What is Copywriting?
Key Takeaways
- Copy exists to produce an action or a change of mind, which is what separates it from writing that only informs or entertains.
- It starts with the reader: what they want, what worries them and what they already believe.
- Clarity beats cleverness. A reader who has to work out what is being offered usually stops reading.
- It carries the brand voice, so the same business should sound recognisably like itself on a website, in an email and in an ad.
Understanding Copywriting
Copywriting covers almost every word a business publishes to win customers: headlines, website pages, advertisements, emails, product descriptions, scripts and calls to action. The formats differ, but the task is the same, to move a particular reader one step closer to a decision.
Good copy is built on research more than on flair. The writer needs to know the audience, the offer and the objections well enough to lead with what matters most to the reader, support it with evidence, and ask clearly for the next step.
It is also where brand strategy becomes audible. Positioning and voice decided in a strategy document only reach customers once someone writes them into sentences, which makes copywriting one of the most direct expressions of a brand.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the difference between copywriting and content writing?
Copywriting aims to prompt an action, such as a purchase or an enquiry. Content writing aims mainly to inform or educate, building trust over time. The two often work together.
What makes copy effective?
A clear understanding of the reader, one main message, specific benefits, credible support and a plain request for the next step.
Is copywriting only for advertising?
No. Website pages, emails, packaging, sales documents and even error messages are all copy.
This term is treated at length in What is Copywriting?.