Copywriting
‘Copy’ is really just a fancy term for the text used in advertisements. So ‘copywriting’ literally means creating the writing used in marketing materials, publicity collateral or websites. Copy is usually defined as writing that drives the reader to take a specific action, so it usually has a ‘salesy’ element or commercial vibe to it.
There are many different types of copy. Copy that has the distinct aim of converting into sales is sometimes called ‘conversion copy’. Copy that specifically focuses on making the user journey or user experience of the reader as smooth as possible is called UX copy or user experience copy – this is most likely to be web copy or online copy. Short copy that concentrates on the labelling of website buttons, menus, tabs and error messages is called UI copy or user interface copy and is often referred to as microcopy or microcontent. Copy with the main purpose of improving a web page’s search engine ranking is called SEO copy or search engine optimisation copy.
Some people also call copy development ‘content provision’. Content provision differs slightly from copy in that the primary goal of content is to educate, inform and provide value to the reader – it doesn’t necessarily ask for a specific action or sale in return. Content that is highly specific to a certain area of interest or industry niche is sometimes called ‘technical copy’.
Content provision is a more subtle part of a company’s marketing plan and tends to drive brand awareness and customer loyalty rather than immediate sales. Content strategy is usually part of a brand’s long-term marketing plan, whereas advertising copy generally has an immediate short-term sales goal.
How we can help you with copywriting
At Catch the Sun Communications, our team of professional freelance copywriters can help you with the full spectrum of content development services, including advertising copywriting, content writing, content design, content strategy, technical writing and more. We write copy in all sorts of formats across a wide range of industries for a variety of clients. This can include everything from websites, online and offline ads, articles, brochures, blog posts, eDMs, social media posts, prospectuses, direct mail, magazines, newsletters, radio and TV scripts, case studies, competitions and more.
Beyond this, we have experience in content design and information architecture website projects – using platforms such as Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) – which call for active audience-first, user-centric copy written in plain English. We also conduct and project manage subject matter expert interviewing, research projects, report writing and magazine development, where copy and content is developed from face-to-face, phone or virtual interviews. You can also hire us for creative concepting work, including the creation of brand names, slogans, headlines, straplines and ad campaign creative. Catch the Sun Communications also offers plain English copy training and writing workshops to government and corporate clients. These can be conducted either in person or remotely.
What our copywriting process looks like
If you’d like Catch the Sun Communications to provide copy or content for your business, send us an email outlining your copywriting requirements. Or, if you’d prefer, we can provide you with a Copy Brief template to complete.
If speaking with us face to face is best, we can arrange a virtual meeting over your preferred video conferencing platform at a time to suit both parties, whichever time zone you’re in. If you’re a Canberra-based company, we can meet you in person. Once we’ve digested your requirements, we’ll be back in touch with any questions, before providing a quote in your choice of GB£, AU$ or EU€ and an estimated timeframe.
Once we’ve agreed the project requirements and the quote has been approved, we’ll provide you with a first draft of your copy. We allow for two rounds of client amends in our copywriting quotes so, if required, we can tweak the copy a couple more times until you’re completely happy with it. Once the copy has been signed off by you, we’ll invoice the job in your chosen currency.