Terminology of the Copywriter and elevator pitches
The work of a copywriter can often be mistaken as stealing another person’s work or somebody who fixes a photocopier. These are gravely mistaken and a grave misunderstanding of what a copywriter does and the function they perform.
Terminology
- the word copywriter comes from the mediaeval word Copiare which means to transcribe, and abundance thinks of mediaeval scribes writing pages of beautiful manuscripts.
- The word copy, meaning a newspaper item, appeared in the mid-1800s
- In its modern context, copywriting is related to advertising and marketing, first appearing in 1911. But the term still lives on in newsrooms where a copy desk is staffed by a copy editor who drafts copy into shape.
- Confusingly, journalists who write copy but don’t call themselves copywriters.
Jobs for copywriters and their profession
To become a copywriter, you do not require any professional qualifications. It is a profession that can pay incredibly well once you have the necessary skills as a copywriter, which you can develop through a professional career, internships and professional development.
Becoming a copywriter is incredibly useful as a career opportunity because of the move from a traditional store toward an e-commerce and online market star. These shopping stores and websites will require copywriters to write advertising to sell the products or services.
You will have noticed I have used the words content writer and copywriter in the same sentence. This is not a mistake because it is the same word for content writing and copywriting. The only difference is different companies use different titles.
If you wish to become a copywriter, you will be the happiest working in a creative environment where you can create different kinds of content or copy. You do not want to join a content mill. This is just recycling content on the Internet with very little creativity.
To be successful as a writer, you must continuously engage in personal and professional development to become a true master of this skilled craft.
Copywriting is sales
The purpose of copywriting is to build a sales funnel. This is where your audience and customers consume your digital product, the copy you have created. This also applies to magazines, newspapers and other forms of the written word.
The people who read magazines will buy the products and lifestyles promoted in that kind of medium that targets that particular audience. For instance, a female magazine promoting fashion and lifestyle will be selling those kinds of products to that readership.
To be successful as a copywriter, you must first create good content; through research and SEO writing that brings customers and readers to a website or traditional print.
Whether you are writing about the news, writing about products are writing a published online blog, it is a form of copywriting because you are trying to attract an audience or readership and monetise your readers by selling products and services.
There is nothing wrong with this because things in life that have to be the monetarily incentive to continue with these professions or skills are writers will not write unless they can make money or are paid.
So, suppose you are concerned that a profit mentality takes away from the writing. In that case, this is only sometimes necessary because it is the profits used to grow a business, keep people employed, and provide the goods and services to live a fulfilling life.
One way to formulate an elevator pitch
- identify the customer and their point of view if you know when a business commissions a new website and struggles with what to put in the content.
- Explain what you do. For example, you have information and write in a search engine optimisation-friendly style in web content.
- Explain the value of what you do so they get found easily on the web, and customers find information that helps them decide whether or not to buy.
This is a rough example of a search engine optimisation pitch to a client. Depending on your skills and the niche you are writing, you can design your method of pitching to clients.
