"Copywriter" is a specialized term. Some people think it has to do with the legal action of copyrighting, others think it describes a writer who works for an advertising agency. In the age of the Internet copywriting has become a general term to describe a wide range of promotional writing. All copywriters are writers, but all writers are not copywriters. A good general definition for copywriter is "a writer whose goal it is to use words on paper to sell a product or persuade the reader."

But a good copywriter can do much more. So if you need a website written, or a brochure or banner ad, or even an email or proposal written you may well Google the search term "copywriter" to find the help you need.

The Greatest Value Of A Copywriter

An experienced copywriter, who understands your market, can do much more than just helping you find the right words for a specific assignment. A copywriter can help you figure out what you should be saying to get the results you want. It is much more important to know what you want to say than it is to find the right ways to deliver that message.

Here's an example.
In my neighborhood, it is common for freelance workers to tack advertisements for themselves to trees or utility poles to inform the neighborhood about their services.
Here are two that I found recently for the same service: house cleaning
1. Reliable House Cleaning. Mature woman.10 years experience. Honest and reliable.
2. Think how good it will feel to come home to a sparkling clean and neat apartment! I've been doing that for your neighbors for years and I can do that for you.

Which cleaner would you call? The first message is selling housecleaning, an important service, but not very exciting. The second message is selling something more important.

Remember the market for these two competitors is exactly the same: overworked professionals who don't always have enough time to attend to the niceties of life. These prospects would like to have a clean neat apartment but for some reason are not succeeding on their own. The second writer is selling the feeling of satisfaction of having a good active life and also having a beautiful clean place to live. No matter what the first writer says to describe her cleaning services, it would never push the strong emotional button presented by the second writer.

A good copywriter knows how to use words but more importantly, a great copywriter understands what moves people to action. A good copywriter knows how to analyze your potential customers and find the best way to position the benefits that your business or practice will provide. People are interested in features but they buy benefits.

A good copywriter can accelerate your marketing efforts by helping you find the messages that will help you reach your prospects and convert them into customers.

My name is Mike Shapiro. I'm a copywriter and I love to talk about copywriting and marketing. To learn more about how this website can help you, click here.