Is Copywriting the most important aspect of Marketing?

Those selling copywriting books, courses, and coaching often claim copywriting is the most important.

But in real life, what purpose does it serve to rank it?

To effectively sell a product or service you need all three...

1. An irresistible offer
2. Targeted traffic
3. Sales copy that converts

Alex

No. Copy is definitely not he most important aspect of marketing.
Poor copy can sell a great product but great copy would not sell
a poor product. In other words the product/offer stands as most
important.

Now of course you can LIE in your copy about a poor product,
but it would eventually backfire.

-Ray Edwards

Oziboomer,

No. Getting paid is the most important aspect in marketing.

No. Marketing lives or dies from results.

In most cases you need the copy to be reasonable or good but is you are promoting a crappy product then no matter how good your copy it wont sell or it will just end up giving you a kick in the behind by bad reputation.

There seems to be a trend here towards saying the product is the most important thing to consider and various other aspects pushing copy down a list to where it plays a minor role.

I'd like to put forward a couple of simple scenarios to discuss.

1. Brand Name Coffee ( or any other commodity)

Irresistible offer - 70% off. Limit 3 per customer

List or buyers - the hundreds of supermarket shoppers passing the dump bin.

Copy = Wow...Look Nescafe 70% off. Get your fix now at Costco

2. Fishing Lure

Irresistible Offer Buy 3 get one free.

List is Mad Keen fishermen reading fishing monthly

Copy - New Rapala Bass Crushing Deep Dive Shad out fishes all other lures. Used by Daniel Brackley, Team Shimano to Clean up at the World Bass championships. You can flesh this out.

Where I'm going with this is that people keep putting product as most or at the very least of very high importance when it comes to marketing.

I think the product is THE PRODUCT.

I think marketing is something done to SELL the Product

But in the above scenarios the Instant coffee buyer (not coffee machine user) would probably buy three jars of coffee and just use them as normal and may get some satisfaction that the coffee was cheap and they probably wouldn't fault the product.

In the fishing example the buyer would get a few of these great lures and there would be a high percentage that through incompetence, bad luck, getting snagged, choosing a bad day to go fishing or possibly even catching fish, but they were less than impressive, that they then formed a negative impression of the product.

In the fishing example the copy could be great as could the perceived quality of the product so is the fisherman saying having caught no fish or had a poor result that the product is bad?

I don't know whether I've nailed my point here but in relation to IM products you see a lot of compelling copy to buy and people do buy, but then through lack of commitment or focus to apply what they have learned, they fail.

In these failing examples you would say that the product is probably "dud" but marketers using all methods at their disposal to convince consumers to buy continue to sell the products and their success at selling is maybe due to having flattering copy.

Where is this judgement in the copywriter that the product is bad and I'm not going to write the copy.

I suspect the BEST copywriters are sometimes producing the best copy for some of the most SUSPECT products due to the fact that it is PAID WORK and...

...is it really up to the copywriter to determine the quality of the product they have to write for?

Quite a few different opinions in here, but yes, I think copywriting is hugely important in marketing something.

The trick within the copywriting is the research you do and knowing who will be buying, and how long or short to make the copy itself while describing the benefits.

In my mind, copywriting is your most important skill to learn online, and your email list is the most important asset. They both go hand in hand.

I don't pretend to be any expert, by any means, but if you know what the product will do for the people who are going to be buying, then you can write solid copy that will sell. You have to know how to promote the benefits in the copy.

Just my two cents.

Great question and some interesting answers.

For me copy is important but its just a cog in the machine an important cog but a cog no less. What does it benefit me if I have the best copy but no traffic? What benefit is 7.2 million vegans reading my copy about blue t bone steaks? What does it benefit me if my steaks are aged only 3 days from old cattle.

I guess its why its often called the marketing mix.

I don't know if copywriting the most important aspect of marketing, but it surely is one of the most important aspects. I think copywriting is what really makes a product sell.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned

How To Hire A Copywriter - by Kevin Halbert

That's the go-to guide I give everyone who asks.

In my experience, The List (who you get to look at your copy) is more important than the copy. Poor copy to a good list can generate excellent results. Fantastic copy to a group of people who are just not a fit won't convert.

So as I perceive from the responses....

Plus

With

and a sprinkling of

is the most important aspect of marketing.

Are there any more extra things I've missed in this summation?

It is true that copy writing is an important aspect of marketing but I don't think it is the most important aspect of marketing.
These are the importance of copy writing in marketing.
1.Most of your competitors ignore or underestimate the importance of writing great copy 2.The majority of copy, once formed may be used hundreds if not thousands of times – you get a great bang for your buck vs. other short-run expenses such as a TV promotion or banner ad placement agreement
3. Every company needs great copy, no $1M companies operate without sale letters, email blasts, newsletters, or written communications of some type
4. If done right you can lower your refund rate and increase potential cross and upsells by connecting directly with the fears, needs, and goals of your clients