What is Copywriting and Why Should You Learn It?

Did you know that instead of watching an hour-long episode of Reservation Dogs; you can earn up to $250 every hour?

This is how much you can earn in an hour through copywriting.

Let me show you how copywriting works. Just read the next line.

Sounds boring… right? 

Did you feel intrigued to click on this link?

Probably you skipped through that link, right?

How about we make a few changes to it? 

Let’s give it a touch of dark humour. Now, read the next line.

Read this book in case you haven’t paid your credit card EMI for the last 6 months

or let’s make it a little encouraging for the reader…

Say goodbye to 6 months of pending credit card EMIs in just one week!

It sounds a little better… right?

This is the power of effective copywriting. 

It persuades you to take an action that the copywriter desires. 

Effective copywriting compels your audience to do as you want. This may include compelling people to:

• Click on a link
• Watch a video
• Subscribe to your blog’s newsletter 
• Download an e-book or
• Donate money to a cause

Skilled copywriters encourage their audience to click on a CTA (call to action).

So, who can get into copywriting?

Those who are creative and have a tinge of humour in their writing style can try their hands at copywriting. 

What is Copywriting?

Copywriting is a part of content marketing where persuasive copy is written to compel the target audience to perform a desired action. 

Now, what is a ‘copy’?

In simple words… It is a piece of content that is written in such a persuasive and interesting way that the audience feels compelled to do as your copy says. 

Do you want to sell an ebook? Persuade your potential customers through a well-written copy. 

Here is an idea.

You are just 30 minutes away from success… 

I guess, it’s a better substitute to a CTA that blandly states ‘download this e-book’ for a book titled ‘How to Become Successful?’

By writing an effective copy, you don’t beg…you attract.

See…Loreal wanted to persuade industries to hire more female employees. 

And the brand did it through the skilled craftsmanship of its copywriters. 

Here is one of the many examples:

Now that you know what copywriting is, let’s proceed to its types.

Types of Copywriting

Here are the variations of copywriting:

• Advertising Copywriting
• SEO Copywriting
• Website Copywriting
• Blogs
• Product Description
• Landing Page

1. Advertising Copywriting

As the name suggests clearly, it involves writing copies for advertisements. Such copies include written as well as visual content in the form of videos and images. 

This one is a very cleverly written copy by Zomato.

The aim of advertising copy is to compel consumers to use their products and services. 

In the above copy, Zomato has grabbed the attention of its consumers through wordplay. 

Here, it has used a portion of a very popular Bollywood song ‘oonchi hai building’ from the 90’s movie Judwa. 

What exactly is Zomato trying to do with this?

Basically, Zomato is leveraging the evergreen popularity of this song. 

It has promoted its ability of ‘timely delivery’… Even if the lift stops working, Zomato will take the stairs to deliver food to your doorstep.

Creative, right?!

That’s how such quirky copies grab the attention of potential customers. 

They leverage the impact of viral memes, quotes, songs, dialogues and even movie names on people’s minds. 

Consumers can remember such copies very easily since they recall that popular meme or song and instantly relate the copy with it. 

Explore free advertising courses

2. SEO Copywriting

Search Engine Optimization copywriting aims to create copies for digital content so that your content ranks well in search results. 

Be it a blog post, a landing page or a product description. For SEO copywriting, the content should be keyword-optimised so that Google understands it well and finds it suitable for the readers. 

The aim is to achieve a balance where the content is optimised for the right set of keywords and is also readable for your target audience.

With great copywriting, comes better search engine ranking

Somehow I was inspired by Spiderman at this very moment!

See, this is how copywriting works… It requires you to be spontaneous, creative and witty.

Explore free SEO courses

3. Website Copywriting

Any kind of content that you see on a website, be it the homepage content or the ‘about’ page; make up the part of website copywriting. 

But why do we need website copywriting?

 Let’s say you are a luxury watch company. And your website looks something.. Like this.

See how the CTA ‘Discover our collection of premium watches’ is not highlighted. 

Even the colour scheme is not complementing the theme of your brand. 

Now, let’s tweak the content, its placement and font colour. 

The copy, its placement and font colour have collectively made a huge difference. 

Compared to the previous design, this page design exudes elegance. 

This is why website copywriting matters… 

It is the first impression of your website on your site’s visitors. 

As they say, the first impression is the last impression. 

The first impression of your website’s content will have a lasting impact on the visitor. 

If your copy exactly conveys what your brand sells, it will impress the audience. 

In this case, there are two main words to focus on. ‘Timeless’ and ‘Elegance’.

‘Timeless’ means that your watches will always remain in fashion regardless of the time. This hints at the fact that the buyer will be making a wise investment by buying your watches.

The word ‘elegance’ implies that your watches are sophisticated and of superior class. This word has been used to attract high-net-worth customers. 

4. Blogs

What you are currently reading is also a part of copywriting. This entire blog is meant to keep you engaged with the content and compel you slyly (shh!). 

Just like an ad copy that is limited to a few words, blogs consist of many more words. 

Sometimes they may consist of hundreds or even thousands of words. 

While there may be informative blogs, certain blogs are written as copies. They can be informational, interactive or even in the form of ‘How to’ manuals. The aim is compelling the readers to perform a desired action. It may be the desired action of clicking on an internal link, downloading a PDF or even watching a video. Like any other copywriter, the one who writes a blog aims to achieve the same. 

Hence, 

A Blog writer = A Copywriter

5. Product Description

Here is the big question.

Would you ‘Buy these spicy noodles!’ 

Or…

Would you ‘Dare to take the heat? Grab a bowl of these spicy noodles!’

Which one intrigues you?

The second copy is challenging me to find out how spicy these noodles can be. 

A good copy can make your product more attractive to the audience even if many competitors are selling the same product.

Let us check out an actual example of Jolo Chip.

Take a look at the description provided by Jolo Chip. This is an insanely hot chip that is made of the hottest chilli in the world. 

But this is not how they describe their product. 

Take a look at their product description.

‘Eat at your own risk’

‘Not for weak-hearted’

‘After this, hell should be easy’

Just imagine. When someone asks you not to visit a deserted place since it is claimed to be haunted; 

What do you do? 

You feel thrilled to visit that place. There is an adrenaline rush to take the risk.

This is exactly what the Jolo chip seller is trying to achieve. They are challenging you. If you are like me, you must have tasted how hot these chips are. (I should have trusted them when they warned me to eat it at my own risk!)

This is an excellent example of a great product description copy.

6. Landing Page

Just imagine you want to upgrade your skills with a certification. You check out different websites but all look the same to you.

None of them has spiked your curiosity.

After hours of scrolling through a page 

Now, let’s take a look at a landing page…which in my opinion, does make me curious.

Take a look at this landing page. ‘Time for my life… Time for my certificate’. 

As a reader, I am compelled to take this course for upskilling.

This is an example of good copywriting as it compels readers to prioritise their growth.

Conclusion

With effective copywriting, you ensure that people remember you. For instance, ‘Daag Achche Hain’ is a tagline that every Indian household knows about. Surf left its impact on the minds of Indian consumers that stains can be easily removed using the product. As people start remembering you, they start engaging with your brand which ultimately leads to an increase in sales. Once the sales go up, the brand’s reliability among consumers is established.