I like to write. Not because I want to be recognized or to make millions of dollars but because I need to and if I don’t, I feel as if I’ll burst at the seams. Not everyone can write an epic poem or novel for the ages, but, there are opportunities out there to write, no matter how small it may be.
“All good writing is swimming underwater and holding your breath” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
I don’t think any quote has affected me as much as that one. And in the world of copy writing, it’s just as true as it would be if you were writing a narrative. You need the right words, the right length and the right amount of attitude to have someone read those words and change their mind about something and trust me, they don’t come easy.
In today’s day and age, visual marketing and advertising is at an all time high. With branded logos and celebrity endorsements, people want to SEE more. But with every piece of visual aid, there is almost always words to hit it home. Would the NIKE Swoosh logo mean anything if the words “Just Do It” weren’t running through your head? I doubt it.
No matter what kind of business you are writing copy for, you need to understand what you are writing about and who you are writing for. Contrary to popular belief, words don’t just magically appear no matter how hard you want them to. Research is key to finding the exact words you need to improve a brand, increase the number of prospects looking your way and eventually pull them in to buy what you are selling.
A copy writer cannot be happy with just a snappy line. In the end, the writer is connected to the business, in-house or freelance. If the words cannot produce interest then the copywriter has failed.
Writing good copy on a consistent basis is just as hard as winning the Super Bowl year after year. Okay, maybe not that hard but it’s close. The right or wrong amount of keywords, tone or even length can be the difference between bad and good copy. Highlight the wrong feature on an already excellent product and sales could plummet.
It all comes down to what the customer thinks they want and how they want it presented. Age, ethnicity, gender and location can all be variables when researching the audience for a product. That is why in-depth research is a necessary for writing good copy.
It isn’t the only step though. One of the biggest steps to reaching that good bit of content is failure, which goes back to the Fitzgerald quote. Nobody gets it on the first try. You might have written the best lines in your entire life but if you still don’t go after other options, you won’t really know how good it is.
Constantly re-reading and re-writing copy is the best way to write good content. Think of it as the Frankenstein’s monster of the process. A couple good lines from one attempt, a word or two from another and maybe the tone of a third. Bring them all together to make the best copy you can.
And if you can’t write copy, or write in general, it is very important to find someone who can because it could very well be the difference between profit and loss.