Why Copywriting is So Distinctive
Overheard at dinner party:
Guest: So, Victoria, I hear you work on the Internet. That sounds like fun. What exactly do you do?
Me: Internet marketing.
Guest: Internet marking? What’s that?
Me: No, Internet marketing!
Guest: Oh! That sounds exciting. What is it?
This actually happened, about 3 weeks ago. I got so tired of explaining copywriting to people, I switched to ‘Internet marketing’. But as you can see, my strategy didn’t work out so well.
Most people don’t know what copywriting is. Or they think it has to do with ‘copyrighting’ a completely different animal.
Honestly, I just don’t want to explain it again.
But I’m not one to let things like this get me down. So, as I was commiserating with my friend Tina, who writes a blog at http://thewritingwithpurpose.com, we got talking about this very problem. That led me to research definitions for copywriting. I discovered that ‘copywriter’ refers to a person who crafts 
words designed to promote a person, business, idea or opinion. While ‘copy’ is any kind of content in print, a copywriter is limited to creating writing that persuades and motivates the sale of a product or service. As mentioned in Wikipedia, good copywriting can also dissuade the reader. Hmmm. Interesting.
To add to the confusion, Wikipedia states that an author of newspaper or magazine copy can be referred to as a writer, reporter or copywriter.
(By the way, in case you wondered, copywriting is a noun or gerund, and copywrite would be considered a verb.)
No wonder everyone is confused!
So knowing all of this, what can we say to people who ask us what we do for a living?
How about, “I work as a copywriter. That means I create content for my clients that will help them sell products and services in print or on the Internet.”
Boring, but effective.
Can you think of other ways to express what copywriting is? It would be fun to see what everyone comes up with.
12 Responses to “Why Copywriting is So Distinctive”
Leave a Reply
- “Are We Having Fun Yet?” Social Media Planning is The Starting Point September 8, 2010
- Quick Tips for Social Media Startup September 6, 2010
- Want a Hyper-Targeted SMM Campaign? Take Five. August 28, 2010
- Social Media Measurement: What’s Your Excuse? August 27, 2010
- Facebook: You Like Me, You Really Like Me! August 25, 2010
Seeing for the first time..about copy writing…which I am doing already..through my blogs as a financial advisor to all my clients…without knowing – copy writing..!
regards,
Naraynan, thank you for joining The Copywriters Business Network! And now I see your comment here…it is nice to know you are following, and I am happy to help you in any way I can. Where are your blogs? I’d like to read what you are writing about
Features…and benefits.
This is what my mentor helped me understand a while back: People want to hear how what I do will be of benefit TO them. Sure, I can make a list of features (How I do it, What I do, How successful I am…yadda, yadda…), but, I find when I can get them to share a story (with some leading questions, of course) about something they NEED, then I can share a story about something I’ve done…now, we’re in a winning situation!
So, in your line of work, I can imagine you’d ask something along the lines of:
“Have you ever written something and hoped that people would respond?”
What do you think?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Stephen Da Cambra, VictoriaIpri. VictoriaIpri said: Why is copywriting is so distinctive – http://www.theconfidentcopywriter.com/2010/01/why-copywriting-is-so-distinctive/ [...]
Hey Victoria,
I know the exact feeling when people ask you to explain ‘copywriter’ to them, and indeed they almost always assume you’re someone who goes around putting copyright stamps on things.
Whenever people ask me what I do, I just say: “I’m a copywriter – with a W”; “I write copy”; “Copy is text (ie words) intended to sell, online or off”
Simple. Rinse and repeat, until you go insane hehe
Suggested answer: What do I do? I make you take action and spend money. I’m a copywriter.
Words matter. The next time you go through the drive-through, shop at the mall or on-line, words were there before you calling you in.
Tia, you are absolutely correct! Rather than trying to explain the features of copywriting, we should explain the benefits. Very good!
Hi Jason- Like Tia’s comment earlier, you hit the nail on the head. Instead of trying to explain what copywriting is, it makes a lot more sense to explain what it does…by asking thoughtful questions designed to lead the individual to think. So yes, I can see myself asking someone your sample question, and getting an open-ended response that would likely tell me a lot more about the person than if I had just said, “I’m a copywriter.”
Mark, you’re so right. I remember a 15 minute conversation I had with a guy who had written a book. He asked me about copywriting (or so I thought) and off I went, explaining everything I thought he would want to know. At one point, he interrupted me and said, “So, Victoria, I get all that. But what I really want to know is, if I don’t have a copyright notice, is my book still protected?” I almost fell off the chair! We had a good laugh and, fortunately, I understood enough about copyright law to answer his actual questions.
Hi Victoria,
I like the new look.
From the start, I too, struggled with the “what’s a copywriter” issue. I never have liked the term, but nothing seems to really fit.
I’ve used “business writer” but it seems too much like someone who writes business articles.
I like marketing communications writer except it’s too long.
What about business communications writer? Again, too long.
Marketing writer? Who would know what that means?
My wife put a stop to all questions with “He writes junk mail for the Internet”.
Too long, not flattering, but people DO get it.
Regards,
Andy
P.S. I’m still open to a good title and to add to my own dilemma, consulting is a significant part of my marketing mix.
Andy, I know exactly what you mean. Over at The Copywriters Business Network, we’ve been struggling with this same issue, with some comical results! “I’m a writer” doesn’t really fit. “I write junk mail for the Internet” doesn’t work either! Oh well…as long as the checks come in, I guess we don’t need to worry about it too much. Regarding a title, you’ll notice if you check LinkedIn or other groups, people often have several titles. I myself use a combination of Copywriter, Editor, Writing Coach, Internt Marketer. It’s an occupational hazard!
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by stephendacambra: RT @VictoriaIpri: Why is copywriting is so distinctive – http://www.theconfidentcopywriter.com/2010/01/why-copywriting-is-so-distinctive/...