What is Copywriting and How Can It Help Your Business?
Copywriting is any writing that offers a product or service for sale. It’s the words used in advertising used in newspaper ads, magazines and on television.
Copywriters often write the long sales letters you receive in the mail … “junk” mail as many including myself call it.
When does a business need a copywriter? Usually to sell a complicated product or service like a financial newsletter or a nutritional supplement. When a customer needs detailed information. Or when it’s a new product that needs an introduction.
A copywriter’s job is to get a customer to open up her purse and buy.
Direct Response Mail
In the early 20th century copywriters wrote the ads found in newspapers, on the radio, on television or in letters through the mail.
Early copywriters such as Claude Hopkins, John Caples and David Ogilvy pioneered many of the early ads. Versions of their best headlines are used in today’s advertising.
Direct response mail uses sales letters to get potential customers to respond by return mail or by calling an 800 number to complete a purchase.
But first … the envelope must get opened, the headline and the letter must be read, and the offer must be understood and accepted before a sale is made. It’s no easy task to put together a winning letter.
In the 21st century, direct mail hasn’t gone away. Even with the internet and e-mail, direct mail for many companies can be profitable. People still like getting “snail mail” … it hasn’t gone out of fashion.
Web Sites Need Copywriting
Nearly every web site needs some type of “persuasive writing” … if … you want a visitor to sign up or buy your products.
When I began my first web site many years ago I had no idea how to even get started. Only by studying copywriting from the experts and writing many articles on my sites have I gotten comfortable writing web pages.
A home page on a web site must get and keep visitors attention and lead them to click to another page or a contact sheet or to sign-up for a newsletter.
People are on the web for information. They want to be entertained … to learn the latest breaking news or to buy products.
So a copywriter has to anticipate the customers needs and wants … and design web pages that keep the visitor reading and clicking links to another part of the web site … or clicking the Buy Now button.