Lisa Rothstein has extensively worked as a copywriter and in advertising on two continents. This has been invaluable in pitching her scripts to Hollywood and as a freelance copywriter & marketing consultant in the US and other parts of the world. She helps clients hone their strategy and their brand messages. She is currently co-authoring a book called DaVinchi Dilemma, addressing the challenge of distraction caused by having too many talents and ideas.
Show Notes:
If you are at a friend or relative’s house for dinner and you find a dead insect in your salad, what would you do?
I think that I would make it go away or disappear into my napkin and pretend nothing had happened. Depending on the relative or friend I might pick the insect out of my salad and pretend to make it talk and say, “I’m really glad you’ve invited me to dinner, I hope I didn’t eat too much.” I like to be creative with what I find.
What is Copy Writing?
First of all, it has nothing to do with Copyright which you hear about in the legal profession. Copy Writing has to do with writing the kind of text and content that sells your products and services. It is a little different from content writing as all copy is content but not all content is copy. For example, a blog is content but not copy; a podcast is content but not copy. Parts of the content where we may offer or sell something is considered copy. Copy is the parts of the texts and content that you use to make an offer or that you use to invite people to sign up for something leading to a sale.
There are different types of copy writing. Most copy writing has to do with direct marketing. The kind of thing where you would put on a website, in an email, or on a landing page. This is a different to what you’d see on TV. Some persons make the mistake of thinking that you have to be witty and grab attention the same way a TV commercial does.
How important it is to nail that copy to ensure our message is received in the way it was intended?
It is essential and super important. At a networking event, you have a chance to explain yourself but your copy is sitting on the internet or in a letter that you sent. You’re not there to help them along to figure things out. They have to get it, to understand what you’re selling or what you’re trying to sell them, what you’re trying to do, why it is important without any help from you. That may make you feel there is a lot of pressure on you to get it right.
You don’t have to be a genius. Writing in a more authentic way like you would talk is way more effective in business than to come up with just do it or some form of clever tag line.
The more problems you’re solving for your customers, talk about those things that you already know how to do. But a lot of people don’t want to believe it’s that simple. Just record yourself talk your copy. Approach it as though you’re talking to a real person because you’re talking to a real person. Write as though you’re talking to one person. You should hire a Copy Writer only when you know your business and you know who your ideal client is.
The importance of story-telling in copy writing?
It’s always been a terrific tool to used. There are a few different types of stories that you can tell. It is great because people have always loved stories. They go wild for stories as they help to create connection. When you tell stories about yourself in your copy, it connects you with your client and it gives you credibility. You can also tell stories about your clients and how they’ve transformed and have success stories. If you don’t have any of that you can use parables and fables to make a point similar to in the bible. The idea is that a story has a beginning, middle and end. It’s good to look into your business for stories that demonstrate a point that you’re trying to make across Facebook, videos, etc.
What is the one thing that bugs you when you look at copies?
The thing that bugs me the most is that they talk too much about themselves and too soon before demonstrating what my issues are and what I want. Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. Get their attention first.
Take us through writing a copy for someone who is selling clothes.
It depends on how much they’re already engaging with people. Importantly, if you’re just sending it out only when you have something to sell you’re not going to have a good result. You could start by sending out something that your client is already talking about such as fashion trends and showing them what different celebrities are wearing. In the next email, you say if you like what you saw in the previous email then we have these. Or show them how to wear a particular pair of shorts, what to wear it with, etc. It is easy to write copy when you know what these people are about. The tone of how you come across is important.
Think about who you are showing up as and speak in that voice.
Main Take-Aways:
- You should hire a Copy Writer only when you know your business and you know who your ideal client is.
- When you tell stories about yourself in your copy, it connects you with your client and it gives you credibility.
- Always approach your copy as if you’re talking to a real person because you are.
