The Perfect Copywriter – Myth or Reality?

Text is one of the main tools of digital marketing. For the text to work, it must not only inform, but also engage, interest the reader, and encourage them to take a specific action.

So who is a copywriter? A copywriter is someone who freely manipulates words and ideas to create convincing texts. After all, the copywriter's task is to achieve the company's goals.

Let's try to find out if there is an ideal copywriter and what kind of specialist you should look for.

List of skills that a copywriter should have

Copywriters work with various types of texts and across different industries, for example, representing the services of a digital agency. They can write blog articles, website content, advertising copy, product descriptions, technical documentation, social media posts, and much more. Therefore, having a wide range of skills helps them effectively handle diverse tasks.

What skills are needed for quality text work, and specifically, what skills should an advertising copywriter have:

• Fluent language proficiency: an excellent understanding of grammar, spelling, style, and language structure is the foundation for creating high-quality texts;
• Creativity: a copywriter must generate new ideas and original quality content according to the technical task;
• Analytical skills: the ability to research and analyze information to create content that meets the needs of the target audience;
• Research ability: a copywriter should be ready to quickly learn new topics and explore them;
• SEO knowledge: understanding the basics of search engine optimization helps create content that ranks higher on Google search results pages;
• Basic marketing knowledge: a copywriter must know how to use marketing tools to make the text effective;
• Ability to evaluate content effectiveness: tracking and analyzing the results of their work is an opportunity to improve outcomes in the future;
• Social media skills: understanding principles of audience interaction in social media is an important element for engaging users;
• Effective planning and time management: a copywriter must be able to plan their work and meet deadlines to deliver tasks on time;
• Ability to work in a team: sometimes copywriters collaborate with marketing specialists, so teamwork and communication are important skills;
• Emotional intelligence: recognizing and considering the emotions of the audience is needed to create a more effective connection with the brand;
• Adaptability to change: the copywriting field constantly evolves due to technological development and changes in search engine algorithms. Diverse skills allow copywriters to quickly adapt to new requirements and trends.

Depending on the type of content to be created and its purpose, here are some tools a copywriter may need:

• For grammar and spelling checks: Grammarly, ProWritingAid, WhiteSmoke;
• For plagiarism checks: Copyscape, Plagscan, Turnitin;
• For idea management and teamwork: Evernote, OneNote, Slack, Trello, Asana;
• For automating social media posts: Buffer, Hootsuite;
• And also image editors: Adobe Photoshop, Figma, Canva, and Pixlr.

Can you work as a copywriter without formal education? Yes. Although education provides basic knowledge, copywriting is a skill that can be mastered independently by reading books and articles on copywriting and practicing writing different types of text content.

However, some companies specifically look for education during recruitment, and it does not necessarily have to be in philology: in some cases, understanding the specifics of a particular industry is required, so companies may look, for example, for a copywriter with a medical education. 

Hiring a Freelance Copywriter or an In-House Employee — Which to Choose?

The choice between hiring a freelance copywriter or adding one to your company’s staff depends on various factors and circumstances, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Consider the following aspects when making your decision:

1. Needs and Workload:

• Freelancer: If you have temporary or limited tasks or need short-term support for a specific project, hiring a freelance copywriter may be the best option. Freelancers can start quickly and complete tasks as needed.
• In-house Employee: If you have a constant need for content creation and a large volume of work, hiring a full-time copywriter makes sense. This ensures more stable and reliable content support.

2. Budget:

• Freelancer: Working with freelancers is often more economical since you can hire them as needed, incurring fewer fixed costs. Payment is typically per project.
• In-house Employee: Hiring a full-time employee usually involves fixed expenses such as salary, insurance, vacation pay, and benefits. It may be more costly but can be more profitable with steady content demands.

3. Qualifications and Expertise:

• Freelancer: You can choose a freelancer whose experience and writing style best fit your needs. However, quality may vary, and you need to monitor their performance carefully.
• In-house Employee: Hiring a full-time copywriter allows you to train them and integrate them into your company’s specifics, which can lead to higher quality and more consistent results.

4. Management and Control:

• Freelancer: Managing freelancers requires time and effort to ensure work is done on schedule and meets expectations. Good project management is essential.
• In-house Employee: With a full-time employee, you have more direct control and access during working hours.

The final choice depends on your specific situation. Sometimes, a hybrid approach is optimal: using freelancers for temporary tasks and having a full-time copywriter for routine and ongoing needs.

What Should a Copywriter Know About the Topic They Write-On?

Ideally, a copywriter should be an expert in the field they write about. However, in practice, this is not always possible.

The copywriter’s work on a topic includes:

• Audience analysis: understanding who the text is for to ensure effectiveness;
• Defining content goals: knowing whether the content should inform, persuade, or entertain and adapting the approach accordingly;
• Topic research: gathering all necessary information to make the text informative and relevant;
• Monitoring relevance and trends: keeping up with current events and industry trends affects content relevance;
• Competitor analysis: examining competitors’ content to identify what has been said and how to bring novelty.

The Uniqueness of Text — How to Find the Golden Mean?

100% uniqueness is an important requirement often encountered in copywriting briefs. But how justified is such strictness?

Certainly, unique text is necessary for page content, especially when promoting a website on Google. But is requiring exactly 100% uniqueness always appropriate?

Important notes:

• No uniqueness checker perfectly replicates Google's method of evaluating content uniqueness. They can be used as a guideline but not as a guarantee that Google will see the same scores;
• 100% uniqueness may be unattainable in many niches. For example, it is unrealistic in technical writing filled with terminology. The medical niche describing symptoms can also be difficult. Often, copywriters twist the text unnaturally to meet strict requirements, resulting in unprofessional or awkward content. Approach uniqueness requirements wisely to receive quality texts.

Selling Texts — Is It a Stereotype?

A selling text is a type of marketing content created to persuade potential customers to purchase a product or service. The main goal of a copywriter writing and selling texts is to convince, inspire, and engage the reader so they take a desired action, such as placing an order, registering on the site, or leaving contact details.

Does it still work today? Yes. Selling texts remains an important and effective marketing tool. Companies and entrepreneurs use them to promote products, services, and brands. Successful selling texts require thorough development and adaptation to the target audience and campaign goals.

Skills a Copywriter Writing Selling Texts Should Have:

• Understanding the target audience: analyze interests, needs, problems, and perspectives;
• Research skills: conduct market, competitor, and product research;
• Product knowledge: deeply understand the product or service to highlight advantages;
• Emotional impact: use language that evokes interest, passion, or trust;
• Creating unique selling propositions: identify and emphasize unique product aspects;
• Using proof: include customer reviews, ratings, recommendations, and other quality indicators;
• Writing effective CTAs: create clear calls to action motivating readers to act;
• Following trends: keep up with the latest marketing trends and best practices;
• Creativity: think beyond standard solutions and find creative ways to present information.

In one of our previous articles, we have already covered writing various types of texts used on websites today.

What is your ideal copywriter like? Can they write selling texts? Are they full-time or freelance? The choice is yours. The important thing is to trust a responsible person who shares your vision — then the result will surely please you.