Many people who have a basic grasp of English think that they can take on the job of a copywriter. Professional copywriters, however, have a lot more skill than simply putting words together on a page.
General Knowledge is A Must
Professional copywriters know a lot about a lot because of the variety of subjects that they cover, and the amount of research that goes into each. A website for a specific industry can take hours of research; the right tone needs to be used alongside the right jargon, and the facts need to be correct. They use this information to form foundations for the tone of the website going forward, as well as inspiration to create and write interesting additional content (blog posts, articles, etc).
They Research Everything
A credible copywriter is only as good as the facts that they use and the resources they get them from. They need to know how to go deeper into research, using logic and experience to find authentic information that is useful. If a copywriter puts words together nicely, but their information is false, they should consider writing fiction instead.
Mistakes Do Happen
Spellcheck may assist with a typo every now and then, but professional copywriters are still human, and humans make the odd mistake. Even some of the best writers in history have had to think twice about the difference between ‘their’ and ‘there’ occasionally. Usually a second pair of eyes glancing over the writer’s work helps to iron out any kinks that may have gone unnoticed by the author. It is always advised to have an editor or proof-readers be those eyes, no matter what the content – there are many benefits.
They Constantly Adapt
Content always need to be relevant, factually correct and matching the tone of the client / article. This means that professional copywriters need to have a ‘chameleon’ approach, whereby they adapt to what the content, tone and client require, as well as for which pattern. SEO copywriters will need to adapt to the keywords supplied to them by a SEO specialist.
They Need to Stay Current
Information and the way people are searching for it is constantly changing. A little over 10 years ago, our school children were using the library as the best source of facts and information. In this day and age, we use the internet to find things quickly and conveniently. Professional copywriters need to understand and adjust their skills to these constant changes in order to produce content that people will want to consume and share.
Need a professional copywriting services? Contact a Starbright consultant today to get started on your digital marketing future.