Copywriting; it’s one of those broad, universal terms that seems to encapsulate a lot. At Snap, we use a team of Copywriters to create a stunning portfolio of work for our clients, and we don’t know where we’d be without them. And we’re not just saying that because one of our Copywriters happens to be writing this blog. But what is copywriting and what does a Copywriter do?
Simply put, copywriting is the practice of creating written content; and that content can be anything from a blog or product page to an ebook or landing page. Think of your favorite brand’s website. It most likely has a few pages; such as a home page, “About” page, service pages, a maybe a blog or another regularly updated page to keep their customers updated. All of these are essential written parts of a website. They communicate to visitors what your business does and who you are. These written assets are the first connection you forge with your customers and must be crafted with care to appeal to visitors. As such, copy is a living extension of your brand.
Regardless of the platform, your copy needs to speak to your brand identity and stay true to your values and beliefs regardless of the distribution medium. Such is the job of a Copywriter. We make sure that you sound the same and familiar in every setting. On your packaging, in your emails, on your website, or in your presentation materials. If it’s written down, it’s the Copywriter’s job to make sure that it’s both optimized for your preferred mediums and crafted in a way that feels like an extension of your brand.
What Does a Copywriter Do?
Some individuals might think that turning out content on a regular basis is easy. But, many don’t understand how much work goes into creating copy that appeals to both visitors and search engines alike. Every detail is crucial when it comes to attracting new viewers and keeping them on your website long enough to become customers. Plus, once you add in keyword strategy, SEO best practices, and constant algorithm changes, you begin to realize that being an SEO Copywriter is much harder than you think. It’s not enough to be a good writer, you have to be a smart writer to excel in the field of SEO Copywriting.
A large bulk of what a Copywriter does for his or her clients is updating their website with fresh content. This can be hard for individual companies to do in addition to the daily operations of running a business. A Copywriter will be quick to tell you that the secret to their success is not that they write faster than everyone else, it’s that they write better. But all modesty aside, a Copywriter’s hands essentially fly over the keyboard compared to someone who is not a professional writer.
At Snap, our Writers turn out 2-3 pieces a day. Sometimes it’s two service pages that are 1,500 words each, or it’s three blogs that are 800 words apiece. For a nice medium, we’ll say that our Copywriters turn out three 800 word blogs a day. Over the course of a month, that’s 480,000 words! Most novels are between 60,000-100,000 words, meaning that our Writers produce the equivalent of nearly four novels a month. Or one Game of Thrones novel, specifically A Dance with Dragons, which rings in at 422,000 words.
Copywriters are continually learning new things. The internet is changing, and it is imperative that Copywriters keep up with these daily changes in their profession. Copywriting best practices and techniques are constantly changing, and a good Copywriter stays on top of these changes to continue to create high-quality content for their clients! One day 2,000 blogs are what’s best, then the next its 900-word blogs broken into small sections to better be optimized for voice search. Luckily, with a full team of SEO strategist nearby, our Copywriters are never left to navigate the ever-changing search landscape alone.
Why You Should Hire a Professional Copywriter
Many businesses elect to create their websites without the help of professionals, but this can be a long and painstaking process riddled with trial and error before you learn the ins and outs of creating quality website content. Professionals have already done all the work and training that goes into learning how to craft quality websites, so there’s no learning curve. Because of this experience, they can also do it much more efficiently and effectively than a novice.
Knowing how to digest and infiltrate an entire industry in a concise amount of time is a treasured skill that Copywriters possess. At Snap, for example, we use a detail-oriented onboarding process so that our Copywriters can learn everything there is to know about your brand and your position within your marketplace before we being work on your web presence. This allows our team to write about anything from healthcare to home financing.
Copywriters understand the intricacies of how to create material that will make your website standout online. Every piece that a Copywriter creates is backed by extensive keyword and industry-specific research to make sure your site is highlighted in search engine results. And by monitoring industry events and current online trends, Copywriters will keep your content fresh and relatable, thus drawing in a broader online community.
How to Choose a Copywriter
Once you’ve decided to hire a professional Copywriter, many different avenues will be available to you. There are so many routes you could take when it comes to copywriting; including hiring independent contractors, content farms, having an intern do the work, or hiring an advertising agency. The list goes on and on.
Independent contractors are often professionals that freelance. Though independent contractors are usually experienced professionals, they also usually lack the support that a professional in an advertising or marketing agency would have. Content farms are companies that employ dozens of writers with the main goal of creating low-quality content as cheaply as possible. Content farms churn out content so quickly and carelessly they have to skim over the details that make your brand unique. Content farms also often repeat material in an effort to get as much done as quickly as possible. This can be a problem for keeping visitors on your website. If you post blogs that repeat ideas over and over again, viewers will be unlikely to continue to return to your site.
Having an intern do the bulk of the website creation can be a very tempting choice. They work cheap, they’re young and (presumably) tech savvy. But interns lack the experience and expertise that a professional would have and often will turn out subpar work. Investing in a professional advertising agency, like Snap, to create quality, unique content for your website is always worth it in the long run. Because when it comes to your brand, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.