A deep-dive into the purpose of copywriting, how AI copywriting fits into today’s content landscape, and why AI copywriting tools can’t replace humans. Let’s go! ➡️
To hire a copywriter, or not to hire a copywriter—it shouldn’t even be a question.
Bold statement, I know! But bear with me because as you read this page, you’ll see why having a trusted copywriter on board doesn’t just make sense, it’s actually a wise investment!
Let’s start with an irrefutable fact: It doesn’t matter whether you’re an online-only, brick-and-mortar, or omnichannel business; who exactly your target customers are; or even what your business does. At the end of the day, you need well-written sales and marketing assets to grab attention, earn customer trust, make a sale, and build an enduring brand.
Think about your website and landing pages; email campaigns and sales letters; blog content; print and digital ads; video scripts; product packaging; trade show collateral; flyers and catalogues; and even in-store signage!
Well, guess what? All those marketing materials? They require words! And those beautiful words certainly won’t write themselves. Impressive copy also doesn’t just “fall into place”. Most of the time, a business copywriter was the brilliant mind behind those high-impact words.
But what is the purpose of copywriting?
Copywriting is the art and science behind persuading readers to do what you—as a marketer—want them to do. For example: Book a hotel room, add items to cart (and complete the checkout process), renew a subscription, or opt-in to marketing emails. It’s essentially salesmanship but in written form. So, why art and science? Because the best copywriters aren’t just skilled wordsmiths or creative minds with a wide vocabulary. They also have a firm grasp of psychology as it relates to consumer behavior.
Are copywriters in demand?
You bet they are!
Copywriters have always been (and continue to be) highly sought-after freelance professionals—dating all the way back to John Emory Powers in the 1870s to be exact.
Copywriters are in demand because organizations large and small, in all industries, whether for-profit or non-profit, engaged in DTC, B2B, B2C, or B2G want to shape opinions plus convince a specific audience to take action. So, whether it’s a company’s “about us” page or simplifying complex product descriptions for the average buyer, businesses turn to copywriters to help them craft effective sales and marketing copy. In other words, to write text that sells.
Who hires copywriters?
Oh my goodness, it would be easier to say who doesn’t hire copywriters. (Because, frankly, I can’t think of any organization that doesn’t need one!)
Basically, as long as you have opinions to shape, clients to win over, competition to beat, and marketing objectives to achieve, you’ll need to hire a copywriter. Yes, that includes government agencies. Just look at your local tourism board or the ministry of health.
What about using an AI copywriting tool instead?
You could… but would you really want to entrust important sales and marketing materials to language-prediction software? (Reminder: We’re talking about copy that has to convince people to buy from you!) Because that’s what you’re doing with an AI copywriter. You’re letting an algorithm that trawls millions of web pages to detect certain patterns generate what is essentially unoriginal text for you. (It’s not plagiarized but it’s not exactly fresh either.)
Look, I know what you’re thinking: Hey, you’re a copywriter, you’re obviously biased! And yes, to some extent that’s true but I can also objectively say that I’ve taken a close look at AI-powered copywriting and while there’s certainly a time and place for artificial intelligence copywriting—mostly the very early stages of content development or during mind-numbing periods of writer’s block—machine-learning software can’t replace the modern copywriter.
Here’s why AI is still no match for pro copywriting.
❌ Content generators can’t get to know your brand the way a traditional copywriter does.
There’s no opportunity to ask questions or dig deep. And it’s during the Q&A session that your copywriter will discover little (but oh-so-important) brand-specific details—hidden gems—that are vital for the storytelling part of copywriting.
❌ Robot content writers don’t understand your brand/content strategy.
Every piece of content is written with a purpose and a goal. But AI can’t take that into account. AI copywriting doesn’t know who your target audience is, their intent, where they are in their buyer journey, what makes them tick, or even the best way to move readers down the sales funnel. Yikes, that’s a lot of missing insight!
❌ AI-generated copy lacks authenticity.
AI can mimic our language but robots don’t “get” readers or the Zeitgeist the way a human copywriter does. It doesn’t have insight into culture, the latest jokes, memes, news, or trending topics. That means no anecdotes, no personality, no emotions or empathy, no genuine connection with the reader. And, ultimately, no action.
❌ AI writers can’t research, fact-check, edit, or proofread your copy.
That’s scary. You don’t want to publish misinformation, wrong information, or misleading information. That could potentially ruin your brand. You also don’t want to be that guy with typos, embarrassing spelling mistakes, and bad grammar either.
❌ AI copy is not very refined.
Oh, you can tell when machine-learning software generated content. It’s often bland; missing context; and contains a bunch of staccato sentences (that give you whiplash) or paragraphs that don’t flow smoothly from one thought to another. It may even leave you hanging with abrupt endings or weird mumbo jumbo! In short, you’re going to have to fine-tune anyway.
❌ AI copywriting won’t capture your brand’s unique voice and style.
Again, bad luck. You’re still going to have to hire a copywriter to bring your AI copy up to par. Or, at the very least, clean it up. That’s an added step and an additional expense.
All this to say, great copywriters aren’t going anywhere any time soon. Because while AI can help with certain writing tasks, AI copy can’t be used “as is” just yet. So save yourself the double expense and hire a copywriter instead! By the way, here’s where you can get in touch with me if you’re in need of some kick-butt copy.
So, why hire a copywriter? These are the benefits of (pro) copywriting.
With all that said and done, it should be pretty evident by now why hiring a copywriter can help your business grow more than AI copywriting ever will. But if you need some extra convincing, here are just a few copywriting benefits worth noting.
✅ You avoid the consequences of bad grammar and poor spelling
I kid you not: One of the quickest ways to lose credibility is to present marketing assets riddled with typos, grammatical errors, and spelling mistakes. The harsh reality is that innocent oversights aren’t that innocent. They negatively influence how you’re perceived. It makes you seem less professional, less reliable, and not particularly trustworthy either.
But after all the blood, sweat, and tears it took to get you where you are now, you want to be judged on the quality of your products/services—not your writing skills!
Fortunately, hiring a copywriter is an easy way to avoid the consequences of these preventable mistakes. Speaking of which, did you know that I can help you keep your copywriting costs low and the quality of your content high? That’s right, check out my content review service for more information or view my content review + editing package for some major savings.
✅ Your marketing copy won’t suffer from tunnel vision
Tunnel vision is when you create self-serving assets that don’t work on your audience. In other words, it’s a waste of time and money. Sound familiar? Well, it’s really not surprising because when it comes to your “baby”—your company, products, and services—it’s hard to have perspective.
And no, that’s not a “minor problem”. A lack of perspective can mean the difference between success and failure. Between resonating with prospects or falling short; getting readers hungry for more or putting them to sleep; and inspiring action or pushing people away.
So, how do you craft marketing messages that work for those outside your organization? How do you reach the right people with the right message at the right time? And how do you make it crystal clear customers should choose you over the competition with pretty packaging or products that cost $0.70 less?
The answer is by hiring a copywriter. She brings an independent bird’s-eye view to your marketing copywriting, so that marketing messages land the way they were meant to—and bring you results.
✅ You’re more likely to achieve content-specific goals
Real talk: You’re not investing all this time and effort into writing just for fun. As I mentioned before, every piece of content has a purpose; you’re using content to achieve certain goals. Things like boosting web traffic, improving your emails’ click to open rate (CTOR), getting more leads, or moving readers from awareness to interest.
Unless you’re a skilled copywriter, what you write may not help your business grow. Your email may be packed with useful information but a poorly-written subject line means subscribers don’t bother opening. Your blog may contain valuable information readers won’t find anywhere else but it wasn’t optimized for search—no one can find it! You get the idea.
The best copywriters, though, see the whole picture. They work closely with you to understand your brand strategy and then use that information to develop the right kind of content and copy to get the job done. That’s as good a reason as any to hire a copywriter, right?
✅ You get conversion copy that is clear, complete, and compelling
Isn’t it odd how the things closest to our hearts are often the hardest to write about?
If you’ve ever struggled to find the right words for your hotel’s home page or the best way to gain buy-in for your weight loss program or drawn a blank as to how to describe—and differentiate—the 500 different types of LED lights you manufacture, then you know exactly what I’m talking about!
Because even when you know what you want to say, what you write doesn’t turn out the way you intended it to. It might be a navel-gazing, jumbled mess. Boring. Or not optimized for search engines. And the list of “deficiencies” goes on.
When you hire a copywriter like me, you don’t have this problem! That’s because experienced copywriters know that exceptional copywriting isn’t just about piecing together beautiful words. It’s about positioning your brand in the customer’s mind. Weaving storytelling into your marketing copy. Forming an emotional connection with readers. And using the right words to subtly move people down the sales funnel, bringing them one step closer to conversion.
✅ You reap the benefits of an appropriate—and consistent—brand voice
So, what’s the big deal about brand voice? Well, it’s “only” what makes you appealing to your audience.
Here’s what I mean. Let’s say you sell medical devices. Will a flippant tone work on your hospital clients? Not likely. What about if you use a serious, manly tone to sell cutesy hair accessories to teens? Yeah, you can see why that’s not going to sit right with young female shoppers either. These are rather extreme examples but hey, it happens!
Clearly, voice plays a starring role in creating a strong brand identity. It’s what makes your brand instantly distinguishable, allowing you to stand out in a sea of similar options and connect with your audience in the absence of face-to-face or verbal communication. Obviously, you also need to make sure your voice is consistent across channels and assets.
The good news? Unlike having your marketing intern, the social media guy, and whoever has some extra time on his hands write content for you today, your freelance copywriter helps you refine and stick to your brand voice. That means your marketing materials won’t stray from your style guidelines.
And there we have it: A deep-dive plus run down of the top reasons your small business should hire a copywriter. Hey, if you liked this post, make sure you pop on over here to read more from my series on working with a copywriter.