Writer or Copywriter

What's the Difference and Which do You Need?

Look through other copywriter’s websites, and you’ll see them call themselves by different names. Marketing consultants, business writers, freelance advertising writers, etc. You might begin to wonder if there’s a difference between them.

We have two reasons for playing these name games. The first one is fairly obvious…most people (even potential clients) have never even heard of a copywriter, and sometimes immediately assume that a copywriter is some sort of trademark expert. I stopped calling myself a ‘copywriter’ after only two months in the industry. I never changed my title in the professional world, but when I meet new people, I’m just a ‘freelance writer’. This ends any misunderstandings.

But when I’m speaking with a potential client, it’s a whole other ball game…because there’s a huge difference between a copywriter and a ‘freelance writer’. And this brings me to the second reason copywriters go by other names. Because while some haven’t even heard the word ‘copywriter’, others don’t quite understand the difference between writing copy and writing news columns, fiction, and poetry. This is where copywriters hope to distinguish themselves by changing their titles.

The Goal of a Copywriter

Copywriters have one goal in mind as they prepare for a project…to sell a product or service. This means more than filling a page with creative descriptions about your product. It means identifying a market, learning the demographics of that market, understanding the desire for a certain product within that market, and finally connecting to them by showing them how your product can fulfill their desire.

When you’ve paid a marketing consultant for a market analysis to show your copywriter, this job is easy. Ninety nine out of a hundred times, this isn’t the case. So most copywriters have the job of researching markets. Hence… “Marketing Consultant”.

But whether you’ve already researched your market or not, a copywriter still differs from other writers in another more distinctive way. Writers present a concept from their own point of view…really great writers can write from a clients point of view. The role of a copywriter is to present the idea from the audiences’ point of view.

This poses a new problem for most copywriters. 70% of clients unhappy with their copywriters are dissatisfied because the copy isn’t a reflection of their own thoughts. They have a well defined outline in their minds, and expect the copywriter to put it on paper. Meaning they never wanted a copywriter from the start. They wanted a writer who could read minds. Again…not the job of a copywriter.

What am I? I’m a copywriter. I’m utilizing one of the universal truths in advertising - “You can’t educate a market.” My target audience already understands what a copywriter is, and so I spend less time explaining it and more time doing it.