The art of copywriting can be easier for some then others, though it is a great skill to have. If you have a vast amount of experience in writing essays, letters or blogs, you may find it an easier task than others. However, for those who may not write often, but have a keen interest in becoming a copywriter and wanting to improve their writing skills, here are 10 attributes of great copywriters that employers would look to hire;
1. Vocabulary
Not only does this relate to knowing big-complex words, it’s also based on being aware of the definitions for the words used. Also, being aware of (and using) various synonyms is also a great skill to have.
2. Passion
Like everything else, if you have a passion for what you’re doing you can do well and a passion for writing can be acknowledged through very-well written articles.
3. Precision
The ability to use grammar efficiently and effectively – The devil is in the details of grammar, punctuation and style. From sloppy copywriting, readers presume a sloppy author (aka – your company).
4. Self-editing
A good copywriter knows when their own ideas/writing can be improved upon and are not arrogant when it comes to making changes. Arrogance and stubbornness can reduce quality.
5. Know the rules
When referring to punctuation, grammar & style, they’re are set rules that writers must abide by. As correctness and consistency are of high important, good writers are aware of the rules that govern their form/style of writing.
6. Knows SEO
Although copywriters do not need a vast amount of SEO knowledge, it’s beneficial to know the fundamental basics such as: keywords & anchor text structures. SEO matters most within text, headlines, subheads, meta titles and descriptions.
7. Tells stories
Whereas trends may have differed beforehand, storytelling has now come into prominence again. In terms of content strategies, the ability to create meaningful and engaging stories about a brand and its products or services is deemed favourable than marketing in other forms. The ability to spin yarns is essential for case studies, landing pages, slide presentations and videos for example.
8. Listens
Listening is imperative to multiple aspects of business. As such, listening can aid content creation, as it’s the best way to understand the needs of a company’s leadership and its customers.
9. Understands the business world
Presumably and understandably so, writers can put together great articles about topics they know about. Thus, exceptional copywriters are wary of customer behaviour, the business process and basic business concepts such as features and benefits.
10. Has a sense of humour
Transferring your sense of humour into your writing can allow content to connect and engage more so, as the content itself can feel more ‘personal’ to readers. The ability to do so also prevents the threat of readers becoming bored, half way through reading the text.
Mark Hamilton Taylor
► My personal goal is to make an authentic difference to society.
► My professional goal and passion is developing people and businesses.
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