General skills: 1. identify a problem people have and break it down 2. appeal to emotion through emotive writing 3. change style of writing to cater to different audience Specific skills: 1. write powerful headlines 2. integrate copy with graphics and page design 3. manipulation of text for max effect (ie. bold, italic, highlight) That's my opinion. Do you agree?
I think I would choose broader skills: 1. Communication skills 2. Ability to engage 3. Ability to educate
True. Though a good command of the language is the basis for any type of writing, not only copywriting.
You mean, communicate it better As a copywriter you have to be able to listen, translate, and explain. You have to be able to create a connection between a seller and a buyer. You bridge the gap between someone wanting to sell and someone who might not know he needs to buy.
I would break the skills down into categories; three of them to keep with the "Top 3" theme. Writing Skills, Business Skills, and Life Skills. Then each category has three top skillsets like this: Writing Skills 1. Clarity: So that you convey your or your client's message clearly. 2. Grammar/Punctuation: Because the basics are important! 3. Adaptability: To be able to write on different topics, research when necessary, find new topics, etc. Business Skills 1. Marketing: I'm quickly learning that marketing your business is the most important work you do! 2. Money Management: Budgeting, invoicing, taxes, etc. 3. Negotiating: To quote the great poker song, you have to "know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away..". Life Skills 1. Communication: Duh. 2. Prioritizing: Important when meeting deadlines. 3. Goal Setting/Planning: Very important if you're still building up to a level of business that is sustainable. Why do I feel I just scratched the surface of skills needed to be a copywriter? Does anyone else feel you need to be a "Jack of all Trades" in this line of work?
1. Ability to locate the hidden sales advantage in the offer 2. Ability to think and write in the active voice 3. Abillity to communicate clearly and accurately
There are so many. But if I had to pick only 3 they would be... 1. The ability to research a market. 2. The ability to write like he/she speaks. Forget proper grammar and what not, the ability to transfer his/her emotions to another are key. 3. The ability to sell, sell, sell, and did I mention sell. If you can't convert nothing else matters. These are what I think make the top 3. Nick Xifaras Copywriter
The sales copy needs to establish the writer as authority on the subject, and provide some way of 'educating' the reader, even if this is just explaining some jargon terms. This helps to establish rapport and trust.
There are lots of different ways to go about connecting with a reader. It really depends on your target market, so understanding that market is key. People who would be interested in buying software are usually a much different group than those buying sports equipment.
I think that from a copywriter's own perspective, the most important skill is the ability to market their own professional services: without that, they really have nothing.
This is true outside of copywriting too. When I was the director of a marketing department, I could not get over how many unprofessional, careless, boring resumes I would get. Then, when I actually found one I liked and interviewed them, many times they could not even sell themselves. They had no idea what they brought to the table, had no enthusiasm for the position, had no self-marketing skills. If you can't market yourself, your most valuable commodity- how in the world can you market someone else???
I would break it up like this: 1. The ability to identify the buyer's true desire. 2. The ability to identify the seller's true desire. 3. The ability to make the buyer's desire the same as the sellers desire. That's what it really all about. Connecting two people's desires, and then making a mutually beneficial exchange.
It's all about getting in the mind of the target market. You have to walk in their shoes and chew their gum before you find that switch that will spark what you want to spark. You have to know them to write to them.
Where does speed come into play? If you are paid per piece, your ability to write quickly is vitally important, right? The top skills of the copywriter should include the skills most needed by a client as well as the skills most needed by the writer himself. For example, both client and author need quality. The client needs quality in order to be satisfied. The author needs quality in order to stay in business.
That's it. All too often I see copies trying to be clever or they are full of subjective claims. Ability to communicate honestly, clearly and accurately is a good start. Moreover, you have to understand why people would want to buy the product. It's not a simple task.