Hello!

Welcome to the first issue of GOT COPY? - a free monthly e-newsletter about issues in copywriting that can impact your everyday business. I hope you enjoy it.

Have a happy day,
~ Stevie Ann Rinehart, Independent Copywriter

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GOT COPY? - Issue 1 - November 2001

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IN THIS ISSUE:
(1) AT ISSUE: What Is a Copywriter?
(2) MARKETING/WRITING TIP: Trim the Fat, Not the Muscle
(3) RECOMMENDED WEB SITE: ClickZ.com
(4) UPCOMING ISSUE
(5) NECESSARY BLURBS

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(1) AT ISSUE: What Is a Copywriter?
While I have your attention, I thought I'd share with you some of the actual responses I've gotten when I tell business people I'm a copywriter:

"Oh, so you write technical stuff?"
"Cool! Would you design my brochure?"
And my personal favorite:
"Hey, I need someone like you to register my trademark."

Alas, these have proven to me that there are misconceptions about what a copywriter is, and understandably so. I'll use this first issue to debunk some of the myths.

-- MYTH 1: A copywriter is a technical writer.

Well, this is true only in a few cases. Technical writers write in specific terms about a technical topic. They explain the features and capabilities of a product in the form of white papers and technical manuals, for example; they don't "sell" the product's benefits or ROI that you read about in the brochures, direct mail, et cetera, that a copywriter writes.

-- MYTH 2: A copywriter is a copyright lawyer.

If you paid a copywriter like me $1.00 to register your trademark or fill out your copyright registration forms, you'd be overpaying. Those things require a copyright lawyer or similar expert. If I had a dime for every time someone asked me about copyright law, I'd be rich. Of course, not as rich as if I were a copyright lawyer. In the end, though, it all boils down to a simple misunderstanding over two sound-alike words.

-- MYTH 3: A copywriter is a designer.

When a copywriter says he or she writes brochures or Web copy, for example, be careful not to assume that they also do the design, HTML coding, paper selection, print-house coordination, you name it. It's helpful for him or her to know how these project components are integrated. However, design is a whole other skill set that requires a lot of training. Some do both, but there are very few of them.

So... what IS a copywriter?

Put simply, copywriters write copy. They are professional writers who craft the words you see in marketing collateral like brochures, advertisements, and direct mail. Many writers use the AIDA formula (attention, interest, desire, action) to create marketing messages. Copywriters effectively "sell" a company, product, or service to a targeted audience by using words that grab their attention, stimulate their interest, create a desire for the product, and prompt an action (buy, attend, or use the product).

Words are what sell an idea, product, or experience. They compel. They persuade. They inform. They engage. Writers of these words have to adapt their style to not only fit the specific audience to whom they're writing, but also reflect the image of the client who hired them. Words are just as much a part of a company's image as the look-and- feel of its design (in its logo, Web site, and print collateral, for example).

So now you know what a copywriter is. But knowing what a copywriter does is half the battle. In a future issue, I'll write about what to look for when hiring one.

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(2) MARKETING/WRITING TIP: Trim the Fat, Not the Muscle
It's common for companies to "trim the fat" to create a leaner structure when enduring tough times - whether due to a bad economy, anomalies in the industry, or adverse situations specific to one company. While cutbacks across many department budgets are understandable, marketing is often the one that gets picked on - or rather picked apart. Decision-makers go too far and cut right into the muscle - the marketing message.

What do I mean by cutting into the muscle?
~~ Layoff of key staff responsible for strategy and message development
~~ Budget cuts that hogtie marketing's efforts
~~ Termination of projects meant to generate sales or leads
~~ Scaling back on marketing to your current or repeat customers
While certainly not exhaustive, these actions can directly affect the quality and focus of the message, as well as whether it even gets delivered.

That message is critical in maintaining a dialogue with customers and keeping them up-to-date and reassured of a company's endurance. It also helps to keep the company name and product or service out there when competitors are cutting back. Marketing messages can be cost- effectively conveyed in the form of print collateral, public relations, physical presence at events, you name it. Here are just a few ways to economically market during downturns:

~~ Create e-newsletters instead of sending the snail mail variety
~~ Target the existing customer base by sending out sales/marketing letters asking for their repeat business
~~ At tradeshows, hand out information-packed white papers, "how-to" sheets, or case studies, for example, instead of disposable trinkets sporting the company name

Did you notice that these are options that a copywriter can help you with? They're not design-heavy, nor do any of them require high maintenance, material, or production costs. These may sound obvious, but sometimes the most obvious options are those most overlooked.

I'm certainly not the first person to write about this. At the very least, perhaps all this will serve to teach us to use the "affordable" route as a foundation upon which to build our marketing efforts so we're not caught like a deer in the headlights the next time a crisis is heading straight for us.

>>> Click here for a related article.

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(3) RECOMMENDED WEB SITE: ClickZ.com
I just love this site. These opt-in e-columns from ClickZ.com offer timely, insightful information about offline and online marketing topics (including writing). You could easily spend hours browsing through the columns, gaining helpful advice and knowledge from industry experts. Recent columns have addressed the anthrax threat and email usage, and adapting marketing perspective in a time of uncertainty.

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(4) UPCOMING ISSUE: December 2001
~~ At Issue: Differences in print and online copywriting
~~ Marketing/Writing Tip: Overusing clichés

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(5) NECESSARY BLURBS
Promote viral marketing! Just copy and paste the above URL into an email message and forward to a colleague. Feel free to CC me as well. (I don't give out e-addresses.)

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