Copywriting

The skill of copywriting is underappreciated. After all, everyone can right, right? Wrong! Obviously in this case, right should be spelled as write.

Copywriting is more than putting words on paper. The art includes proper use of tense, understanding sentence structure and eliminating word and content redundancy. The most important element is to get a clear and understandable message across to the reader.

It all starts with the intent of the work. Copywriting for educational purposes is far different from writing a sales piece. Sometimes the intent is simply to provide information and let the reader come to an independent conclusion. Then, the message must be modified to the application. In a radio ad, it’s imperative to paint a picture with words. Television is completely different because the writing must compliment visual stimulus. Copy for print has a unique set of guidelines. It ranges from instant messages in small spaces to complete articles with specific structure that keeps the reader’s attention.

The next consideration is analyzing the demographic. Understanding our target is a critical part of tailoring the message. Demographics can be based on age, gender, race, location, motive or multiple combinations of these and other specifications.

Shelf life is yet another important decision when writing copy. Informative copy can address a timely issue or event and becomes ineffective after the event has passed. Sales content may need to deliver an instant message to “act now.” Educational content for a brochure or web site will need to have a long shelf life.