A person stranded on an island who tries to spell the word HELP
in humongous letters made of rocks, twigs or fire is taking a shot at
true-blue copywriting. Nope. It's neither about the feeling of
desperation nor the envy-inspiring ability to eke out a living while
vacationing in a beach resort. Certainly, some topnotch copywriters earn
six-digit salaries while doing their work on fabulous islands, while
others do yell for help every darned day. But neither is exactly the
point.
In its basic form, copywriting involves the following elements, which, as you will notice, are also found in the communication scenario involving the poor castaway:
1.An urgent message that needs to be articulated. Obviously, the castaway needs to get a very critical message across, one that literally involves a life-or-death situation. In copywriting, messages might not be as potentially life-saving as the word "HELP" set aflame on the castaway's beach is, but they are no less urgent. Just try to recall some of the advertisements you've seen, read or heard lately and you'll be surprised at the frequency of messages that have the terms "do or die," "sink or swim" and "now or never." These terms have been used for decades in the field of advertising and marketing, so much so that they have already become jaded and dreaded clichés, but they illustrate the fact that the art of copywriting involves infusing a sense of urgency to the message being communicated. Express Writers' primer on copywriting cites "urgency" as the first element in an all-U formula for excellent copywriting.
For example, many copywriting materials are deliberately made to sound funny or to look sexy in a very serious attempt by copywriters to keep the audience's attention glued to the message, leveraging the immediate and fundamental impact of humor or sex on human psychology. That's because for businesses that hire copywriting agencies, the process of getting their messages across to their respective markets significantly affects their profitability and hence, their future survival as business organizations. This fact has only become clearer and more pressing as globalization and digital technology transform industries into highly competitive landscapes, very similar to the ancient arenas where weak and unprepared gladiators perish by the hundreds.
2.The use of words to convey the message. Don't wonder or laugh at this one. Restrooms still use symbols to prevent-or at least reduce-gender confusion, and it just takes the particular direction of a thumb for a Roman emperor to decide a defeated gladiator's fate.
While it is often true that a picture can paint a thousand words, words remain the primary mode of communication, at least for humans. Words also have an intrinsic power, especially the written variety. The word "spell" links the written word with the realm of magic and it is not difficult to imagine why. Just send an honest email to your obnoxious officemate using the exact words you have been heroically keeping to yourself and see what that sort of thing can conjure (pun intended). But seriously, can you imagine a particular picture that will be more effective in helping out the castaway than the simple written word, HELP?
Technically, copywriting is the process of writing the words that are used by individuals or organizations in marketing, advertising, public relations and sales. The written words, called "copy" in the industry parlance, will then be transformed into the relevant form and transmitted through the relevant channels: as printed words for a physical or online newspaper, as narration or dialogues in a video or TV ad or as audio file or script for a radio station. Regardless of the channel or the final form, the copy-the written word-is the ultimate source-or soul-of the message. Check out how the high-end, UK-based firm, Rule of Three, encapsulates the power of the written word on their site.
3.The existence of an audience for which the message has been created. The castaway has written the word "HELP" in the hope that somebody, hopefully a literate English-speaking person, will glide by or sail near the island and see the urgent message. By writing a word or setting it aflame on the beach, the castaway is attempting to get someone involved in the situation. Copywriting also involves an audience. In fact, in the field of copyrighting, the audience is as important as, or even more so than the message.
Note that it is only in the concept of "audience" where you can find the main difference between the castaway and the copywriter scenario. Certainly, for both castaway and copywriter, the audience is of primary importance, with the castaway's life hinged on finding one while the copywriter's job hangs on capturing one.
Unlike the castaway, however, copywriters already know-or should know-their audience. And unlike the audience the castaway is just hoping to find, the copywriters' audience can easily be located 100%. The castaway sends a message to whoever will pass by the island, with the possibility that no one ever would. In contrast, a copywriter writes a message for a particular set of people whose personal habits and consumer behavior have already been charted in numerous market research, leaving only the task of getting their attention yet to be accomplished.
But getting your audience's attention and keeping it glued to your message is a monumental task and one that makes copywriting both a science and an art. Given all the activities, hobbies, work and events people can get involved in these days, a person's attention can be very elusive, indeed. To catch their attention, copywriters need to know who they really are, including where they usually hang out off and on the Internet. They need to empathize with them as well. This entails a basic appreciation of their collective psychology as well as the social contexts they are likely to be in. Finally, copywriters need to know the best way to communicate with the particular audience they are engaging, which is an art only extensive practice can perfect. A very relevant article on Moz can help you define your audience and address their needs.
4.The action-oriented purpose behind the message. People often say, "hi," when they meet people they know and even those they don't. That's a type of communication that is performed out of habit, without a specific purpose other than to express courtesy or politeness. In contrast, copywriting is a purpose-intensive undertaking, and copywriters create copy with a clear set of objectives in mind. Whether the goal is to establish consumer awareness about a new service or increase product sales within a specific period, copywriting goals are highly specific, measurable, realistic and set within a definite time frame.
It is clear what the castaway is aiming for when he wrote the big "HELP" on the beach. Like the castaway, copywriters also need to be clear on what they are trying to achieve even before typing the first letter of a copy. That's because, like that of the castaway, their (professional) lives depend on whether people respond to the message the way they are supposed to.
In its basic form, copywriting involves the following elements, which, as you will notice, are also found in the communication scenario involving the poor castaway:
1.An urgent message that needs to be articulated. Obviously, the castaway needs to get a very critical message across, one that literally involves a life-or-death situation. In copywriting, messages might not be as potentially life-saving as the word "HELP" set aflame on the castaway's beach is, but they are no less urgent. Just try to recall some of the advertisements you've seen, read or heard lately and you'll be surprised at the frequency of messages that have the terms "do or die," "sink or swim" and "now or never." These terms have been used for decades in the field of advertising and marketing, so much so that they have already become jaded and dreaded clichés, but they illustrate the fact that the art of copywriting involves infusing a sense of urgency to the message being communicated. Express Writers' primer on copywriting cites "urgency" as the first element in an all-U formula for excellent copywriting.
For example, many copywriting materials are deliberately made to sound funny or to look sexy in a very serious attempt by copywriters to keep the audience's attention glued to the message, leveraging the immediate and fundamental impact of humor or sex on human psychology. That's because for businesses that hire copywriting agencies, the process of getting their messages across to their respective markets significantly affects their profitability and hence, their future survival as business organizations. This fact has only become clearer and more pressing as globalization and digital technology transform industries into highly competitive landscapes, very similar to the ancient arenas where weak and unprepared gladiators perish by the hundreds.
2.The use of words to convey the message. Don't wonder or laugh at this one. Restrooms still use symbols to prevent-or at least reduce-gender confusion, and it just takes the particular direction of a thumb for a Roman emperor to decide a defeated gladiator's fate.
While it is often true that a picture can paint a thousand words, words remain the primary mode of communication, at least for humans. Words also have an intrinsic power, especially the written variety. The word "spell" links the written word with the realm of magic and it is not difficult to imagine why. Just send an honest email to your obnoxious officemate using the exact words you have been heroically keeping to yourself and see what that sort of thing can conjure (pun intended). But seriously, can you imagine a particular picture that will be more effective in helping out the castaway than the simple written word, HELP?
Technically, copywriting is the process of writing the words that are used by individuals or organizations in marketing, advertising, public relations and sales. The written words, called "copy" in the industry parlance, will then be transformed into the relevant form and transmitted through the relevant channels: as printed words for a physical or online newspaper, as narration or dialogues in a video or TV ad or as audio file or script for a radio station. Regardless of the channel or the final form, the copy-the written word-is the ultimate source-or soul-of the message. Check out how the high-end, UK-based firm, Rule of Three, encapsulates the power of the written word on their site.
3.The existence of an audience for which the message has been created. The castaway has written the word "HELP" in the hope that somebody, hopefully a literate English-speaking person, will glide by or sail near the island and see the urgent message. By writing a word or setting it aflame on the beach, the castaway is attempting to get someone involved in the situation. Copywriting also involves an audience. In fact, in the field of copyrighting, the audience is as important as, or even more so than the message.
Note that it is only in the concept of "audience" where you can find the main difference between the castaway and the copywriter scenario. Certainly, for both castaway and copywriter, the audience is of primary importance, with the castaway's life hinged on finding one while the copywriter's job hangs on capturing one.
Unlike the castaway, however, copywriters already know-or should know-their audience. And unlike the audience the castaway is just hoping to find, the copywriters' audience can easily be located 100%. The castaway sends a message to whoever will pass by the island, with the possibility that no one ever would. In contrast, a copywriter writes a message for a particular set of people whose personal habits and consumer behavior have already been charted in numerous market research, leaving only the task of getting their attention yet to be accomplished.
But getting your audience's attention and keeping it glued to your message is a monumental task and one that makes copywriting both a science and an art. Given all the activities, hobbies, work and events people can get involved in these days, a person's attention can be very elusive, indeed. To catch their attention, copywriters need to know who they really are, including where they usually hang out off and on the Internet. They need to empathize with them as well. This entails a basic appreciation of their collective psychology as well as the social contexts they are likely to be in. Finally, copywriters need to know the best way to communicate with the particular audience they are engaging, which is an art only extensive practice can perfect. A very relevant article on Moz can help you define your audience and address their needs.
4.The action-oriented purpose behind the message. People often say, "hi," when they meet people they know and even those they don't. That's a type of communication that is performed out of habit, without a specific purpose other than to express courtesy or politeness. In contrast, copywriting is a purpose-intensive undertaking, and copywriters create copy with a clear set of objectives in mind. Whether the goal is to establish consumer awareness about a new service or increase product sales within a specific period, copywriting goals are highly specific, measurable, realistic and set within a definite time frame.
It is clear what the castaway is aiming for when he wrote the big "HELP" on the beach. Like the castaway, copywriters also need to be clear on what they are trying to achieve even before typing the first letter of a copy. That's because, like that of the castaway, their (professional) lives depend on whether people respond to the message the way they are supposed to.
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