This piece is special to me, as it’s about copywriting, which is my daily bread at AITOM (not the stale sort, but the kind with a fragrant, crispy crust). A copywriter writes texts that sell, persuade and entice; a copywriter must have a broad perspective and possess the art of empathising with others, so that their texts hit the nail right on the head.
A website without high-quality, impactful copy simply doesn’t work. Copywriters are here so that you don’t have to read things like: ‘Welcome to our website! Our company was founded in 1999; we are a flexible, dynamically growing firm (you know what we mean?).’ Because there is another way – a better, livelier and more engaging way. After all, it makes no sense to waste valuable space for search engines with a welcome message on the page. Copywriters are also here because they know how to identify which words to include in the text to ensure it is optimised as effectively as possible for search engines.
And where can you find copywriters? In online agencies, working freelance, or in large companies where copywriters handle website content, updates, or social media management.
Before I start writing
Before a copywriter starts writing, they need answers to many questions; the basic ones are:
- Who am I writing for?
- What is the aim of my text?
- What form should the text take?
In previous instalments, we went through how to find keywords that will help search engines find you, building backlinks, and web analytics. And we’re far from finished. It’s also quite important for a copywriter to have an insight into all disciplines of online marketing, because just as in life, everything is connected in the online world.
What does a copywriter dislike?
A copywriter doesn’t like spelling mistakes, the formal ‘Vám’ with a capital ‘V’, the subjunctive, words that reek of clichés, and the despair of searching for a phrase that will resolve them all. (Can I please invent a new word and you’ll then add it to the rules of Czech spelling?). Those moments when inspiration fails to arrive, and those moments when it turns up unannounced and you’re standing in a crowded tram with no pen, paper or smartphone to hand.
I write, therefore I am. I dedicate this article primarily to all the aunts, grandmothers and family members who ask me at every meeting: ‘So what do you actually do?
Read the previous instalment: Link building is a labour of patience: Part VI.