Copywriting is one of the most rapidly growing industries. In addition to being always high in demand - especially since the advent of the Internet - copywriters are also among the best paid professionals. Their earnings vary greatly but it isn’t uncommon for them to earn six figure incomes, depending on their reputation and results.
Even though copywritten material or copy is at virtually every step and around every corner, copywriters and copywriting are often misunderstood and confused with completely unrelated copyright(s). Copywriters create content but they are not the same as content writers. And while many copywriters are freelancers, they are not the same as freelance writers.
Copywriting is unique in that it focuses exclusively on promotional/advertising materials such as sales letters, brochures, catalogues, billboards, taglines and other materials including those intended for online publishing, or television or radio broadcasts. But no matter what is the medium and subject of a copy, the goal is always the same: attract the attention of the target audience and trigger a particular response. A copy usually seeks to encourage the readers to purchase but may also seek to persuade/motivate the target audience to sign up for newsletters, provide feedback on particular products/services, boost brand recognition, etc.
Unlike copywriters, content writers - no matter if working as freelancers/independent contractors or for an agency - are usually expected to create interesting, informative and engaging content but normally aren’t expected to “sell”.
Copywriting is above all about impressing human target audience. But in the recent years, there has been a rising demand for the so-called SEO copywriting which seeks to impress major search engines with an aim to improve a website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERP).