Thinking of writing website copy yourself? Read this first.
Copywriting is the act of writing to persuade someone to take a particular action. Copywriters seek to understand the pain points and motivations of a specific target audience, then present clear and compelling solutions.
In the wide world of web, copywriters play a key role in bringing your brand’s story to life. However, copywriting is often undervalued. Many tech and software companies struggle to believe that a non-technical person can learn and write about their technical subject matter. We’ve seen many brands attempt to write web copy themselves. Unfortunately, they usually end up paying for it down the road.
4 copywriting myths debunked.
Myth #1: Anybody can write copy.
Copywriters are more than just good writers. They are creative specialists who balance clarity of information, brand voice, and keyword inclusion. Non-copywriters who attempt to write website copy can make damaging mistakes without even knowing it, and your brand and business suffer as a result.
Myth #2: Copywriters can’t write about technical subject matter
Before a copywriter sits down to write, they first work to understand your business goals, key messages, and audiences. They are quick studies who take dense, jargon-heavy, or specialized information and present it in a way that anyone can understand.
Myth #3: Short copy is easy to write.
The shorter the copy, the more challenging it is to write. When writing for the web, copywriters are charged with writing concise copy that readers can easily scan and digest. Engineers and other technically-inclined individuals often go overboard describing features and details that their audience may not understand or even need to know in order to convert. Copywriters are ruthless editors and ensure that every word adds value.
Myth #4: Copywriting is about protecting intellectual property.
Copywriting is completely different from its close cousin, copyright. The word ‘copy’ actually refers to content or text used for marketing purposes, not the act of reproducing work without permission.
Why hire a copywriter to write your website?
Show off your brand personality
Copywriters adopt the brand personality and tone of voice of your brand. They keep your target audience in mind and present your value proposition in a way that will persuade them to act.
Save time
Copywriting services save your team time and (potentially) the headaches that can come from trying to write copy yourself. It can be overwhelming and time-consuming to research, outline, draft, edit, and publish copy, especially when you’ve never done it before.
Drive conversions
Your website copy is instrumental in converting website visitors into sales-qualified leads (SQL). A beautifully designed website with weak copy will underperform because users either don’t understand your offering or aren’t convinced of its value.
Optimize for SEO
Copywriters know how to incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) keywords to drive organic traffic to your website. They ensure text is the right length for Google to crawl and index your pages.
Elevate your website strategy
Copywriters often contribute to strategic discussions about how to best position your brand and offering on your website. They work closely with designers to ensure the visuals and copy work together to tell your story.
What does a typical copywriting process look like?
Copywriters don’t simply sit down to write. The steps that lead up to drafting copy are critical for bringing your value proposition to life.
Research
Copywriters research your competitors and industry to familiarize themselves with your world and your language.
Content gathering
Copywriters lead you through a strategic content-gathering process. This often includes a review of your existing assets (pitch decks, one-pagers, current website, etc.) and interviews with multiple subject matter experts on your team. They immerse themselves in your brand, get to know your offering, and familiarize themselves with the people you are trying to reach.
Content strategy
Effective websites pair copy with design to tell a clear story on each page. Copywriters and designers collaborate closely to bring your brand to life in a unique, interesting, and compelling way.
Keyword research
Copywriters collaborate with digital marketers to strategically weave in high-value keywords that help Google crawl and index your web pages.
Key messages
Key messages lay the foundation of what you’ll communicate about your company and your offering. Copywriters work with you to establish unique value-based messages that will resonate with the various buyer personas visiting your website.
Brand voice
Copywriters adopt your brand personality and tone of voice to make sure your customers experience one cohesive voice on every page of your website.
Draft copy
Many copywriters (including ours at Tiller) first present draft copy in wireframes. This approach helps stakeholders see the words in context of the structure and flow of the page.
Feedback and approval
Copywriters always ask you to review and comment on what they’ve written. They gather your feedback and collaborate with you to refine the copy until the messaging hits home.
Still want to write website copy yourself?
Many businesses try to do it, but few succeed. Copywriting is truly a specialized skill that can drive measurable impact for your brand. Not only do copywriters save your team time and effort, but they ensure every word on your website is written for your specific audience. The copy they produce helps persuade your website visitors to take action and accelerates your business objectives.
