Tips, news and views from Green Light Copywriting

We're all copywriters now 10 November 2010

Now I’m not suggesting that we’ve all suddenly gone out and taken up the same profession. And I’m certainly not saying that we’re all copywriters in terms of job description and job title. I think the role I’ve been doing for more than seven years is a great one – but it’s not for everyone.

A changing world demands a change in focus
What I’m really saying is that we’re now all copywriters in our own worlds. Those funny little things called the internet and electronic mail have changed things for good. And made the written word more powerful, more loaded and more valuable than ever. Which is where the copywriter perspective comes in.

In a world where we rely increasingly on the written word, having the craft to work it to your advantage is vital. If content is the raw material, we need the skills to transform it for our own purpose. That’s what gets us thinking like copywriters. It’s not simply a case of stating your message, but of focusing your message in a particular way. That’s what turns a writer into a copywriter.

This isn’t just about the obvious stuff
“Of course we’re all copywriters now!” you’re thinking, “We have to produce brochures and websites and other written content for ourselves.” Yes, of course. The marketing value of websites and the explosion of the net demands copy that does a good job. And the more the web grows, the more important it is to think like a copywriter. As web users become ever more sophisticated, we need to find new and interesting ways to grab their attention. Which is just what a copywriter does.

But a copywriter’s craft isn’t only required online.

Printed content still matters a great deal – even with the growing power of the web. So we need to keep our copywriter’s instincts honed for offline content, too.

Obvious, perhaps. Important, definitely.

The B word
But you’re also a copywriter because of the B word. Now, I know in some circles the B word is actually a four letter word while in others it is the centre of the universe. Whatever your take, the reality is that the collective picture created by your presence (okay, your brand), relies a great deal on your copywriting ability. I’m not saying you are C*** C***, or any other hyper-global brand. But your role as copywriter for yourself is to make an important statement – about you.

It goes without saying that your brochures and website have to be on target. There’s a close connection between even the hugest mega brands and the littlest apostrophe. Someone wise once commented that it’s the details that give a person away. Are you a copywriter when it comes to creating the impression you want – in every medium?

It works on every level
There are now all sorts of free or incredibly low cost forms of social media marketing. But you need to find the right words in 140 characters or fewer. Again and again.

There are now low cost ways to get yourself in front of everyone from complete strangers to your favourite client. But you need to create newsletter content that interests an already information-overloaded audience. Consistently.

There are multitudes of formats to create your own narrative to draw people to you. But you need to create a blog that has a sense of purpose and speaks clearly to people.

We’re all copywriters now because the value of copy is driven by engaging customers, building relationships and influencing behaviour. And we’re all copywriters now because we’re using content to create our own image out there on the World Wide Web.

It’s not a choice
Sounds a little tough I know. But here’s a question. Do you use email to communicate with the world?

There’s been plenty of research into this area with very interesting findings according to the email psychologists (Great job title, but not as good as ‘copywriter’!). The research proves the powerful influence of your choice of words, your style and the mis-use or otherwise of grammar.

Email is just one of the ways we communicate with the outside world and it says so much, from the smallest apostrophe upwards. So there isn’t any choice. We’re all copywriters now. Or we need to be.

It’s not about a change of job. Just a change of perspective.