No, I’m not a copywriter (only)

Posted on | février 18, 2010 | 1 Comment

I had a briefing last friday for a promotional website. Wireframes were ready. Design was nearly ok too. They just needed the copy now. This was a small, quick job : only 3 pages : a home page and 2 detailed pages (an « about » page, and a « product » page. That was it. Because « we have to go on line by the end of next week », they said. When I saw the wireframes, I was, once again, amazed and discouraged. Why? Because, again, …

Yes, again, a series of questions (and issues) arose at the very briefing meeting… What was the strategy behind this promotional website? What would be the message? Who where the audiences? How would the users know other users had come, seen the website, appreciated the product and participated to the action on it? Would there be viral tools, a « send to a friend » field, a Retweet button? Do you know what they told me?

Sorry, we meant a « webwriter »…

— « You’re a copywriter, right? ».
— « NO, I’m not.
— « Ok. A webwriter, I meant ».
— « Nope. I’m neither simply a copywriter, nor a webwriter. I’m an information architect. I can be the writer or the editor. Normally, my role would be to understand your communication goal, to help you organize the information on the page, in order to convey properly your message, and to reach your goal. I would think how to put it, how to produce it (and, produce it, eventually), and to think how you can measure the conversion potential of it. »
— « Ok, but this work has already been done. That’s why we just ask you to write the content. Here is the brief ».

In fact, the work had not been done. There was no strategy, there was no communication goal and hence, no reflexion on how to reach this goal. But there was a content to be written.

Read the original article of Pepi Ronalds on A List Apart

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Comments

One Response to “No, I’m not a copywriter (only)”

1. Millie Wood
   mai 7th, 2010 @ 2:20

   Copywriting is also a skill that takes years of practice to become very effective in advertising what you are selling.

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