What is a Copywriter? Definition and Examples

A Copywriter is involved in creating the text for advertisements and other sales and marketing-related material. They create copy or sales copy. In this context, the terms sales copy or copy mean promotional text.

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A copywriter may be involved in various marketing related tasks, such as boosting brand awareness, informing consumers about new or upgraded products or services, social media marketing, or email marketing.

You will typically see copywriters in companies’ marketing or advertising departments.

Today’s copywriters also play a pivotal role in shaping brand narratives, crafting stories that resonate with audiences and build a loyal following.

Wikipedia says the following about copywriters:

“Copywriters help create billboards, brochures, catalogs, jingle lyrics, magazine and newspaper advertisements, sales letters and other direct mail, scripts for television or radio commercials, taglines, white papers, website and social media posts, and other marketing communications.”

Copywriters involved in promotion

Good copywriters help sellers promote and show their products and services from the best angle possible. They need to do three things simultaneously:

  1. Attract consumers’ attention, i.e., catch people’s eye.
  2. Hold people’s attention – keep them engaged.
  3. Encourage them to buy.
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Succeeding in achieving all three at the same time is no easy task and requires a certain level of skill, creativity, and determination.

The copywriter will carry out research on the type of consumers the company needs to attract, what they are interested in, and what makes them tick, i.e., what excites or motivates them. In sales and marketing, knowing as much as possible about your target audience or niche market is crucial.

Web Copywriters

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Web copywriting professionals today are greatly sought after. They write digital content for websites. This includes creating general pages, homepages, landing pages, product pages, about us pages, etc. Everything related to promoting a business online comes under the umbrella term digital marketing.

According to one of our previous articles, digital marketing involves:

“The marketing of products, services, brands, and companies using the Internet and some other digital technologies. It is similar to Internet marketing and online marketing. Since the advent of the Internet, how companies approach marketing has changed significantly.”

Advertising and promotional material sent through the Internet to laptops, tablets, smartphones, desktops, electronic billboards, and social media platforms all form part of digital marketing. Copywriters are involved in creating the copy for these media.

Online marketing material

Creating marketing material for the online world is very different from the traditional pre-Internet marketing approaches. A good copywriter must be aware of several aspects of the digital world from a marketing perspective, such as, for example, keyword density.

Satisfy Google algorithms and consumer desires
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They need to be able to please customers and prospects, and also all the Google algorithms. If you can satisfy all the Google algorithms your website has the best chance of getting as much visitor traffic as possible. Everything a copywriter does regarding trying to boost visitor traffic is part of SEO, which is part of digital marketing. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.

Furthermore, adept copywriters must constantly evolve with language trends and digital platform updates to ensure the content remains fresh and relevant.

When somebody searches for something in a search engine (Google, Yahoo, Safari, etc.), the websites that appear on the first page of the search results have been SEO optimized. Copywriters as well as website designers and developers aim achieve the best possible SEO.

Types of Media

Copywriters work in several types of media. As well as creating material for smartphones, laptops, and tablets, they write copy for brochures, newspaper ads, and billboards. They also produce content for email and surface mail campaigns.

Consider hiring a good copywriter for your website
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Next time you watch an advert on TV or listen to one on the radio, remember that the words, i.e., the copy, were written by a copywriter.

If you have a website and want as many online visitors as possible, you should seriously consider hiring an experienced, professional copywriter.

Root word ‘copy’ derivatives

The term ‘copywriter’ is a derivative of the root word ‘copy.’ Here are several derivates, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs:

  • Copy (Noun)

A duplicate or replica of something. In advertising and marketing, the word refers to the written content intended for publication or broadcast, designed to persuade or inform consumers.

For example: “The marketing team worked late to perfect the ad’s copy, ensuring it was both engaging and informative.”

  • Copywriter (Noun)

A person who writes text (copy) for advertising or other forms of marketing.

For Example: “The copywriter developed a catchy slogan for the new advertising campaign.”

  • Copy (Verb)

To make a duplicate or replica of something.

For Example: “He copied the file to a USB drive for backup.”

  • Copyable (Adjective)

Capable of being copied.

For Example: “The document is copyable, so you can make as many reproductions as you need.”

  • Copier (Noun)

A machine or person that makes copies.

For Example: “The office copier is out of toner again.”

  • Copying (Verb, Gerund or Present Participle)

The act of making a duplicate.

For Example: “Copying these old family photos will help preserve our memories.”

  • Copycat (Noun)

A person who imitates or copies someone else.

For Example: “The new product was a success, and soon there were many copycats on the market.”

  • Copyist (Noun)

A person who makes written copies, especially before the invention of printing.

For Example: “In ancient times, a copyist meticulously transcribed manuscripts by hand.”

  • Uncopied (Adjective)

Not copied; original.

For Example: “She always prides herself on creating uncopied, unique designs for her clients.”

  • Copyable (Adverb)

In a manner that can be copied.

For Example: “The data was stored copyably on a cloud server for easy access.”

Will AI replace copywriters?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been adopted by many sectors of the economy. It is likely to play an increasingly significant role in the field of copywriting. AI refers to software technologies that make computers, robots, and other ‘smart’ machines think and behave like human beings.

However, the creativity and inspiration that humans contribute to marketing and advertising messages are unique and irreplaceable.

AI is more likely to grow as a complementary tool for copywriters rather than a complete replacement. It will reshape the field, making certain tasks more efficient.

However, the core of copywriting, the part that relies on creativity and human connection, is likely to remain the domain of human expertise.

Two Videos

These two educational videos, from our sister YouTube channel – Marketing Business Network, explain what ‘Copywriter’ and ‘Copy’ are using simple, straightforward, and easy-to-understand language and examples.

  • What is a Copywriter?

  • What is Copy?