What Does a Copywriter Do?

By: George Chilton
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:43:04
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Copywriting some answers: - Advertising copy, Other Print Media and Web-copy

I’m often asked what it is that I do. I generally spout something about being a slave to the system and murmur a slurred ‘copywriter’ – at which point I find myself being ejected from the bar, pint in hand, into the nearest convenient Taxi and/or Police car.

Ok, that’s only half true, but I have found that a lot of my conversations have involved explaining the ins and outs of my job. I am usually blithely unaware of the glazed expressions and the wandering attentions of my companions, so I tell them in detail and don’t stop until the room is empty. I’m not going to try and bore you here, but I will try to give you the most straightforward answer I can.

So, what does a copywriter do, George?

I’m glad you asked.

Copy is the text featured in any form of advertising.

Copy comes in many forms, - from the words on the back of your beer-mat, to the grand promises of the glossy brochure you picked up at the travel agent’s, to this article itself.

A copywriter researches, writes, structures and perfects a piece of advertising. If they are freelance they are not tied to any particular company and are able to work for several customers at once.

Types of copy

  • Advertising Copy – Posters and Flyers, beer-mats and banners…You’ve seen the posters stuck on the walls of the underground, the sub-way walls and pub-toilets.
Headlines and structure are important. The copywriter grabs attention and holds it. The potential customer should be captivated; this kind of copy should be highly creative, visual and is ultimately designed to instil desire – the reader should be compelled to buy the product, to visit the circus or buy that MP3-player.

  • Other Print Media
Copywriters fill brochures, hand-books, guides, they write the newspaper advertising slots, the slogan on the back of your beer-mat and the many and various advertising features you are bombarded with everyday. If a copywriter wants to be successful they should, of course, be imaginative, but they must also be aware of the client’s needs. Herds of Words pride themselves on directed-creativity; creative ideas that drive custom to our customers.
  • Web-copy
Perhaps the fastest growing area in the copywriting business is Web-copy. Web-copy has to be short, easy to read and Search-engine optimised (SEO). For more information on Web-copy please see the Herds of Words article How to Optimise Your Site for the Web.

George Chilton is an experienced Advertising and SEO copywriter at Herds of Words. He has fourteen years experience as a magician and public speaker and can be contacted at george@herdsofwords.co.uk.

Or come join the herd at Herds of Words - Freelance Copywriters.

Article source: Expert Articles

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