Not to be confused with ‘copyrighting’ (which are the exclusive rights given to the creator of any original work), copywriting is the art of writing text (or ‘copy’) for sales/advertising purposes, such as brochures, newsletters, websites, TV/radio commercials, print ads or any other form of advertising communication which requires written text.
While copywriting is predominantly focussed on sales/advertising content, most copywriters will also be adept at writing business documents, articles and website content. Sometimes you’ll find the term ‘content writer’ (a person who writes non-sales copy) used interchangeably with ‘copywriter’ – although these terms are not technically the same. - Anna Butler from Copybreak
Recommended Copywriters in Adelaide:
See all recommended of Adelaide's recommended Internet Marketers in our directory.
Tips from Adelaide's Copywriting Experts:
Anna Butler of Copybreak:
- Always ensure you introduce the main subject points at the beginning of your copy (above the fold). Readers don’t want to have to scroll down to find the important/relevant information.
- Write for your audience. Don’t focus on who you are and what you’ve achieved – instead focus on who your audience is, what they need and how you can help them.
- Make sure your keywords fit with the natural flow of the copy. They shouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb – and wherever possible, ensure you incorporate them into your page headings.
- Avoid long, complicated sentences and paragraphs. Most people will skim through the copy, so make your message as easy as possible to read and understand.
- Keep your tone conversational. The web is much more like a face-to-face interaction, so write like you would speak (avoiding slang or profanity, of course)
- KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid. An oldie but a goodie.
- Check grammar, punctuation and spelling. Apostrophes especially. I have a blog of great advertising and copywriting boo-boos...
- Avoid jargon. Every industry has jargon. Don’t use it, you will alienate your audience. If you can find a simpler word to say something, use it. For example..require = need.
- Break it up. Nobody wants to read reams and reams of text. It looks too hard. Break it up with subheadings, bolding, bullet points, anything you can to make it easier to absorb.
- Cut and polish. Ladies – think ‘diamonds’, gentlemen – think ‘cars’. Cut and polish means edit, edit and edit again. Most of us over-write, so the trick is to cut out the waffle, to polish the words, craft the phrases, get rid of anything that doesn’t help your message. Most people just write something down, then that’s it. The best copy you will read has been edited many, many times.
- Anna Butler on Copywriting (Interview)
- Interview with Karen Zaskolny on Copywriting
- Web Copywriting Basics
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