How to get started with copywriting? Beginner’s guide to copywriting

In the age of pandemics, copywriting has become a very attractive profession due to the fact that it can be done 100% remotely. Not everyone knows that the popular “copywriting” is not only articles, blogs or texts for the website, but also advertising slogans, slogans and even company names. How to start working with copywriting? And can everyone become a copywriter?

What does a copywriter’s work look like?

Copywriter’s work is not only the popular text writing. Copywriters very often are responsible for entire advertising campaigns, or at least their direction. Copywriter must have not only a light pen, but also know the formats that function in the world of advertising, such as:

• body copy,
• tagline,
• slogan,
• CTA (call to action).

Copywriter should know the basics of sales psychology and sociology, an important part of the job is also to follow trends in marketing.

Copywriting – where to start?

Copywriting consists in creating content that is to meet specific business objectives of the client. The creation of such a text should consist of five stages:

1. The idea for the text

When looking for an idea for a text, there are several rules to follow:

• the text idea must relate to the topic that is currently on the site,
• the new article should be used in internal linking of the site,
• if the concept of the text has not been used before by competitors, it will bring faster results.

2. Keywords

To choose the right keywords, it is worth using helpful tools. There really is a lot to choose from, also in terms of free programs

• Google Keyword Planner,
• Keyword Tool,
• KWFinder,
• Ahrefs.

3. Planning the text structure

Planning your text structure is the intermediate step between keyword research and writing. When planning your text structure, determine the number and type of headings (H2 to H6) to direct the reader from the general to the specific.

4. Creating content

You have a plan, so you can sit down to write proper. The first necessary step will be research, i.e. searching for information on a specific topic. To be useful for the Internet user, the text must be substantive. Some industries, such as law or medicine, also require a bibliography and indication of specific sources

The next step is to put your knowledge on paper. It is worth sticking to a few basic rules

• The text must be understandable for the average reader – using too difficult words will make the text difficult for the reader, as a result of which he/she will probably give up further reading.

• Do not write long blocks of text – most Internet users read texts on smartphones. Long blocks of text cause the reader to get discouraged. A good practice is to use a variety in the text, which will facilitate the assimilation of content, e.g. paragraphs, bullets, highlighting or bolding.

• Check the text after writing – text writing mistakes happen to everyone, so you should always (preferably several times) check the text before sending it to the client or uploading it on the website. Ideally, you can return to the created text a day later and look at it with fresh eyes. This way you can catch even more mistakes. The truth is, however, that you won’t always have time for this, especially in case of “yesterday’s” assignments.

5. SEO optimization

Optimizing your content for SEO increases the visibility of your text in Google search. SEO optimization involves the use of:

• formatting, whose main task is to extract the most important content by bulleting and bolding it;
• internal linking, thanks to which an Internet user is referred to previously written articles, which may also be of interest to him.

Can everyone become a copywriter?

Many people think that it is enough to have the ability to type on the keyboard, however, not everyone has predisposition to become a copywriter. What will be useful to start? You must first of all:

• use correct Polish,
• write with focus on the target group,
• have professional knowledge,
• be responsible (deadline is sacred).

Ideally, a copywriter should have a light pen, but not everyone has to be a second Mickiewicz and a word virtuoso. The most important thing is responsibility and a serious approach to work.

Main photo of the article: Photo by Markus Winkler, source: unsplash.com