How Great Writers Become Great Copy and Content Writers
Considering writing your business’s content and copy on your own?
Yes, it’s totally doable — and we understand why you’d want to. Although we pride ourselves on our ability to write in almost anyone’s voice, no one knows you like you. And so many great business owners are also great writers; why not go it alone?
Of course, apart from the time you’ll spend writing that you could spend building your business, you’ll have to consider the differences between being a great writer and a great copy and content writer.
I know a bit about that myself. I’ve always considered myself a good writer, and it’s something that’s come naturally to me. But as I started my journey into copy and content writing, I quickly discovered that being able to write well is just the beginning of copy and content writing. It’s (a lot) more than that.
For example:
Great writers have excellent attention to detail.
Great copy & content writers question every detail.
I took an online proofreading class that recommended the book The Best Punctuation Book, Period. It became my Bible. I had certain parts marked with post-its and to this day I will look back on them, because who can remember whether you’re supposed to hyphenate a compound adjective that includes a past participle? (If you’re wondering, hyphenate only if the adjective comes before a noun unless you’re following news media and business writing style, in which case you’d only hyphenate if it’s necessary for comprehension.)
Look, everyone makes mistakes. Even though we use premium editing software that theoretically catches every error, it doesn’t always. Even we occasionally miss something. So much of our work is a judgment call, especially if our client doesn’t have a style guide. That’s why we have a two-touch policy on everything we write — the person who wrote a piece is never the person editing it. This saves us all a lot of time and heartache and helps with the questionable/subjective grammar and syntax rules we dither over because there’s always a second (authoritative) opinion.
In addition to relying on an editor, we frequently poll our core team of writers as well as the talented folks at our sister agency, Artisanal Copy, for all those thorny could-go-either-way linguistic problems. It turns out the English language is ridiculously complicated, inconsistent, and open to interpretation. But I guess that’s why we’re here.
Great writers have a purpose for each piece.
Great copy & content writers have a purpose for each word.
Whether you’re telling a story, writing an essay, developing a lesson plan, or crafting a thank-you note to your grandma, all writing serves a purpose. Writers keep the purpose of their work in the back of their minds from beginning to end to make sure it stays on track.
Copy and content writing takes that idea to a new level. Your purpose is not something to keep in the back of your mind; it’s a question you ask yourself before composing each word — especially if you need to consider things like character counts and SEO. On average, people read only 6 words of a headline, stay on a webpage for 15 seconds, and if you’re lucky, will read your blog for about 7 minutes before moving on to something else. Even meta descriptions are tricky, since Google truncates anything more than 160 characters. With those statistics, it’s vital to make each word meaningful.
Great writers can write catchy headlines and CTAs.
Great copy & content writers balance style with data.
Great writers can whip up a blog title or email subject line that’s interesting, attention-grabbing, and has a nice ring to it. In the copy and content world, this is only half of the equation. Besides being catchy, all our digital marking also needs to follow some strategic best practices.
For example, I recently received an email from a local sculpture garden, and the subject line was simply, “Thank you.” Yes, it was simple and to-the-point. Did I wonder what they were thanking me for? Sure. But as I was going through my masses of daily emails, was I compelled to open it? No. It went straight into the trash.
Also in my inbox was an email from our toilet paper delivery service, Who Gives a Crap, inviting me to read their blog post titled “Our Favourite Number Twos.” Curiosity got the best of me; surely this wasn’t a blog about that number two…was it? It turned out to be a fun homage to underrated sidekicks in movies and TV shows. Not something I was planning to read about that day, but it got me to go to the blog and then explore what else was on their website.
Chances are, the copywriters at Who Gives a Crap have done their research and discovered that their clients enjoy witty, humorous topics and headlines. They’ve probably looked through the website reports and email opening rates to look for patterns. They’ve seen what makes people stay longer on a particular page on their website, and when their bounce rates are high because people are leaving quickly. Yes, they’re clever and creative, but they’ve also done their homework.
Great writers are thoughtful.
Great copy & content writers are empathetic.
A lot of thought goes into great writing. Probably more than your readers will ever know. Many writers will tell you they prefer to communicate through writing over speaking because they can better organize their thoughts and convey their points in a meaningful way.
Copy and content writing take thoughtfulness in a new direction because you have to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Not just who you’re writing for, but who you’re writing to. Why do people care about what you’re writing? Why does it matter to them? What question are you answering? What problem are you solving? Imagining yourself as your target audience ensures you’re answering the right questions and leaving out the stuff that doesn’t matter.
Great writers find their voice.
Great copy & content writers find everyone else’s voice.
Elements like tone, sentence structure, rhythms, and sense of humor make up your voice as a writer. It’s what sets you apart, makes you recognizable, and brings personality to your work. Great writers know their voice and take the time to develop it.
Copy and content writing are all about writing in someone else’s voice. Our clients are looking for authenticity and realness. They need their blogs, newsletters, and website copy to sound like them. Copy and content writers ask themselves, am I writing for a quick-witted creative or a strait-laced tech guru? Would this person appreciate a few puns on their social media, or are they all business? Identifying and staying true to a client’s voice is the difference between mediocre and outstanding writing. Your writing can be perfect, but if it doesn’t sound like your client, it won’t be right.
Being a good writer is a solid first step into copy and content writing, but it’s only the beginning. The next steps take research, reflection, and a lot of visits to Merriam-Webster. Interested in learning more? Ask us about our mentorship program!
