4 minutes read time.
Picture this: you’re casually scrolling through Instagram or trying to skip a YouTube ad, and suddenly—not really noticing it—a clever line stops you in your tracks. That’s us, the copywriters. We’re the invisible sorcery behind the ads, brand stories, and punchy taglines that sneak into your daily feed. You don’t see us, but you’d notice if we weren’t there.
Time Travel
Okay, let’s time-travel a bit. Copywriting as a “thing” started back in the late 19th century. The “original gangster,” copywriter John E. Kennedy (not the president, obviously), coined the phrase “salesmanship in print.” He had a gift for turning words into sales machines. Skip a few decades, and you’ve got legends like David Ogilvy, the “Father of Advertising.” He was known for keeping things direct and snappy. Ever heard that famous Rolls-Royce line? “At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.” Classy, right?
And yes, more relatable—there’s Mad Men—the TV show that gave us all the drama and glam of 1960s advertising. Not a documentary, but it still made us all want to be the next Don Draper (minus the chain-smoking and some odd life choices, perhaps).
But What Do We Do?
We write stuff. Think: we write everything. Catchy Instagram captions, the emails that convince you to buy something you just found out about today, and the taglines that get stuck in your head for days. We craft words that make people do things—click, buy, sign up, or just remember them well.
Here’s how the magic happens:
Crafting Headlines: We dream up one-liners, puns, and wordplay that grab your attention faster than you can say “skip ad.”
Telling Brand Stories: Brands are more than just logos—they’re full-on narratives. We shape those stories, giving them personality and making them speak to you – the cool kid in the digital crowd.
SEO Optimization: No, it’s not all glitz and glam. We sneak in terms like “best ad agencies for startups” so that Google gives us a virtual high-five.
Calls to Action (CTAs): Those “Buy Now” or “Subscribe” buttons you just had to click? That’s us working our not-so-subtle magic.
Turning Chaos into Clarity: This is where the hard work really lives – turning buzzwords, product features, and random ideas into something that actually makes sense.
Why It Matters?
Yes, we do know everyone’s bombarded with content these days. But words still have the power to cut through all that noise. Brands need more than pretty pictures—they need a voice. Enter the copywriters.
Ever wonder why one brand feels like your bestie while another just doesn’t vibe? It’s the copy. We tap into your emotions and make you feel something, whether it’s trust, excitement, or a sudden urge to buy that skincare product.
Spooky as this may sound, we are everywhere—on websites, social media, newsletters, podcasts (oh yes, we script those too), and even those cheeky push notifications you sometimes dislike. Our job is to make sure every word a brand says to you feels like it was written just for you.
How to Be a Copywriting Legend (Or at Least Try)
Know Your Audience: Whether it’s Gen Z, Millennials, or Boomers, we try to peek inside their heads and speak their language. Emojis optional, but encouraged.
Be Real: Nobody wants to read robotic copy. Keep it real, so brands sound like people, not bots.
Keep It Short: Less is more. Who’s got time for fluff?
Test & Tweak: If something doesn’t work, change it. It’s all about adapting.
SEO Is Your BFF: Keywords aren’t the enemy, but spamming them is. Sprinkle them naturally, so search engines (and people) like us.
Before We Part
Copywriting isn’t just about making words look pretty. It’s craftsmanship. Crafting ideas that make people feel, do, or believe something. It’s storytelling, strategy, and maybe even a little bit of psychology. Brands have the product, but we’re the ones who make you care about it. So, next time an ad makes you pause, remember: behind every great ad is a copywriter’s sweat and tears making that magic happen.
P.s. Did you notice how we can change the style and tone from the post to post, depending on the subject? Enter the copywriters.
Photo by Florian Klauer