Copywriting is one of the many Marketing tools that every business needs to create effective branded content, build powerful messages, engage clients and earn results.
But everyone can write, right? So, what’s the big deal?
This is where these 7 myths come from.
The reality is that, just like most professions, everyone can give things a go. But professional copywriting requires a specific skill set, experience and training; if you want quality copy, you need a quality copywriter.
Here are the common copywriting misconceptions that I want to dispel for both clients and copywriters.
Prefer to listen, rather than read? Here’s the Podcast summary!
1. Copywriting is simple
We all write every day! Emails, notes and SMSs. How hard is it to put together words?
Well – it becomes a very different ballgame when you’re trying to convey a message to a specific audience to inspire them to take action when Return On Investment and budgets are being measured.
Sure, you can write an SMS or an email.
- But can you convey to someone why they should book an appointment or buy a product at a glance?
- What message and sentence structure would make a topic relevant in the eyes of a specific audience?
- Can you find that balance between informing, entertaining and getting Google to rank a page with keywords?
- Are you able to drive traffic and build brand awareness in an enjoyable and entertaining way?
That’s why thinking copywriting is simple is a MYTH.
If a client thinks it’s simple, then it’s best they try it themselves rather than hire a copywriter.
2. Copywriting is just about good word choice
Wrong!
In fact, most professional copywriters have to turn complex topics into extremely simple and relatable messages – and that is a challenge in and of itself.
The reality is, word choice is one step. But you also have to work on word flow, tone of voice and content structure too. A copywriter does all four of these.
- Word flow is how marketing messages take people from awareness to conversion.
- Tone of voice is ensuring that a brand sounds unique and is recognisable by an audience.
- Structure is about how the words sit on a page to provide an enjoyable user experience.
So, if you think copywriting is just word choice – it’s a myth.
A quality copywriter knows how to blend all of those essential copywriting elements together to intrigue people, engage their interest, explain why the message is relevant and lead to a desirable outcome.
Don’t believe me? Put a block of well-written text in one slab on your website and see who reads it.
3. Copywriting doesn’t take long
How long should a bridge take to build? What about a tax return? Who knows how long a sculpture takes to make a statute?
So just be careful when you make assumptions that writing a single website page or putting together a marketing brochure should only take an hour or so.
There’s research involved, writing, editing, rewriting, polishing and then rewriting again to get it right for you.
It’s because of this that thinking copywriting doesn’t take long is a myth.
4. Copywriters don’t need to understand marketing
Unfortunately, copywriting services today can include a crowd of copywriters who are just “good at writing” – kind of like a journalist. However, effective copywriting is a marketing practise.
That means it’s not just storytelling. It’s about understanding theprinciples of marketing.
This includes segmentation, identifying the customer, market positioning, demand and supply elasticity and so on. It’s pretty hard to write for an audience when you don’t understand how the words fit into the bigger picture.
It’s a myth to think copywriters don’t need to understand marketing
You can’t write copy and not know about the holistic marketing approach. That’s like designing the art for a single piece without looking at the whole jigsaw puzzle – it won’t fit.
To write good copy, a copywriter needs to understand the practise of marketing and be briefed about your overarching marketing project so that the copy complements all of your other marketing elements.
5. Writing short-form copywriting is faster than long-form copywriting
However, generally speaking, the opposite is true. This is because, when you have more space, you have more words to get a message across. So, you can take your time to craft a longer narrative to explain a point.
When you have a strict word limit for a small document or you need a 30-second video script, the real art is getting the right message across in very few words. This takes several rounds of revisions which is why short-form copywriting often takes the same if not longer than long copywriting.
It’s a myth that short-form copywriting takes less time than long-form copywriting.
6. Editing existing copy is faster than writing from scratch
It’s just not the case. Why?
Because it often takes a lot more time to interpret and work with this draft than it would to start with a blank page.
Imagine if you wanted a professional designer to create a new logo for you or design a website page and you provided them with a hand-drawn diagram, an attempt in Paint or a mock-up in Photoshop. What happens is you’ll set them back, because they have to spend time reverse engineering your work.
This takes time. Hence why it’s a myth that editing existing copy is faster than writing from scratch.
7. All Copywriters are the same
No staff member, manager or CEO is the same and neither are copywriters. I put this one in here because it’s important to choose the right copywriter for your needs.
A lot of people hire specific copywriters because they like how they do things – and that’s the best way to work alongside a copywriter.
But, thinking all copywriters are the same is definitely a myth.
How Can Melotti Media Copywriting Help You?
You’re time poor and spread thin, and writing isn’t your expertise. So, focus on what really matters, while we take care of all of your copywriting and content marketing needs!
For more information or to speak to a quality copywriter to get the results your business deserves, contact me now at chris@melottimedia.com.au.
I can sharpen your words to achieve your goals, today!
Christopher Melotti
Melotti Media Copywriting and Marketing Solutions
www.melottimedia.com.au
