What Is Copywriting?
Copywriting persuades readers to do something.
Buy a product...stream a podcast...sign up for a webinar...donate to a cause…
You get the idea. Simple, right?
Not quite. There’s a lot of confusion about copywriting, even among marketing experts.
In his “definitive guide to copywriting,” Backlinko founder Brian Dean says:
Copywriting is the practice of crafting written text in order to inform, inspire or persuade. In most cases, copywriting is used to increase sales and conversions. Mediums, where copywriting is implemented, include sales letters, blog posts, advertisements and social media posts.
Let’s hit the brakes a sec.
What Copywriting Is NOT
There’s a myth in this paragraph that deserves to be busted because it could weaken your marketing strategy.
Copywriting doesn’t just “inform” and “inspire.”
That’s where Brian Dean gets it wrong. Many marketers do.
Whether you’re using the traditional marketing funnel strategy or Hubspot’s flywheel, the one thing you and your team need to remember is content does the informing and inspiring.
Copywriting does the persuading.
Informed people don’t always take action.
Inspired people often sign up but fail to follow through (inspiration is such a short feeling).
You need copy to nudge them in the direction you want.
Okay Joe, sure, but that’s just semantics.
I wish it were, but it’s not.
Your customers are educated. They’re sophisticated. They’re browsing your social media, Googling reviews, and comparing you to competitors before they make a decision.
You know how annoying your VP of Sales is with his whole “get the leads on the phone with sales”?
He’s basically right.
You need someone doing the asking, the following up, addressing objections, etc.
But before you can pass qualified leads to the sales team, your copywriting should have them on their knees begging for your product.
And that’s an important gap that your marketing team can’t afford to forget.
Especially if your in-house content writers think copy just “inspires” and “informs.”
Point is...
Copywriting persuades.
Copywriting does all the selling on your website and on social media, in your email marketing, in your videos, and anywhere else you distribute your products and messages.
Informing and inspiring is what your content should do at top of funnel.
But if you want your customers to buy, you need compelling copy.
And that’s a different skillset.
Copywriters are basically your sales team in print.
Why Is Copywriting So Important?
Copywriting is important because at some point in the marketing and sales process, businesses rely on written words to get or keep customers.
When copywriting works, your business sees results: revenue, subscribers, butts in seats at events, and so on.
When it doesn’t work...you don’t get those things.
The success of your marketing depends on good copywriting.
So if you’re spending a lot of money on ads and marketing and content but NOT on people who can write good copy…
You’re setting your dollar bills on fire.
You budget for the essentials to run campaigns, right? You may want to consider budgeting for copywriting, too.
Seriously. It’s that important.
Especially if your in-house copywriters or content team thinks copywriting is just supposed to “inform” and “inspire.”
Okay, okay...you get the idea. But now that we’ve talked ideas for a bit, let’s dip our hands into this yogurt.
Ready?
4 Examples of Good and Bad Copywriting
Let’s look at a few common examples of copy you’re probably using right now on your website and in your campaigns: ads and landing pages.
Social Media Ads
Good copywriting
What’s Good About It
Hubspot’s Facebook ad focuses on the strongest benefit to the user: free education in social media marketing.
It repeats that benefit twice and follows up with a clear and simple call to action: Sign Up.
Facebook is a busy place, so Hubspot is wise to keep the ad simple, focused, and bright enough to stand out in a prospect’s feed.
Bad copywriting
What’s Bad About It
Kellogg’s Facebook ad, on the other hand, fails the acid copy test instantly..
First, there’s no clear benefit to the user. “mastering fundamentals” is a means to an end, not a benefit.
Second, there are competing calls to action here. The copy at the top says to “enroll now,” while the call to action on the bottom says “learn more.”
Which is it?
Also, was including “online” really necessary?
Most courses are online anyway, and Zoom fatigue is real. Kellogg needs a better promise and position to get prospects interested. This ad is too easy to dismiss.
Not the best look for a marketing school.
Landing Pages
Good copywriting
What’s Good About It
Lyft leads with one specific benefit to the prospect and a clear next step: apply now.
Also brilliant is the calculator beneath the image. Answering objections is key to good copy. Including a calculator so that prospects can confirm on the page how much they would make is a brilliant way to let prospects confirm the credibility of Lyft’s promise themselves.
Bad copywriting
What’s Bad About It
AlgaeCal has an amazing product, but they lost a big opportunity here.
The headline is descriptive but lacks a compelling benefit to the audience. Why not mention the benefits of the shopping list at the very top?
Their landing page also buries the next step several paragraphs down the page. The sign up form should be visible immediately...don’t make your visitors search for it!
Copywriting Is Important Because . . .
See why copywriting is so important to the success of any brand or business?
Get it right, and you’ll connect with your prospect and see results.
Get it wrong, and you’re paying money to make bad impressions.
As a CMO, you can’t afford wasting money OR making bad impressions.
A Few Things to Remember About Copywriting
Copywriting is NOT content. And if you make that mistake, you’re leaving money on the table. Remember how I said Brian Dean wasn’t accurate when he said copywriting “inspires or informs”? Content inspires or informs. That’s ALL it does. Copywriting does some of that, too, but it’s harnessed to the larger purpose of getting the reader to do something. Unfortunately, you’ll see marketers and even so-called copywriters make this mistake all the time. But the wise ones (that’s you!) know copywriting is persuasive text, not just informative or educational content.
Bad copywriting will repel customers and prospects. The copywriter master Drayton Bird has a list of seven sins that strangle sales. Every business should nail his list to the walls.
Copywriting is NOT snake oil. The best copywriting is honest about a product. It doesn’t lie, fabricate, or mislead. It informs and persuades. That’s it. No manipulation here.
Good copywriting will not sell a bad product. If a product is inherently flawed or there simply isn’t demand for it, then the best copywriter in the world won’t save it from failure. Product and service depend on demand and quality. Copywriting depends on those things to sell.
The key takeaway? Copywriting = persuasive words that move people to do things.
And if your campaigns won’t succeed without it.
