Do you use the term copywritier when advertising?

6 replies
Do most small/medium businesses know what a copywriter does?
Or are there better terms. I'm thinking along the terms:

"ad-man"
Marketing Consultant
Advertising Consultant
Media Conversion Expert

Any terms you use when approaching new prospects?
#advertising #copywritier #term
  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    In my experience I find that if the prospective client knows
    what the term "copywriter" means you have a better chance
    of getting hired and paid what you're asking for. Sometimes
    you do have to define what you do but in such cases there
    comes the "sticker shock" because they have been writing
    their own ads all along and it should be "easy" for you to
    do the same. I mean, it's just "an ad" or "a letter".

    If a prospect doesn't know what a copywriter does then
    your best bet to persuade her to use your service is
    through a "free report" which describes what you do and
    give case studies etc. When a prospect doesn't know
    why they need you it's hard to sell them on anything else.

    A good illustration of this is to look through a freelance
    site and see how people looking for copywriters list
    their jobs. Those who use the term "copywriter" normally
    offer a higher fee.

    -Ray Edwards
    Signature
    The most powerful and concentrated copywriting training online today bar none! Autoresponder Writing Email SECRETS
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    • Profile picture of the author sethczerepak
      Originally Posted by Raydal View Post

      In my experience I find that if the prospective client knows
      what the term "copywriter" means you have a better chance
      of getting hired and paid what you're asking for. Sometimes
      you do have to define what you do but in such cases there
      comes the "sticker shock" because they have been writing
      their own ads all along and it should be "easy" for you to
      do the same. I mean, it's just "an ad" or "a letter".

      If a prospect doesn't know what a copywriter does then
      your best bet to persuade her to use your service is
      through a "free report" which describes what you do and
      give case studies etc. When a prospect doesn't know
      why they need you it's hard to sell them on anything else.

      A good illustration of this is to look through a freelance
      site and see how people looking for copywriters list
      their jobs. Those who use the term "copywriter" normally
      offer a higher fee.

      -Ray Edwards
      Nicely put.

      There's an education barrier for people who don't know what a copywriter is. In those cases, I advertise myself as a marketing consultant. I never say a word about writing copy. Most of them are relieved to find out that I can write and by the time I"ve worked with them a few months, they get it.

      But in many of those cases, they STILL don't know what a copywriter is. The good thing about marketing to those prospects is you get the lockdown on the copywriting category before they even know what the hell they've bought...which is REALLY nice.

      That's one advantage you don't have with the people who already know what copywriting is. The other, which I love is that you get your foot in the door as the guy who orders all the other marketing people around (aka, designers, web programmers, SEO, Social Media and PPC providers).

      This means you never have to watch your advertising messages get ripped apart by artistic types who think they're marketers (aka, designers). Instead, you tell them exactly what to do and they do it. Frankly, I VERY rarely market myself as a copywriter anymore, and this is why.
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  • Profile picture of the author DougHughes
    I think in the realm of small business there are still a number of people who don't know what a copywriter does.

    I've had people say things like..."oh you mean you're in the insurance industry"; confusing copywriting with underwriting.

    If I were going to pitch these types I would go with "business writing services," and then bullet point what exactly I provide:

    • Sales letters
    • Newsletters
    • Sell sheets
    • Product descriptions
    • Etc...

    The services you identified:

    • Marketing Consultant
    • Advertising Consultant
    • Media Conversion Expert

    Are really something different.
    Signature

    I write copy. Learn More.>>

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    • Profile picture of the author KreativCopy
      Originally Posted by DougHughes View Post

      If I were going to pitch these types I would go with "business writing services," and then bullet point what exactly I provide:
      I agree with the above, or even 'business communications', but I think 'business writing services' is an attractive proposition to firms that don't know what copywriting is.
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  • Profile picture of the author WebOutGateway
    For me, it is Advertising Copy Consultant/provider or simply, Advertiser then go out of the terms and make it a bullet-point target. Be specific since you are after their 'understanding'.
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  • Profile picture of the author splitTest
    Just noticed the title of this thread.

    Yes, I do use the term "copywritier" in my pitches.

    As in, "I write sales letters that are substantially less copywritier than the competition's."



    But seriously, I find the term "sales writer" or "marketing communications specialist" gets the point across better than copywriter. Way too many people mistake "copywriting" for "copyrighting." Those guys generally don't make great clients, as others here have pointed out.

    Of course, adwords will tell you that there are way more searches for copywriter (and its variants eg. "web copywriter") than the synonyms, so maybe using that term (and focusing on clients who understand it) is your best bet.
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