What is an editor? A Guide to Stellar Professional Writing

Mastering words can be your full-time job - I promise.

In school, there were always a few whose eyes would light up at the thought of writing an essay, a proposal, a script for an acting class, or fleshing out a plan with titles smart. Were you one of those kids?

Well, if you answered yes, there's good news: you might have what it takes to be a professional writer. Simply put, a copywriter uses their unparalleled writing skills to create copy that is both relevant and compelling enough to appeal to current and potential consumers.

Due to the popular demand for copywriting, the number of content writing service providers, also known as copywriting agencies, has increased. These service providers provide businesses and media with copy for websites, landing pages, press releases and advertisements.

What is writing?

Copywriting is the act or occupation of writing text, called copy, for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. Copy is written content that aims to increase brand awareness and ultimately persuade a person or group to take a particular action.

Writers have the unique ability to tell an interesting story about products to spark user curiosity. Their expertise is used strategically in advertising content and their company's website, blog, email newsletters, white papers, social media, and other marketing communications.

What does an editor do?

When you think of the word "editor," you may picture the high-pressure advertising world of Madison Avenue and the nostalgia for Mad Men, the period television drama surrounding a commercial agency.

Writers are involved in various copywriting activities depending on the scope and needs for sales and marketing materials. Different writing tasks require different skills, and the most successful professional writers are involved in all phases of business strategies, from ideation to product launch.

Reflection. Creation of specialized concepts for marketing and advertising campaigns. Copywriters work closely with UX designers to tailor messaging to the established brand voice. Research. To craft product messaging, copywriters need to be knowledgeable about the company's products, services, customers, and competitors by conducting market research. Launch. Copywriters often accompany business decision makers to present the campaign to clients, as they are familiar with storytelling and persuasion. Reports. Once the ad campaign is live, copywriters analyze metrics such as click-through and open rates to report on the success of the campaign and guide future copywriting strategies. Editing and revision. A big part of writing is the regular editing and revising of copy throughout the process. Copywriters are responsible for following the instructions of stakeholders and reworking the copy until it matches the intent of the campaign and the needs of the audience.

The roles and responsibilities of a copywriter can also change depending on the type of company they work with. If a copywriter works exclusively for a company, they likely work closely with the brand and product teams to ensure that the voice they use in their copy aligns with that of the brand. However, when working for an ad agency, copywriters may be responsible for multiple accounts and match different copy to match their brand tone.

10 types of writing

While many copywriters create posts during the ad creation process, the content that counts as copywriting surrounds us beyond the billboard designs we see on the streets. There are versions of creative copy like slogans and jingles or TV commercial scripts. There are also more technical texts like product and job descriptions.

Brand Copywriting: Intended to increase brand awareness, improve reputation, and focus on positive brand recognition. Some examples include billboards and jingles such as Coca-Cola's Open Happiness. B2B Copywriting: Copy is designed to help businesses manage...