platform’s algorithm is a skill that a copywriter needs.

For example, the ad text for Twitter users is different from Instagram users, so the copying technique that must be used needs to be adjusted accordingly.

If done well, content or copy can be powerful in reaching an audience.

6. Google Ads knowledge

The online realm makes the choice for businesses to place ads wider. You can not only promote through social media but also ads on Google Ads.

There are several important roles of copywriters in Google Ads, such as utilizing the right meta description, using keywords, and others.

In addition, Google Ads has several different types of ads, so the ad text and the number of characters required are also different. A good copywriter is able to determine which one is the most effective to use.

Tips to Become a Reliable Copywriter

If you want to start a career as a copywriter, here are some tips that you can do. Anything?

1. Mastering the Product

Before making a copy, a copywriter needs to have product knowledge first. The goal is that the written copy contains the right promotional message.

Important points that must be reviewed usually revolve around the uniqueness of the product, product features or advantages, as well as the benefits that consumers will feel.

2. Understanding Audience Needs

Copywriters must be able to see from the audience’s point of view, meaning that the copy made must use a point of view that fits the needs of consumers.

That’s why it’s important to understand what the audience’s pain points or problems are. Later, all product descriptions are linked to solutions facing consumers

3. Create Captivating Headlines

The headline or ad title is an important part that is read by the audience the most. For that, copywriters need to make a copy that “kicks” for advertising headlines.

For example, by revealing product benefits, attracting curiosity, asking questions, and others.

4. Construct Attractive Leads

Not all audiences will read the full ad text. After a catchy title, present an opening paragraph or interesting leads. How to?

Some powerful leads use empathy, facts, and audience curiosity. Well, with the right copy of leads, you can make the audience stick around and read the ad to the end.

5. Write Quality Copy

Copy is at the heart of a copywriter’s promotional message, so make it as engaging and effective as possible.

To do this, you can use simple words or sentences, focus on writing for an individual audience, explaining benefits and features in a balanced way.

6. End with Persuasion

The goal of a copywriter’s job is to generate good sales. That is, the written copy must end with an invitation according to its purpose, especially so that consumers are willing to buy the product.

This can be achieved if using persuasion techniques in the CTA button are used. Although it must be tailored to the goals and target audience, generally effective CTAs are “Get Discount Now!”, “Register Membership Now!”, and others.

7. Up To Date

Finally, copywriters are required to always update with trends, so that advertisements can “enter” and be accepted by the audience easily.

And because it is related to sales, marketing copy must be made as familiar as possible with the audience.

Want to be a Copywriter?

A copywriter is a job or someone who writes promotional text to increase the sales of a business.

This profession is quite popular and is still very much needed, especially by online business people. Are you interested in becoming a copywriter?