What is copywriting?
And why copywriting will help grow your biz in 2026.
When you think of writing professions, you think of novelists. Journalists for newspapers or magazines. Non-fiction authors.
Most writers in these genres write like their English teacher taught them to write. Long, complex sentences. Following grammar and punctuation rules to the tee.
It’s also the writing you think of whenever someone tells you, “You need to write a blog post to get people to come to your website,” or “It’s important to send out newsletters to your email base.”
Yikes! Right?
The fear of having to write another high school or college-like paper turns you off from getting started. You’re overwhelmed by the thought of it.
You think:
But what if I don’t know how to structure a sentence properly?
What if I don’t know perfect grammar?
Writing isn’t fun.
Enter copywriting.
Writing you’ll love.
But what is copywriting?
When copywriters create copy, they write like they talk. Their writing is aimed at selling. The emphasis is on communication. Copywriters write short, sweet, and to the point sentences.
Copywriters break the rules.
Here are a few of the not-so-proper-grammar choices you’ll see in copywriting:
Heavy use of contractions
Sentences beginning with “and” or “but”
Sentences without verbs—or subjects
One-word sentences
Slang
What else you don’t see much of? Adverbs.
Another twist? Creative punctuation. Or none at all.
Copywriting is writing created to market your business.
Copy is intended to be read quickly. In a newspaper ad. Billboard. Or social media post.
The reader may only glance at the copy for a split second. Driving down the highway. Or scrolling through their phone.
There’s no time for extraneous words in copywriting.
Extra words aren’t needed. Copywriters get straight to the point. No hemming or hawing.
I’ve been a professional writer for more than a decade. Of all the writing I’ve been paid to do, copywriting is my favorite.
Copywriting satiates my curiosity about writing—and the world. Stretches my mind. Copywriting is creative and challenging.
And believe it or not—copywriting is fun!
What are some copywriter examples?
Without knowing it, you’ve been reading copy for years. My own children read copy before they read books. They asked me what words were on signs or billboards as we travelled.
Copywriter examples include:
Newspaper advertisements
Magazine ads
Product labels and packaging
Social media posts
Social media bios
Sidebar ads on the internet
Product descriptions
Housing listings
For rent ads
Classified ads
T-shirt logos
Restaurant menus
Website content
Newsletter content- print or digital
Email blasts in your inbox
There you have it.
Writing done to market a product or service is copywriting.
It’s that simple.
What about specific copywriting examples?
This is not a copywriting example:
Many people experience chronic pain every day of their lives. You may have had pain for as long as you can remember, often stemming from a sports injury in high school. Some causes of chronic pain include lifting heavy objects, falling, or a car accident. It’s difficult to find relief from chronic pain without the help of a medical doctor or chiropractor. If you think you might want to talk to a chiropractor, we would be happy to help you. Call us anytime to book an appointment.
This is a copywriting example:
Struggling with chronic knee pain? Tired of waking up stiff every day? Wish you could ride your bike for miles like you used to?
Then listen to this.
At Smith chiropractic we’re hosting a free two hour workshop on chronic pain for athletes. We’ll address common causes of chronic pain. And offer solutions.
Solutions you’ll implement on your own. At home.
We’re only offering this free workshop to the first 10 people who sign up.
This Saturday. Noon to 2 p.m.
Tap the link below to register today.
You’ll be back on your bike before you know it.
What’s the difference between each of these copywriter examples?
First of all, shorter sentences. Fewer commas. More periods.
Next, more white space between ideas. Remember, copywriters write for skim readers. Which example did you absorb more thoroughly? The second one, right?
Last, a clear call to action. Plus scarcity.
In the first non-copywriting example, the writer suggested it might be nice if you contact their chiropractic office sometime. Anytime. No rush.
In the second copywriting example, the call to action was clear. Tap the link to sign up today. Because only the first 10 people to sign up get access to the event.
That’s creating scarcity.
Make sure your copy has a call to action.
What is a copywriter’s job?
The work of a copywriter varies wildly. Large corporations hire copywriters to create writing for their in-house marketing team. On the other end of the spectrum, copywriters freelance their services, sometimes through business like Upwork or Writers Work.
In the middle, there are copywriting agencies. Like my agency—Copy Vida.
Typically freelance copywriters aren’t specialists. They’re generalists. Writing any copy that comes their way.
Expert copywriters at agencies—like mine—write for a specific niche. Often working under retainer with individual clients for years at a time. Nurturing relationships. Writing in the voice of their client.
In this way, it’s fair to say copywriters are ghost writers.
Listening to my client is the number one priority of my copywriting work.
It’s only after I actively listen to my client, that I can understand their goals. And how to help them reach these goals. Copywriting begins with deep understanding.
Understanding of my client’s hopes and fears. And clarity about my client’s target audience.
Once I know the target audience, I begin a deep dive into SEO research. (Stay with me—I’ll show you the easy peasy way to understand SEO in the next section.)
This is an extensive process. SEO research must take place before any writing begins.
Not all copywriters know this. Or do this.
But SEO copywriters do.
What does an SEO copywriter do?
This is where the geeky-nerdy-writing science comes in. And I love it.
When it comes to creating copy for websites, it’s not just a bunch of pretty writing. Us writers gotta feed the SEO beast.
Search Engine Optimization.
I’m optimizing, or enhancing, the writing. Targeting it specifically for the search engine. The majority of the time, this is Google.
Especially when it comes to voice searches.
Before writing a word, I research what your target audience is searching for online. Believe it or not, there’s measured data answering this question.
For example, let’s say you’re a family practice doctor in Minneapolis, Minnesota. You’d assume your ideal client is searching, family practice doctors Minneapolis.
With a little research, it turns out, a total of zero people are searching using those search terms each month.
Dial it down to doctors minneapolis. There are 90 people searching those terms each month. But this term also has an SEO score of 67 out of 100. Meaning it’s tough to compete/rank for this search term.
Physicians Minneapolis has an SEO score of 26. Much easier to compete. But there are only 20 people searching this term each month. Still, it wouldn’t be bad to have those patients, right?
Let’s think outside the box.
There are 5,400 people per month searching the term: Depression dealing with.
And this term has an SEO score of 32.
An expert copywriter does this research. And instead of writing a blog about doctors minneapolis, I write about the challenges of dealing with depression (something you treat as a physician). And I offer suggestions to address the depression.
I’d end the blog post with a call to action inviting them to book an appointment with you to discuss their depression symptoms.
Throughout the post I’d talk directly to them. Addressing their pain. Emphasizing their dreams.
This piece of content would add value to their lives. Offer some possible relief. And ultimately direct them to reach out to you for support.
But whether they do reach out to you or not, you’ve helped them. This is important to remember.
Copywriting solves problems.
Keep in mind, without SEO copywriting research, a blog post written about doctors in minneapolis would never get in front of the eyes of your potential patient. And wouldn’t boost traffic to your site.
Copywriting without SEO research is a waste of your money.
Copywriting with SEO research is evergreen.
Why is part of a copywriter’s job to create evergreen content?
Especially when it comes to creating online content, you want the copy to stand the test of time. While your offer—or call to action—may change (and this is easily updated—I recommend updating old blog posts every year), the education and message remains the same.
If new research comes out on the topic, you have one of two choices. Update the old post with new information. Google loves this because it shows your content is relevant.
Or create another blog post on the topic.
Add more evergreen content, increasing the chance a keyword search will send your ideal client to your site.
What else is part of the copywriter job?
A copywriter defines the ABCs.
Audience: Who are you talking to? Who’s your target audience? It’s essential to get specific here. Imagine a specific person. What’s their pain points? What problem do they need you to solve? A copywriter needs to ask you these questions. And help you find the answers.
Ie. A man named John in his mid-forties. He’s been laid off from work and is struggling with depression. He’s a single dad with two kids to feed. John dreams of feeling good enough to interview for a job. Someday soon he’d love to take his kids on a beach vacation. But first, he needs his energy back. Right now John feels like giving up.
Behavior: What behavior do you want them to change/make? What do you want your audience to do after viewing your content? What’s your call to action? It’s a copywriter’s job to make sure a call to action shows up in your content.
Ie. We’ll invite the reader to sign up for a group therapy session. 50% off discount to the first 10 people who sign up.
Content: Now that you’re clear on audience and behavior, it’s time to get writing. A copywriter does the writing for you. Creates quality content—compelling your audience to take action.
Ie. Struggling with depression? Lost your energy? Finding it difficult to dream of better days? You’re not alone. Group therapy sessions forming now. Tap here to get 50% off your first three sessions. Get back to feeling like yourself again.
A skilled copywriter will first help your audience with valuable information. While simultaneously converting that help into more clients or sales for you..
Saving you precious time.
Realizing you need a copywriter?
Ready to help more people? Make more money? Save more time?
Tap here to book an appointment.
I’d be happy to put your website, blog post or newsletter project on my writing cue.
Depending on my availability, turnaround time for most copywriting services is seven days. Clients set up on monthly retainer get top priority in the cue. Let’s get started!
Want to learn more about copywriting? Tips to market your business without a copywriter? Drop your email address below to sign up for Marketing on Fire—Tips and Tricks from a Pro.