Copywriting Services

Copywriting: The Art of Persuasion

A skilled artist can transform a blank canvas into a compelling painting through the masterful use of colour, texture, and composition.

It’s the same with copywriters; through subtle nuances of word choices and tone, an accomplished copywriter can turn ordinary words into something that compels people to take action.

What You Need to Know About Copywriting

Copywriting is, in many ways, a form of art. Just like filmmakers or painters rely on colour and texture to convey their message, copywriters employ various persuasive techniques to get their point across.

These techniques include:

• Using facts and figures to communicate your message
• Using emotional language to elicit different kinds of emotions from the reader
• Knowledge of human psychology and behaviour when crafting persuasive copy

Copywriters do this with a variety of persuasive devices. One such device is “benefit-oriented selling.” Essentially, it involves writing copy that addresses a potential buyer’s needs in a way that benefits them personally. A second device they employ is “authority.” That is where copywriters use facts, statistics, and other information to make their content appear more credible than it might on its own.

A third device is “benefit-testimonial,” which uses anecdotes and case studies to demonstrate that a product or service works for real people. It turns out people are more likely to be convinced by a story than they would be by mere dry facts and figures.

The goal of using these devices is to entice readers into taking action, whether it’s buying a product or signing up for an email newsletter. Copywriters use one or two of these devices to spur the reader into action.

Copywriting is a Skill That Takes Time to Develop

While it may seem like anyone can craft compelling copy, it actually takes years of learning and practice to perfect the art. That’s why so many copywriters become experts in their field through experience and taking a formal education.

Copywriting isn’t the same as creative writing. Each of these fields requires a specific set of skills. So, while you may have a knack for words, you won’t necessarily be able to write persuasive copy without proper training.

To illustrate this point further, let’s take a look at one of the more famous examples of copywriting:

The now-famous “Got Milk?” ad campaign

The original “Got Milk?” ads were written by John Winsor, who, at the time, was working for Goodby Silverstein & Partners. He was tasked with creating an ad campaign to encourage parents to start buying milk for their children instead of soda.

Winsor’s agency produced the ads.

He figured out how to make them appeal to children and convince them to drink more milk and, most importantly, ask their parents for it by name. Using colourful imagery and taglines like “Drink Milk or I’ll Punch Your Head,” the ads turned out to be a huge success.

Of course, not all copywriting jobs require such creativity and innovation.

Note that copywriters can also work for newspapers and magazines or write marketing emails for businesses that sell their products and services online.

All copywriter positions have in common that they are based on persuasion, whether that’s convincing a reader to buy a product or sign up for an email newsletter.

Understanding the 10 Major Styles of Copywriting

Not all copywriters are fashioned from the same fabric. If anything, one of the most notable aspects of copywriting is its diversity.

You also want to keep in mind that there are over ten key styles of copywriting that different writers employ when crafting content, each with its own strengths and weaknesses:

1. Storyteller – focuses on building rapport with readers through storytelling elements such as dialogue and humour. This style will often leave out a lot of details, making the reader sit back and enjoy the flow of the story.
2. Process – emphasizes the step-by-step process behind a given product or service, using elements of structure and clarity to appeal to the reader’s rational side.
3. Principles – gives readers a new perspective by offering valuable insights they can apply to their own lives.
4. Provocateur – uses fiery language to inspire readers to take action. It is also referred to as an “in your face” style of copywriting.
5. Expert – shares the wisdom and knowledge of experts, using it to persuade potential leads into taking needed actions.
6. Fluff – uses meaningless content to fill spaces while trying to make a point or promote a product. It also features excessive hyperbole and emotional language, which often creates a sense of urgency in potential buyers.
7. Solution-Focused – presents solutions to readers’ problems without being too pushy or using harsh sales tactics like many of its predecessors did.
8. News Reporter – focuses on presenting the facts as they are, without embellishment or veering off from reality.
9. Contrast – highlights the differences between competing products, relying on readers’ natural tendencies to want new things.
10. Service Provider – emphasizes how helpful a product or service will be and what difference it will make in readers’ lives if they buy into it.

Why should I hire a copywriter?

If you’ve got a great product or service to sell but just can’t seem to get your marketing copy right, then perhaps you should consider hiring a professional copywriter.

Here are some of the most common reasons that start-ups turn to copywriters for assistance:

1. You lack writing skills – even if you’re a good writer, you may still lack the skills to craft compelling content that gets people excited about your product or service.
2. You need help creating value – while it’s easy to talk about what your company has to offer; some products are so complex and multifaceted that they require a different approach to get all of their benefits across.
3. You have a large or complex product – trying to explain the myriad ways that your new widget will improve people’s lives can be daunting, especially if you don’t have the required writing experience.
4. Your sales copy isn’t cutting it – despite having a great product and an attractive landing page, your sales copy isn’t bringing in the traffic you need to be successful.
5. Your competitors are beating you at their own game – it’s no secret that an excellent marketing copy can go a long way towards making or breaking a business venture, which is why start-ups consider hiring professional writers for assistance.

The key takeaway here is that if you can write, but need a little assistance with your marketing copy, then it might make sense to call in the professionals. Alternatively, if you’re a talented writer who isn’t afraid of a challenge or two, then perhaps you should consider becoming one yourself.

How do I pick the right agency for my business?

While many agencies claim they can help you with your copywriting needs, not all of them can deliver the quality and clarity you’re looking for.

Here are some great tips on how to find an agency that will put your needs first:

1. Look for an agency with experience – ideally, you want to find an agency that has been helping start-ups with their marketing copy for at least a few years.
2. Find an Affordable Agency – while it’s true that some agencies have much higher rates than others, this isn’t always the best way of judging quality and value. What’s more important is finding a company that combines experience, expertise, and affordability.
3. Look for an Agency that Gives you a Free Consultation – it’s always best to talk to potential copywriters before hiring them or making any long-term commitments with them. Just remember to ask questions whose answers you can’t find on their website or even Google.
4. Be Wary of Agencies that Pressure you to make a decision – if they’re not willing to answer all your questions or give you plenty of time to think things over, then it doesn’t bode well for their character or customer service in general. It could mean the difference between getting an incredible ROI and getting zero results.
5. Try to avoid agencies that charge a lot for their services – while it’s true that some agencies have higher rates than others, you should be wary of companies that don’t have reasonable or competitive rates. That could mean they lack the expertise and experience needed to deliver high-quality content.
6. Try to avoid agencies that don’t provide any Guarantees – if you’re going to be spending a large amount of money on copywriting; then it stands to reason that you want some guarantee in place. If an agency is unwilling or unable to offer such a guarantee, this should raise some red flags.
7. Look for an agency that’s transparent about their services- if you have any questions about how they’re going to execute your copywriting strategy, then it’s only natural that the agency should be able to provide answers.
8. Find an agency that provides a full range of services – while it might be tempting to hire a cheap “jack of all trades” agency, this isn’t always a recipe for success. If you’re looking to build a long-lasting relationship with an agency, then it might make more sense to find one that offers all the services you need in one place.

Finding quality copywriters is just like any other skill or service — if you know what you want and can be specific about it with your copywriter, the odds are good you’ll find what your business needs. 

The key takeaway here is that if you’re looking for a company to help develop your marketing copy, then consider these tips when you’re interviewing potential candidates.

The 9 Types of Copywriting

Copywriting can take on many different forms and styles. We’ve already talked about the different copywriting styles. Now, let’s discuss the types of content you’ll need to create to market your business or product:

1. Explainer Copy – this is found on your homepage, sales page or other high-traffic landing pages. The goal of explainer copy is to get your visitors interested in what you have to offer without making them an offer or asking for money.

Example: Your homepage offers an explanation of everything you offer, how your services can help readers and the problems that they’re likely to face if they don’t utilize your product or service

2. Sales Copy – is found on pages where there’s a form to fill out and submit critical information (i.e., sales page, opt-in page, etc.). It can also be where you ask for payment in exchange for your product or service.

In other words, you expect some kind of action from the user.

Example: “Get free shipping and a 15% discount!”

3. Checkout Pages – these are pages where people put their credit card information to purchase your product or service. You want to make this process as seamless as possible so the user doesn’t have time to second-guess their decision.

Example: “Once you complete your purchase, we will send you an email with your receipt and tracking number.”

4. Order Confirmation Pages – these are pages where you confirm the product was ordered and shipped. You should also include information on how to contact you for support or if they want to cancel their order.

Example: “Thank you for your purchase! If you have any questions, please call us at (+65) xxx xxxx xxx ext. 3. Our normal business hours are from 9 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday (EST).”

5. Product Descriptions – this content describes the product or service you’re offering to your customers using value-based, benefit-driven copy that tells people what they’re going to gain from using your product.

Example: “Our advanced formula is made with a potent combination of ingredients that will give you the results you want, without any unwanted side effects or harsh chemicals.”

6. Product Reviews – this content contains reviews from other users that have purchased your product or service. It details their experience and how your product or service has benefited them.

Example: “I used to have low self-esteem, but after using this product, I feel like I can take on the world!”

7. Compatibility Content – these pages are filled with content that shows how your product or service is compatible with other products and services offered by other businesses.

Example: “Our product is compatible with…” or “We can also help you create a website for your business that goes perfectly with our software.”

8. Trust-Building Content – this content is used to build trust between the reader and your brand by offering them value (i.e., free products, downloads, etc.) and showing them that you’re reputable.

Example: “We also provide a free 45-minute consultation with one of our copywriters to help you create winning content for your business!”

9. Community Content – this is found on blogs or websites where users can comment directly on the page. The purpose of community content is to get your target audience engaged and interacting with you. It also helps to build a relationship between them and your brand or business.

Example: “What do you think about our new colour scheme?”

As you can see, copywriting doesn’t always take the form of sales letters. Some types of copy are used in many different ways, while others only serve one purpose. You might want to write a lot of copy to familiarize yourself with the different types and find out where they’re best suited.

7 Common Copywriting Mistakes Marketers Make all the time

• Focusing too much on sales copy and not enough on the rest of your content
• Using irrelevant keywords in an attempt to rank higher in search engine results, but instead, they end up drawing more attention from Google for misusing them (i.e., stuffing them into your meta tags or title, etc.)
• Over-optimizing your page (i.e., adding multiple H1s, using keywords excessively throughout the content, etc.)
• Focusing too much on search engine optimization and neglecting PPC ads and other promotional methods that could also increase your site traffic
• Not providing value beyond their main product or service (i.e., free eBooks, video tutorials, audio programs, etc.)
• Not maintaining consistency within their website or online presence
• Not knowing how to use different types of copy on a page (i.e., they may use words that directly sell their product but forget about FAQs, terms and conditions, privacy policy, About Us etc.)

How to Make Copywriting Work for Your Business

Copywriting isn’t as difficult as many people make it out to be, especially if you have the right resources.

If you aren’t good at copywriting, we suggest that you talk to a professional copywriter to help you create your business content. This can be done as a one-time project or on an ongoing basis, whichever makes more sense for your business and marketing goals.

How to Become Crazy Good in Copywriting?

If you can afford to tell a compelling story through copywriting and convince your customers that they actually need your products, then there’s no limit as to how much success you can achieve in business.

However, if you’re stuck with bad copywriting – by creating generic sales letters, ads, and emails – then be sure of spending the rest of your business life struggling to make just one sale.

That’s the sad truth about copywriting – things only pan out if you’re crazy good at writing copies. Your only other chance is to find a world-class copywriter and place them on your payroll.

As an aspiring copywriter, you need to break out of the shell of being a good copywriter and work on becoming crazy good at it. You need a few weeks of practise and mastering a few things, and that’s what we hope to help you achieve in this section of the post.

At the core, good copywriting is all about writing a persuasive copy. Of course, you have to write well, but what’s even more important is being able to take the reader through a proper sequence of steps and convincingly make them consider going through with an action.

So how do you achieve this?

Start by Creating a Killer Value Proposition

Value proposition refers to the main reason a prospect would want to buy something from you.

The question to ask yourself is, “why would anyone want to buy something from you?”

That’s your value proposition.

You have a maximum of 20 seconds to convince your reader of this.

The first few sentences of your copy should reel the reader in through the value proposition.

The point is to keep everything short, clear, and sweet. Don’t make your readers guess what you’re offering.

Wear the mind of the reader and try answering the question, “what’s in it for me?”

Moz promises to help them drive traffic to their website. That’s their value proposition.

The basic rule of thumb is to compress your value proposition to only a few words.

Now Go Ahead and Talk about the Benefits

Your value proposition could also act as your tagline.

The next thing you want to talk about is the benefits of using your products, not the features as many people love to assume.

You’re more like expounding on your value proposition with this.

But first, try to define your audience.

• Who’ll be reading the copy you’re writing?
• What are their priorities, likes, worries, and dreams?
• What will be their situation at the time of reading your copy?

Readers will, of course, want to know what your product does or how it functions. But that will come later after they’ve learned about the benefits.

In other words, you have to explain how your products or services make lives better.

Your benefits don’t have to be anything out of the ordinary. But they have to be compelling.

That’s the angle you should take while writing them down. Benefits are easier to understand compared to features – and that’s because readers can relate to them.

And since features are directly connected to benefits, it will be a lot easier for your readers to understand them after they’ve learned about the benefits.

Explain the Features

At this point, your readers already understand what you’re offering and how much they’ll be benefiting from it. What remains is for you to offer them a glimpse of what’s under the hood.

The best approach to use is to break them into small sections or bullet points. Readers need time to digest the features; the least you could do is make everything easy for them to absorb.

Be very specific with how you describe your features by focusing on the things that make your products different from that of your competitors.

Keep everything simple, but try to add in a few more details that explain why your products or services are the real deal.

A Strong Call to Action (CTA)

You didn’t go through all this trouble to leave everything at that. What action do you wish to see your prospects or readers take?

Spell it out like the boss you are.

This is the most challenging part of the whole process. However, if you got it right with the other steps, it shouldn’t be that hard to explain to your readers about what you want them to do next?

Do it right, and you’ll have a significant portion of your readers going through with the intended action.

No need to over-complicate things. Your readers already understand that you’re a business person. So, it’s only natural that they’d expect you to be straightforward with what you intend to see them do.

You might want to experiment with different CTA’s and see which one among them drives the best results.

Run some A/B testing on this by experimenting with button colour, button style, positioning, and wording.

Be Persuasive

That’s the general structure of writing a great copy or structuring the content on your landing page.

Value Proposition == >> Benefits == >> Features == >> CTA

What you need at this point is to figure out how to make your copy hit the right notes.

The current copywriting bar is too low. All it takes for one to start their career as a copywriter is a pulse.

And that’s part of the reason the industry is notorious for paying copywriters peanuts.

Make Your Content Easy to Skin Through

It’s no hidden secret that online users are lazy readers. None of them enjoys digging through huge blocks of content.

If you want them to read through your content to the end, then do yourself a favour and make it scannable.

The formula for doing this is pretty simple – just include headers, bullet points, and leave some breathing space in between the sections.

Use Convincing Words

You need a well-thought-out, strategic flashpoint that ignites your ideas to persuade your readers into doing anything.

There are four critical elements to guide you on this:

Believability:

Believability is not about making your readers believe in your products or services. It’s about making them believe that they hold power to alter their situation for the better. What you’ll be doing is guiding them through the process and letting them decide on what to do with the information they have.

As a marketer, you’re not just trying to sell them a product or service, but offering them an opportunity to get into the driver’s seat and take charge of their situation and life.

You’re doing this because it has a way of making your readers learn to trust you even more.

Relatability:

You can only be of any help to your readers when you understand their situation. And it starts by understanding their story.

You’re just like them in every sense. The only difference is that you figure out or invented something that made your life slightly better.

Identify the emotions your targeted readers will be in at the time of reading your post – sad, frustrated, happy – and figure out how to turn those emotions into a colourful painting of words and metaphors.

Desirability:

The easiest way to make friends is by ingratiating yourself to the people you like instead of waiting for them to come to you.

It’s the same thing with customers. The more you become interested in them and what they do, the more you attract them towards you.

Find out what motivates them and align your offers to their needs.

Tap into the emotions by focusing on the outcome or the aftermath of purchasing your products or services.

Edutainment:

How you package your information matters a great deal when it comes to copywriting. Readers detest boring.

As Malcolm Gladwell puts it, there’s always a way to make your story irresistible to those who read it. All you have to do is figure it out.

A simple approach would be to tell two stories that relate well in quick succession. Try to create a mental picture of what the pre-tipping point used to be and what it could be.

You nail it when you succeed in making new things appear familiar.

The Different Types of Copywriting

Not all copywriters are the same. Nor do they write the same stuff.

Many copywriters will start broad and then narrow down to a specific niche that they excel at. That’s the niche where they’ll be perfecting and building their whole career around.

Here are the different types of copywriting that exist today:

Sales Copywriting

This is the idea that most people get when you talk about copywriting. In effect, sales copies make the bulk of the information that’s online.

They include:

• The texts on ads
• Advertorials in magazines or online
• Product descriptions

Sales copywriters must possess a wide range of skills. Among them is the ability to tap into the reader’s subconscious and find out what appeals to them the most. They then have to write creatively and at the same time, be able to convince the reader to take action.

Most importantly, they must be able to synthesise the information that they gather into simple, easy-to-digest chunks. This requires a lot of research skills. It also goes without mentioning that their grammar needs to be seamless as any trace of grammatical mistakes or errors might render the company unreliable.

SEO Copywriting

Any company that wants to improve its online presence and performance must consider optimising its website for search engines.

The strategic use of content and keywords to propel one’s rank in the search engine results pages is what is widely referred to as SEO.

One thing with SEO is that you have to get into your readers’ minds and think like them. What keywords will they be using to search for your products and services online?

SEO also demands that you be creative with how you structure and package your information. Your research skills should be top-notch, as well. But what’s more important is to make sure you’ve naturally included all the right keywords.

It’s a delicate, business-threatening line to walk on – and that’s because overdoing it will only dull your writing and get you on the wrong side of search engines.

While many Singapore businesses understand the importance of using the right keywords when it comes to SEO, there are many who are still unaware of the importance of branding. More specifically, it’s essential that your content is on-brand. Not only should it be SEO-friendly but it should appeal to your target audience.

These are the perfect elements for driving a massive amount of conversions. In this article, you’ll discover the importance of on-brand content and how you can go about curating the perfect message for your target audience.

So What Does Branding Have to Do With SEO Copywriting?

It’s no secret that personal branding is a big trend right now. Sure, you should brand your company, but if you want to drive traffic, then you’re going to need to associate a face with the business. In order to build trust and establish authority, you need to be able to make a connection with your audience.

What this means is that great SEO copywriting requires more than just writing for the search engines. It even requires more than simply writing for your target audience. It’s actually a balance between both and this takes thinking outside of the box. Don’t put all of your attention on plugging in keywords. Spend your time creating content that attracts and converts your audience. Share information that is accurate and answers questions.

Finding Your Brand Message

There are a lot of websites in Singapore which contain a lot of jargon that tends to fall flat. Yes, their copy is relevant to their marketplace and target audience, but it’s generic and doesn’t truly capture people’s attention and tell what the business is all about. The result is that visitors have no idea how the site and its products and services apply to them. Without a connection, people won’t convert. The good news is, there are a few questions that you can ask yourself in order to identify the perfect brand message:

1. What makes my services or products unique?

If you want to stand out among the competition, you must first figure out what makes you different. Even if you offer the same products and services as everyone else, there is always something that will set you apart. Are your products homegrown? Do you not cut corners?

2. What value do I provide my customers?

Are you giving them the opportunity to work with a trustworthy company? Do your products or services make their lives more convenient? In some cases, your customers aren’t looking for an outstanding product, they want to know the value.

3. Who is my ideal customer?

Most Singapore business owners would respond to these questions by saying their ideal customers are other business owners or the consumers are have a specific interest in their niche. Unfortunately, these answers don’t tell us much about who the person is. You need to create a profile that is more holistic. What are their interests? What are their likes and dislikes? What problems do they face? The more you know about your ideal customer, the easier it will be to incorporate your message into your SEO strategy.

4. What is your main goal for your website?

In most cases, business owners are interested in driving conversions. While this may be important to the success of your business, you need to be more specific. Specifically, you need to consider how you would like your visitors to engage with your site. Would you like them to use your site as a resource centre? Are you interested in making purchases from your sales page? Would you like them to fill out a specific form? Each of these actions would require a different messaging.

5. What problem does your product or service solve?

You’re not simply selling a product or service, you’re delivering a solution. You’re solving a problem. Try creating a list of your audience’s most common struggles. Use your current and past clients as your resource. How can your business make their lives easier? And how can these answers fit into your SEO content strategy?

6. What styles and tones appeal to your target audience?

While marketing jargon may work for certain niches, it won’t work for all of them. When creating copy for your site, make sure that you focus on what appeals most to your audience instead of yourself. Which tone best fits their personality?

This will require a significant amount of testing. You need to create different versions of your copy and A/B test them. Find out which performs best. Even if the posts are nearly identical, you may find that one is much more effective than the other. You should pay attention to how much traffic and how many clicks and conversions you’re able to generate. Test your page titles, post titles, content length, content design, and content structure.

Optimising Your Service and Landing Pages

Just as is the case with your homepage, your service and landing pages are often the first thing that your visitors will see. That’s why it’s so important that you optimise them for SEO and conversions. Unlike the homepage, these pages will be focusing on a singular pain point or topic. So make sure that you address these factors very clearly. Let visitors know what they can find on the page and what actions you expect them to take before they leave.

Make sure that your H1 tag is compelling and that it relates directly to what the users are looking for. It should also contain your focus keyword for the page, if at all possible. You should outline your page in a way that encourages the user to continue reading and looking for even more information. Also, H2 and H3 tags can be your best friends as they help to lead your users through a journey of thought-provoking questions, headings that are descriptive, and much more. They’re also perfect for keyword usage.

Finally, you need to include CTAs, or calls to action, all throughout and at the very bottom of your page. This gives you the ability to catch users at the end of your page if they are interested in contacting you. Make sure that your service and landing pages are well-organised. Avoid keyword stuffing, huge blocks of text, and sales copy that is obnoxious. The main goal is to address struggles or concerns that your audience is facing and then letting them know how your product or service is a unique solution to their problems.

Blog posts

A common mistake that a lot of Singapore businesses make is using their blog posts as fillers. You need to make sure that the content that you create actually works for you. It needs to be able to generate organic traffic, promote content upgrades, or provide some value to the audience.

Ideally, your posts should be long and informative. Your branding message is very important here because if it’s not a cohesive part of your web copy, then the users will become confused and even uneasy. It also makes it difficult for your audience to trust you.

Even if you don’t have a lot of experience in SEO if you take the time to listen to the problems of your audience and figure out what they want to read then the rest will practically take care of itself. The best blog post will sell themselves.

The key to creating a successful blog post is to use H2 and H3 tags so that your content is broken up into well-organised chunks which help to guide the reader through your post. Make use of italics, bold fonts, videos, photos, and GIFs as this will help to keep people engaged. Include a few references to other pages and posts on your website through internal links so that you can lead them to more information.

Make sure that all of your posts are interesting, fluff-free, and easy to read. You should also stay on-brand and use terminology that the audience can understand and relate to.

Think of your blog posts as a way to relate to the audience, which means you shouldn’t waste any content. By incorporating brand messaging into all of your blog posts, you will be able to address real concerns provide value.

By using these methods in your SEO strategy, you will be able to appeal to both the search engines and the people who will actually purchase your products and services.

Brand Messaging Matters

With all the talk of how important SEO is, it can be easy to overlook the importance of incorporating your brand into your strategy. Your brand message can really help you to drive conversion through your copy.

Your landing pages, the home page, and even your blog posts are all various opportunities to relate to your audience. You can use all of these elements to convey exactly what your business is all about. They can help you to give them a glimpse into what your company stands for, what it is able to provide, and why you are the best option for them.

Sure, a sound SEO strategy is pivotal, but you need to make sure that the content you release represents your brand. If you notice that your web pages are generating a lot of organic traffic but are not able to convert your visitors, then you may need to consider examining your messaging. It may not be the right message for the audience.

Technical Copywriting

Technical copies are meant to promote findings or walk readers on how to use a particular product. They’re less sales-oriented, and more targeted towards informing.

They include white pages and in-depth industry guides.

Technical writers have to be well-informed or at least be willing to do some thorough research on the topics they cover.

It’s a form of writing that covers so many fields, including health, finance, politics, government, marketing, science, and the environment.

Technical writers are a hybrid of techies and writers. Their technical knowledge is just as rich as their ability to write skillfully.

PR Copywriting

PR copywriting encompasses any piece of writing that represents your brand or business to the public. It’s partly marketing and partly communication.

Examples of PR copies include press releases and company statements.

PR is all about improving the image of your brand to the public. It’s meant to paint a positive image of your brand and everything else it represents.

PR content can also be used to raise awareness around your products and services. You may also use it as a damage control measure or to counter negative publicity.

PR copywriters are expected to write in a neutral, journalistic style. They have to get across details while balancing between maintaining it and painting your company’s image in a positive light.

Creative Copywriting

Creative copywriting is the heartbeat of advertising.

It includes jingles and commercials.

All the adverts you see on TV or hear on the radio all fall under creative copywriting.

It doesn’t necessarily need a lot of writing. But you need to have a clear understanding of buyers’ psychology and be creative enough to grab their attention and use slogans and a smorgasbord of marketing messages to convince them to buy.

Email Copywriting

Some copywriters specialise in writing email copies that generate high-quality leads. These emails are meant to convert your subscribers into delighted customers that will be buying from you over and over again.

Email copywriters can also handle your email marketing campaign on your behalf. But first, they’re required to master your sales funnel so they can segment your subscribers and target them at the various touchpoints instead of assuming they’re all the same.

Social Media Copywriting

Social media is a noisy place.

And the only way you can cut through all that noise and get heard is by wielding your words wisely.

You have to make your posts cut through all the social media clutter and get to your audience.

You need sharp writing skills and a good understanding of the various social media platforms and the type of users they attract to pull this off.

How to Become a Copywriter in Singapore

There’s no one particular, single-fixed pathway to becoming a copywriter in Singapore.

You have three options, though, when it comes to this.

Freelance Copywriter:

The first one is to become a freelance copywriter.

This demands that you put in a lot of effort at the beginning. You have to show some talent and forget about drumming huge stacks of cash overnight. Nothing like free lunch here. You have to perfect the skill, get clients, and work hard to impress them before anything tangible pans out.

One good thing about working as a freelance copywriter is the flexibility that comes with it. You get to choose what to write about, when to write it, and where to write it from.

Of course, there’s good money in working as a freelance copywriter. There’s no fixed salary scale, but some professional freelance writers do earn in six figures (yearly income).

Agency Copywriter:

The second option is to look for an agency that offers copywriting services and apply to be one of their writers. Most of these agencies will be looking for someone with an education of some sort.

You might want to take a degree in Communication, English literature, Marketing, or any other related course. Some agencies may require that you have some prior experience working as a copywriter.

That’s not always the case, though. Some agencies may contend with the idea that you write pretty good, and choose to employ you based on the quality of the samples that you submitted to them or if you aced their tests.

Working for an agency means you should be prepared to handle a diverse range of work.

Corporate Copywriter:

The last option in this is being employed by a company as part of its in-house team of copywriters.

Working as a corporate copywriter means you’ll be working under a very specialised industry niche, under the guidance of a marketing manager.

The company you work for can either be a large multi-national corporation, a fast-growing start-up, or a local SME.

Your focus will be on a single industry, where you’ll be covering all kinds of industry-specific topics. Your expertise in the field will expand day by day and eventually become even more comprehensive.

But be prepared to write for multiple channels and cover a wide range of industry-specific web products.

How much does it Cost to Hire a Copywriter in Singapore?

Copywriters charge in different ways, depending on what platform you’re hiring them from or the nature of your projects.

Let’s explore some of these options;

1. Cost Per Word: Many of the freelance copywriters that you’re likely to meet will be charging you based on the number of words to be written. This cost can be broken down to cost per word, where you pay a certain amount for every word that’s written for you.

This is the most preferred payment method for freelancers as it eliminates the risk of either you or the freelancer getting hosed.

The cost per word to be agreed on will, of course, vary depending on the level of experience of the underlying freelancer.

There are three types of freelancers that you’ll be working with when it comes to this:

• Beginner Copywriters: They have zero to 3 years of writing experience.

Beginners charge between $0.01 to $0.10 per word

• Intermediate Copywriters: They have 3 to 7 years of writing experience.

Intermediate copywriters charge between $0.11 to $0.25 per word

• Professional Copywriters: They have 7 to 15 years of writing experience

Professional copywriters charge between $0.26 to $1 per word

• Expert Copywriters: They have more than 15 years of writing experience.

Expert Copywriters are the real deal. They’re mostly approached by big companies directly.

Most of them charge more than $1 per word.

2. Cost Per Hour: If the cost per word doesn’t seem fair to you, the second option would be to settle for a freelance copywriter that charges you based on the number of hours that they pump into your project.

Cost per hour is a preferred choice of payment by a section of freelance copywriters that would want to factor in the amount of time that they spent researching your project.

It’s a payment method that makes a lot of sense when you’re writing technical content, which generally takes a lot of time to write compared to the other forms of writing.

Hourly pay rates also correlate with the level of experience the copywriter has.

• Beginners: $1 to $20 Per Hour
• Intermediate Copywriters: $21 to $40 Per Hour
• Professional Copywriters: $41 to $100 per Hour
• Expert Copywriters: More than $100 per Hour.

3. Cost Per Project: Some agencies and companies understand the difficulty of writing some projects or the level of expertise some of them require. So instead of charging you per word or per hour, they charge you for the entire project or based on the number of pages you’d have written.

It’s a preferred payment method for technical writers dealing with white papers, business plans, proposals, and so on.

Again, the amount you spend with this payment option will also vary depending on the level of experience the freelancer stacks and the type of project in question.

• Beginners: $50 to $250
• Intermediate: $251 to $1500
• Professional: $1501 to $3000
• Expert: Above $3000

Quality and Pay Correlate

Attaining professional status or expert level takes time and a lot of commitment and experience. These writers have a way with words and can tell a compelling story compared to novice writers.

They also eliminate the need for long editing, and since you’re paying them well, most of them can afford to hire an editor and present to you a more polished copy that’s ripe for publishing.

This saves you the heartache of having to coach a beginner copywriter or hiring an editor to help you polish through the content they submitted and determine if it’s fit for publishing.