Despite its primary association with marketing and advertising, copywriting disciplines vary across work environments. Traditionally, copywriting was based on achieving direct sales through copy, a discipline that is generally found within traditional direct marketing and advertising agencies or traditional creative advertising agencies.
But with the advent of digital marketing, the role of copywriting in marketing has changed. Perhaps the most difficult copywriting discipline to execute is that of integrated agencies, which are advertising agencies that specialize in both traditional and digital advertising agency work. Drawing upon opposite elements, copywriting work in this setting varies greatly, as it requires flexibility in work practices and a proficient understanding of the advertising industry.
The Difference between Content Marketing and Copywriting
Before one can understand the relationship between copywriting and an integrated marketing strategy, it’s important to distinguish the difference between the goals of content marketing and copywriting, which often get confused. Copywriting is the text that prompts a user or potential customer to take action, whether that’s making a phone call, signing up for a newsletter, visiting their online store, etc., and is found throughout all advertising and marketing mediums.
Conversely, content marketing is a facet of digital marketing that delivers meaningful content through general articles, newsletters, guides and blogs that inform help or entertain your audience while building rapport. For instance, you can write an awesome blog post about the ways a degree in advertising can increase your job opportunities after graduation, but if it doesn’t communicate the objective of the content and is missing what we like to call in the digital space a call to action (or CTA), then it simply isn’t good copywriting!
Make an Impression
Unlike a blog post, where you build upon the reader’s interest through so many words, the value of copy is determined by the impression it leaves on the reader within a matter of seconds. Whether it’s a billboard or a Pay-Per Click (PPC) ad, which leave a limited amount of room to convey a message, the words must be strong enough to not just convey the message, but to cause action. Since it’s hard to gauge the impressions and resulting actions of people exposed to traditional marketing mediums, many brands supplement their magazine, newspaper, or billboard spreads with banners ads and landing pages. Simply put, they use an integrated marketing strategy! So while the creative assets of each spectrum hold their set of pros and cons, good copy is consistent throughout, linking each message with their corresponding medium.
Complement Offline and Online Activities
What seems like an unlikely medium for copywriting is actually one of the strongest ways to brand a business, person or product. Lo and behold, the press release! A document that I have grown quite accustomed to writing at Optimum7, PR copywriting is most successful when the subject of a press release accurately reflects a brand’s offline and online activities. While a PR should not explicitly include a call to action, it should describe the benefits and reach of a business, person or product. If you do include a call to action, don’t make it about sales. Ask readers to contact you or your client for more information.
Quality over Quantity
Whether you’re using video, audio or text to tell a story or convey a certain message, the copy should be crafted to speak for the larger purpose of a brand. Most major brands have a tagline that simply resonates with their target consumer that is used across mediums. Rather than trying to come up with a bunch of simplified taglines, CTAs, headlines, etc., develop sound copy that can be utilized in a variety of ways through an integrated marketing strategy, merely amplifying other creative assets involved.
Where Do You Need Copywriting?
Any piece of information or mention of a business, person or product featured in both traditional and digital mediums has the capacity to shape perception and influence the probability of action (and the type of action taken!). So unless you’re trying to go unnoticed, or have no intention of selling or promoting, there really isn’t an instance where you wouldn’t need copywriting. A cool image or a compelling video might catch an audience’s attention, but it’s the copy that tells the story and creates a lasting connection with the idea or emotion you want to convey.
Dissatisfied With Your Copy?
Optimum7 understands the impact of copy in an integrated marketing strategy. Contact us today to leverage your current efforts with seamless, concise, and engaging copy.
