As a freelance copywriter there’s ONE question that always makes it into my FAQs.

And it surprises me how many businesses ask it. Because they should have a good idea what the answer is.

The question is …

What is copywriting?

For me, it’s the art of writing words … that SELL.

• Words that inform and tell your audience something about you.
• Words that engage with people so they want to hear what you have to say.
• Words that influence and persuade the reader.
• Words that demonstrate your expertise.
• Words that persuade people to buy your products and services.

It’s an art. It’s also a science. And there’s plenty of psychological know-how behind it, too.

Let’s put it another way, copywriting is about:

• Getting the RIGHT message…
• To the RIGHT people…
• At the RIGHT time.

And just like the air that we breathe, Copywriting is all around us. You can see it and hear it everywhere you go. At home. On the TV. On the Radio. On the Internet. Out at the shops. Down at the pub. Enjoying coffee and cake in a comfy cafe. Dining at your favourite restaurant.

Copywriting creates the words you see in all of the following:

• Website pages
• Direct Sales Letters
• Mailshots
• Marketing E-mails
• Newsletters
• E-Newsletters
• Brochures
• Leaflets
• Pamphlets
• Postcards
• Catalogues
• E-Books
• Press Releases
• Newspaper Ads
• Radio Adverts
• TV Adverts
• Video Scripts
• Speeches
• Books
• Articles
• Blogs
• Social Media – such as Facebook posts and tweets on Twitter
• Reports
• Proposals
• Survey Findings
• Presentations

And no doubt you’ll be able to think of other examples. The person who writes all the words for these is called a copywriter. He or she might be employed directly by a business as part of a marketing team. They might work for an agency. Or, like me, they might work freelance. It’s what I do to earn my living.

So now you know.

And you won’t make the mistake, that others have made, of confusing it with copyright. Which is all about protecting the intellectual property of your work. Now that you know what copywriting is you need to understand why it’s so important for your business – and why you should consider hiring a professional copywriter.

I’ll talk about that next time.