Welcome back, lovelies. I hope you’re having a wonderful day despite the clouds and cold outside. Today we’re talking about copywriting again, because we can and because we want to. If you’re new here and you don’t know much about this topic, have a look over this text, too.

To end the month of February in a blaze of fireworks and glory, I invite you to take part in my short Q&A about copywriting. In the following moments, I’ll answer the most frequent copywriting questions I get from beginners and intermediate writers alike, from advertisers, marketers, PR &communications specialists etc.

If you have any other question that you won’t find in the lines below, don’t be shy, leave me a comment and I’ll gladly answer. In the meantime, let’s begin....

Copywriting questions – who, what, where, when and why?

#1 Who

Many people ask who can be a copywriter, if there’s a specific qualification you need, a diploma, a course or a training to follow.

Theoretically, there isn’t an official qualification demanded by all clients/employers in Romania or worldwide in order to be recognized as a copywriter. Unfortunately for us, there’s no such thing as copywriting school, although I swear I would’ve loved to have one of those to attend when I first started out.

Essentially, anyone who can write and meet the demands of the employer, whether that’s an independent individual, a company, a specialized department or an advertising agency can be a copywriter.

There are companies/agencies demanding higher education from the future copywriter in advertising, marketing or PR&communications, as well as a portfolio and proven writing experience. At the same time, there are also clients who simply test you to see what you can do and how and basically skip all the paperwork.

Short answer – there’s no formal, academic education meant to prepare you to be a copywriter. Experience is a lot more relevant and so are the projects you can show. As a copywriter, your portfolio is your greatest asset, remember. Try to improve it daily.

#2 What?

One of the most frequent copywriting questions that I get is this – what in God’s name is copywriting? It’s that copyright thing, right? Whose writing do you copy, again?

The short answer is that no, don’t be mistaken, we are not human xerox machines. Copyright or the copyright law has nothing to do with copywriting.

The copywriters are those professionals who use words to persuade and boost sales. They design and provide advertising copy (prints, ads, slogans, sales copy for websites, banners, newsletters and brochures etc.).

Some use the term copywriter to strictly define the professionals who come up with the creative concept and the advertising content. Although it would be reductive to see it that way – there is also online copywriting. Gone are the days when advertising was done strictly via TV or print, which is why these specialists are moving to the online world in greater and greater numbers.

Here’s an article dedicated exclusively to online copywriting, if you’re interested to learn more.

#3 How?

How does a copywriter work? Or, in other words (see what I did there?), what do you need to be a copywriter? Well, as opposed to other jobs, I have good news for you – only a computer, a very good internet connection and some basic content editing software, such as Word. A spellchecker is also very helpful.

If you like to kick it oldschool, a pencil and a piece of paper to lay out your ideas can do the trick just as well. The rest is work, sweat and creativity.

#4 Where?

Most definitely one of the most recurrent copywriting questions that I get in my inbox. Where can I work? Where do we find these copywriters? Do they work on their own or in a team? Let’s see.

In corporate and agency contexts (advertising agencies, specialized departments, corporations etc.) you’ll find a copywriter most often as part of a bigger team. He works with programmers, graphic designers, marketing directors, creative directors and is usually involved in big projects.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, you can also work as a freelance copywriter. In this case, you can either work with an agency via a cooperation agreement or directly with the client. Copywriters can usually be found in areas with vibrant creative industries, think New York, for example. Although, in theory, you can work from anywhere if you’re a freelance copywriter.

Some platforms to find work, if you’re interested, would be Upwork.com or Freelancer.com. For my Romanian readers, there’s also the Romanian Freelancer, so to speak. Take a look here.

#5 Why?

Among all worthy contestants in my „copywriting questions” series, this is, to my mind, the one that takes the cake. Why do we need copywriters? So many clients have this question – why would I pay one and how does it benefit me and my business?

Well, as opposed to other unicorns, professional writing is a bit different because, contrary to popular belief, it also has a practical appliance. Copywriting is a writing process with a clearly defined purpose – persuasion and sales, respectively.

Why would I need the services of a copywriter? If he knows what he’s doing, he’ll deliver results. His responsibilities include informing and convincing the readers to reevaluate their opinions on a topic and, of course, encouraging them to take certain actions.

Most copywriters write for commercial purposes to determine readers to become buyers and make a purchase or at least test an advertised product. If you have a personal brand, a website or even an online store, a copywriter’s contributions become very valuable.

#6 When?

I couldn’t skip this one in our copywriting questions series. It’s a question so many people have and don’t even know they have it. Why do I say that?

Now that we’ve established what a copywriter does and how, it’s important to also answer the question of – when? When should I seek out a copywriter?

In short – as fast as possible. Whether you have a niche website, a blog, a brand you represent or an online store that you want to launch, it’s best to involve a copywriter in your project as early as possible.

Copywriters are those who use ideas a lot, who identify themes, concepts, topics and phrases that can be the foundation of a project. They bring a valuable perspective and help you avoid frequent mistakes in communicating with your prospective customers from the get-go.

However, a copywriter can also be a valuable asset if he gets on board later – he can revise an existing content and bring significant improvements.

Conclusions

If you’ve made it here, I hope I managed to make you understand, in broad lines, what a copywriter does and what this beautiful industry entails.

It is very possible that we’ll turn this article into a larger series, as I get more questions from the readers of this blog and the broader public in general.

If you have any other question that I haven’t answered in this article, write it down below!

Thanks for the attention and come by again!

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