So, what does a copywriter actually do?

Let me guess. Someone’s mentioned working as a copywriter and you’ve nodded along, smiled politely, and thought: ‘I’ll Google that later.’ And well, here you are…

A copywriter writes words (yes, obviously) but that’s like saying a chef ‘does food’. Technically true, wildly incomplete.

The words a copywriter writes are specific, strategic, and purposeful. They’re designed to connect with a particular audience, reflect a brand’s personality, and move someone from passive scrolling to genuine interest, or better yet, action.

Let’s clear something up first

Copywriting is not copyright law. I’ve been asked a few times if I deal with intellectual property. I do not. That’s a very different profession and I’d make a terrible lawyer.

Copywriting is also not the same as content writing although the lines have blurred. Broadly speaking, copywriting is persuasive and designed to persuade the reader to take a certain action (ads, website pages, email campaigns). Content writing tends to be informational or entertaining (blog posts, guides, articles), intended to build trust over the longer term. In practice, most good copywriters do both and know when to deploy each approach.

A copywriter is a master at research

Before a single word goes onto the page, a good copywriter will spend a good chunk of time on research. They’ll learn about your brand history and industry, get to grips with your competitors, and will understand the psychology behind buying decisions. They’ll read reviews, conduct interviews, audit your existing content, and build up a picture of what actually matters to the people you’re trying to reach.

The most persuasive copy doesn’t sound like marketing. It sounds like someone who genuinely understands the reader’s situation, their goals, their frustrations, and that specific thing that’s stopped them from taking action sooner.

That understanding comes from research, not guesswork.

Good copy isn’t the words you notice – it’s the ones you don’t

You know when you’re reading a website and it just flows? You move naturally from one section to the next, you understand exactly what’s on offer, you clearly see the advantages, and before you know it you’re heading for the ‘buy now’ button?

That’s great copy at work. And you didn’t notice it because you weren’t supposed to.

When copy is doing its job well, it’s invisible. It doesn’t call attention to itself with clever wordplay or complicated descriptions. It creates a smooth path from ‘I’m curious’ to ‘I’m convinced’. The moment a reader stops to try and understand a sentence rather than act on it, the copy has failed.

A copywriter is a problem solver as well as a writer

Every piece of copy starts with a problem to solve. Your website isn’t converting visitors. Your emails aren’t being opened. Your product descriptions aren’t earning the click. Your brand sounds like everyone else in your industry (or worse, the very obviously AI generated copy that you asked Chat GPT to write).

A good copywriter doesn’t just sit down and start typing, they ask questions. Who is this for? What do potential customers believe? What’s stopping them from acting? What do we need them to feel, think, or do? The writing comes after the thinking, and the thinking is where the real value lives.

This is why hiring a copywriter isn’t the same as asking that clever new-starter in HR to write something for the company website. They may be able to write – but a copywriter can write with a purpose, and there’s a significant difference.

A copywriter is versatile

Leading on from the section above, in the same week a copywriter might write playful product descriptions for an independent skincare brand, a confident and authoritative homepage for a financial services firm, and a warm, conversational email for a start-up trying to build its first community.

Three completely different tones of voice, three completely different audiences, but one copywriter.

This shapeshifting isn’t about having no identity of your own, it’s about having an understanding of tone, audience psychology, and brand personality. The best copywriters can read a brief and write in a voice that doesn’t sound like them.

SEO is a copywriter’s frenemy

If you want people to find you online, your copy needs to work for search engines as well as human beings. That means understanding which terms your audience uses when searching online, and weaving these naturally into your content.

A copywriter who understands SEO can write content that ranks and reads well. These two things are not mutually exclusive, but they do require skill and intentionality.

Just making sure the keywords are in a blog post is not the same as copywriting. Google is impressively good at understanding intent and quality. If your blog post reads like a keyword-stuffed nightmare from 2009, you’re going to be punished by both the SEO gods and by your readers.

A copywriter is not a use once and done resource

Your website copy isn’t a project with an end date and it’s going to need to be tweaked and adjusted over time. Your brand voice will evolve. Your audience will shift. New products will launch. New competitors will arrive. The words that worked brilliantly three years ago might not be hitting the spot today.

The businesses that get the most from working with a copywriter are the ones who treat it as an ongoing relationship rather than a single transaction. A copywriter who understands your brand deeply (your voice, your values, your customers) becomes more valuable over time.

Ready to make your words work harder?

If you’ve been thinking about working with a copywriter I’d love to have a conversation about what that could look like for your business. Get in touch and let’s chat copy.

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Alongside my copywriting work, I’m a published journalist. I’m a contributor to Design Week, a University of Sheffield graduate and a Mini MBA in Marketing alumna. You can view my ProCopywriters profile here or head to my ‘About’ page for more info.