It doesn’t have to be an awkward conversation when you are asked what you do.
As copywriters, it’s safe to say that we’ve encountered that slightly puzzled look when we answer that question:
“What is it that you do?”
Which is completely fine, because we have been the ones who give that look, when occasionally encountering someone whose own profession is way over our own heads. But these conversations are fun to have.
I think the confusion is typically because the terms copywriter or copywriting can easily be mixed up with ‘copyright’.
To set the record straight; copyright is a form of intellectual property, so a way of publicly and legally safeguarding original creative works. Here is the wikipedia link for more clarification.
Copywriting – what we do – refers to the action itself of what our role is, but you just need to do a little switch-eroo with the wording. We write copy. And the ‘copy’ part refers to content. You’ll find the wikipedia link for copywriting here.
So… we write content!
Engaging words are SO important. (Image Copyright Gary Larson)
We tend to go on about how much we love what we do, because that’s the truth – we do love our job. We love how we each bring different strengths to our professional partnership and we love that we have a genuine 100%, authentic belief that what we do is valid, useful and value-adding for our clients.
It’s also demanding, often performed in a high-pressure environment and each day brings variety, as well as obstacles. But we take all of that in our stride.
Another question we are often asked is:
“How do I become a copywriter?”
The answer to this isn’t very straightforward, which is also encouraging for those who seek to get started in copywriting. That’s because there is no pre-requisite for commencing a copywriting role, at least not if you work for yourself.
It’s okay to have a fictitious mentor, right? Image Copyright Weiner Brothers/AMC Studios.
There are so very many areas in which copywriters are required, including medical and technical copywriting and specific, strategic SEO copywriting/consulting.
Essentially, copywriters can be “hired guns” on a permanent or freelance basis, or work on retainer or salary for companies across literally hundreds of industries.
As a copywriter, you can create a business or company, based on your own strengths or interests. This would allow you to provide a specific, unique service that caters to appropriate clients, who have a use for your service. Where there is a demand and value in what you do, there is work.
We have several university degrees between us, but neither of us went to university to study copywriting.
Our work today is the result of wonderful, sometimes random opportunities, that set us on a path in which we sculpted our work to suit the real estate industry.
We would however recommend that as a writer or prospective copywriter, you engage in and join a combination of communities and support networks. So, for example, you could join your local writer’s centre and (if you’re in Australia), the Australian Writer’s Guild.
And then, the information, opportunities and support you receive from these can be complimented further by joining your local Business Network, which in our case is Business S.A.
The combination of having access to information both as a creative writer and a business owner should set you on a course of (relatively) smooth sailing as you charter the waters of content writing.
And please hit us up for advice, any time you please!
This post is not sponsored or endorsed by affiliating membership bodies, it is simply based on our own experience and preferences for running a copywriting business in Australia.
So a couple of weeks ago I wrote about the concept of propinquity, which basically says that the more people interact with you, the more they’ll be inclined to both like and trust you.Useful to keep in mind in an industry which is always struggling against the perception of untrustworthiness, right?
And I also said that I’d talk more about how to do that in the online environment. Because it’s no longer enough to sponsor the local Christmas Pageant or have your face on the side of a bus: both millennials and Gen Xers, are living their lives on the internet, and plenty of them are also looking to buy houses.They want to see that you’re a real person, and that you know your stuff, and you can do that by putting in some time online.
1. Make your website compelling
You no doubt have a website, with your current property listings available for searching.But what is drawing readers to your site in the first place?Why will potential new vendors click on that URL as opposed to the one down the road?Maybe they’ve seen your name on billboards around their areas or your shopfront has caught their eye, but you can also do a lot to make sure that your site pops up at the top of a generic search using great web copy with SEO-optimised content and a good web designer.
But great web copy only gets you so far.Remember, the aim here is to make you seem familiar before the vendor decides to find an agent.You already do this in the real world, so what you’re going for here is the equivalent of driving down a street and seeing your thoughtful, eye-catching billboards every day.
2. Make your content fresh
This is where content marketing comes in.Before a vendor has decided whether to list their properties, they’ve been researching online.They’ve costed out a renovation (too pricy!), they’ve looked at how much their area’s appreciated, they’ve done some thinking about where the best schools are or whether there are any beach suburbs that are still affordable.If your site is offering information on those peripheral issues (and the list is endless!), and they’ve read your articles, then you’re becoming both familiar, and an expert, in the back of their mind.
3. Write for other sources
It doesn’t just have to be your own website on which you’re sharing all of this: plenty of larger, high-traffic site will accept sponsored content from contributors.That means that instead of paying for an advert on a website, you’re providing them with an informative article.They save on staff writers and have quality to offer their readers, and you as the contributor have got your name out there for people to remember.
And if you’re blanching at the very idea of writing for a high traffic website, here’s the biggest secret of all: ghostwriters don’t just work with books.
4. Maintain a social media presence
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram…the number of social media platforms is growing all the time.Depending on your goals and objectives, you can maintain a social media presence across several platforms or just a few.The important thing is that you understand how each platform works, and you’re prepared to post regularly.The etiquette of social media requires that you interact with your audience, rather than just posting links: try and stick to an 80:20 rule where no more than 20% of your posts are promoting native content. Respond to posts by other people, thank them for their interactions with you, and forge connections.You’re showing people who you are, and the more natural that comes across, the better.You can outsource this work as well, by the way, but it’s important to maintain your voice, so if you can find the time to do it yourself, all the better.
If all of this seems overwhelming, remember you don’t have to do it all at once.Pick a quiet time of year – winter is coming! – and put aside some time to improve one avenue first of all.A neglected social media presence is almost worse than none at all, so start with the thing you’re confident you can maintain and add things as time permits.We’ll be publishing more how-to articles on each of these subjects, so check back in with us as you go!
