Do you know what a ‘copywriter‘ is? If not, don’t be embarrassed.

When I started my business, I called myself a ‘content marketer’ – but that was often met with blank expressions. So I started calling myself a ‘copywriter’ – but then I was mistaken as an expert on Australian copyright laws.

I guess there are some industries where giving yourself a straight-forward label simply isn’t going to work. Unless you’re working with people who are ‘in the know’ or have been referred by someone else.

To clear up the confusion, I thought I’d write this blog (one of the many things I do!).

What is a copywriter and what do they do?

In summary, a copywriter is someone who writes copy – AKA content, information, you know, words. A copywriter chooses the right words and strings them together into sentences, which ultimately leads to paragraphs of awesomeness. We can also edit and fine-tune content you’ve already thrown your heart and soul into – to finalise and perfect it.

Copywriting is often used for marketing purposes, hence the term ‘content marketing‘. Content marketing is becoming more and more valuable these days as it is key to Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). So it’s keeping us all very busy!

Copywriters can write for Business to Business (B2B) or Business to Consumer (B2C) purposes and write for various channels, including:

• Blogs (like this one)

• Website copy

• e-Newsletters

• Marketing brochures/flyers

• Social media posts

• Articles

• Annual Reports

• Plus more!

How can a copywriter help me?

• Do you ever get a mental block when trying to write a business blog?

• Is your website still not live because you still haven’t finished piecing the words together yet?

• Do you feel a lack of self-confidence when it comes to grammar, spelling, and finding the right words?

That’s where a copywriter comes in! We can create amazing content for you while you focus on your products and/or services – AKA the things you do best!

Copywriting can be a tough gig at times as we’re often ‘ghostwriting’, meaning we write words on behalf of someone else. You, as the client, usually put your name under the blog or article, not the writer. And yes, sometimes this can toy with our egos and emotions a bit. But the money does help… 

What’s involved in the copywriting process?

Every copywriter works a bit differently, but here’s a breakdown of my process:

1. I like to kick off the process by having a phone conversation with you to discuss your requirements and expectations.

2. I then prepare a quote and send over the copywriting brief for you to complete. The brief gives me a clear picture of what your business is about, target audience, tone of voice etc. It helps me to ‘get inside your head’ (in a completely non-creepy way) and know how to write as though you’d written it yourself!

3. If ready to go ahead, I require a 50% deposit (Gotsta get paid to keep the family happy!) before scheduling in the work.

4. A first draft will be prepared in either Google Docs or in Word – depending on your preference. I like Google Docs myself as it means we’re always working from the one version.

5. You then read over the draft and provide ‘suggested changes’ or comments.

6. The next step is for me to make amendments (up to two rounds of amendments are included in the quote, plus proofreading) and send the copy back to you. Then continues until everyone is satisfied with the final product.

7. The final 50% payment is then due.

At the end of the process, you’ll have some wonderful words in your (virtual) hands – ready for you to upload to your website or send to your graphic designer.

I hope you’re now a bit more familiar with the term ‘copywriter’. But if you have any further questions, feel free to contact me!

Leanne