What is copywriting and why should you give a sh*t?

What is copywriting?

“Copy is a direct conversation with the consumer” – Shirley Polykoff 

In more profesh terms: copywriting is writing to persuade a reader to take action – usually for advertising to promote sales of a service/product.

No, it’s not just whipping up words and hoping for the best. Oh, if only it were that simple.

In our opinion, copywriting is half an art and half a science. 

It’s the most common place we see brands going wrong. 

Too often I see shiny products, sparkly services, trendy branding, flashy websites, and then, horrendous copy. This just doesn't make sense.

Business owners blow their budgets on graphic and web design and when the time comes to sit down and input their copy, they're like "oh sh*t". 

It's harder than it looks to write, let alone in a way that converts readers into buyers and followers into wallet-opening fans. 

You can draw them in with the boldest branding on the block – but if your copy is so bad it sends them to sleep, good luck making sales. 

Your marketing is like a cake. Cakes are great with all the right ingredients. The eggs, the flour, the sugar, the butter. But if you forget just one element, nobody is going to be enjoying that dry or flavourless cake. And even if they do gobble it up to be polite, they certainly won’t be back for seconds. 

Copywriting is the most common ingredient business owners forget.

If you ask us, this is a big mistake. Copy is the part of your marketing that speaks to your potential customer. It’s powerful. It’s make or break.

Your copy is the one-way conversation you have with a potential customer that tells them exactly why they need you in their life. Your colour palette and fancy website aren’t what will convince them that you’re worth it, that they need you, that they should fill your bank account with hundred-dollar bills. It’s your words. 

Yes, those things make up part of your cake recipe. But alone, they won’t make the cake worth eating. 

Your copy shouldn’t be the ugly duckling of your business.

Why does “good copy” matter?

(If we haven’t made it clear enough already)

The short answer: to make cash.

The difference between copy and 'good' copy is whether it actually helps you land more sales and how effective it is at getting people to take the action you want them to take.

Good copy ensures you don't waste an opportunity while someone has eyeballs on your content.

They could be reading your blog/newsletter, browsing your website or scrolling your Instagram.

But then what?

Are they buying from you afterwards, are they making enquiries, are they engaging with your content?

We don't want people to read our copy and leave. We want people to take the damn action.

Good copy makes or breaks whether a reader goes on to do something, or whether they get back to scrolling Instagram and devouring the M&M YoGo sitting in their fridge.

It educates them on how you can fulfil their needs.

It cultivates a connection between you and them.

It compels them to make a move. 

It speaks to them.

So, how’s your copywriting game?