The Thinking Copywriter

There are copywriters who can write. Spilling out word upon word for social posts, newsletters, blogs and press etc.

And there are copywriters who step back, listen to the problem, look at the overall objective, work out what’s missing, ask themselves why and identify what needs to be said BEFORE clacking the keys.

Even while the clock’s ticking.

The latter of the species is a lesser spotted of the copywriting beasts, but one that quietly, assuredly, surprisingly, gets the job done. Brilliantly.

And yes, all while dancing to Google’s tune! Ensuring keyword optimisation.

These “thinking copywriters” work closely with their clients, gently pushing and probing for answers, knowing that going deeper releases the best potential.

Identifying the gaps in the story you’ve already written.

💥 What’s (crucially) not being said?

💥 What’s being said too often?

💥 What knowledge or understanding’s been wrongly assumed?

💥 What’s leading to confusion, muddling or misleading?

💥 What’s triggering mistrust?

💥 What’s driving audiences over to the competition?

Because what you write can do all of that if you don’t write it right, ⬆️ right?

The “thinking copywriter” worth their salt will do all of this before landing on that ingot of gold and write from there.

Shaping that nugget of a marketing idea, carefully crafted and polished into a compelling, original, memorable article, campaign, blog post or website.

It takes a courageous client to trust in the process. Decide which species of copywriter they’d rather work with.

And handover the time.

I’m yet to see my mate over at Ai guarantee a smooth ride with this process, because it’s not about providing answers.

Ai will always do that.

It’s about asking the right questions.

Image: a thinking copywriter out of her normal writing room habitat, standing next to the Channel 4 Countdown clock.