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What is copywriting?

Copywriting is the skill of writing for commercial purposes. It’s writing that explains and persuades. Copywriting is a creative skill. Literally, it’s writing “copy”. The word “copy” at the front could have a couple of origins. One cites the origins of the word “copy” as being text that is going to be reproduced or copied. Another goes back to the 1300s, when monks copied out by hand any texts that were to be shared. The word “copy” comes from the Latin “copia” which means“abundance” – or lots of.

Why do you need a copywriter?

Most people can write. However, most people fail to produce writing that can persuade other people to think or do things. It’s a bit like most people being able to cook – but very few of us being able to create a beautiful six-tier wedding cake. So if you want to get people excited about a product, offer or idea, it’s a great idea to hire a copywriter to help you. Brilliant copywriters work quickly and creatively, giving you fresh approaches and ways to breathe life and interest into the things you want customers – or the general public – to get excited about and feel empowered by.

What does a copywriter do?

A copywriter creates text that elicits a response. This could be helping people to understand how to give up smoking. Or it could be getting them interested in a new type of investment, car or technology. The text could be in any form. At Wordtree, we write everything including web pages, brochures, prospectuses, speeches, signage, flyers, emails, letters, newsletters, magazines, whitepapers, policies… in fact, anything that is written. Brand-focused copywriters like Wordtree also create language-based brand assets, like straplines, tone of voice, names and messaging systems.

To find out more, download our explainer on working with copywriters.

What’s the difference between copywriting and proofreading?

A copywriter creates. A proofreader checks. At Wordtree, we are primarily writers. Of course, we proofread everything that leaves the Wordtree studio. But we don’t offer stand-alone proofreading services.

Read our blog on the difference between proofreading and editing.

What’s the difference between copywriting and content marketing?

Content marketing is the practice of providing such interesting and amazing content that it pulls potential customers to you. Imagine you own a music shop. You know that your ideal customers are probably looking for piano-related ideas, suggestions and know-how online. So you start publishing content that really appeals to them. You create blog posts on how to clean your piano, how to set your piano stool at the right height, how to keep the atmosphere around your piano at the right humidity… and so on. You might also create videos showing how to move a piano – or how to use certain playing techniques. The idea is that piano enthusiasts will find your content – and will then become aware of your shop and buy sheet music and other items from you. To write these blogposts or to script the videos, you need to be a great copywriter.

Read our content marketing FAQs.

What types of copywriting does Wordtree do?

Our copywriting experts provide interesting, shareable and talked-about text for:

  • Social media and blogs
  • Websites
  • Scripts
  • Speeches
  • Brochures
  • Flyers
  • Internal communication
  • Case studies
  • Newsletters
  • Policy documents
  • Prospectuses
  • Terms and conditions
  • Thought leadership piece
  • Customer service letters and emails
  • Voice of God
  • White papers

Which sectors does Wordtree work in?

Wordtree is a copywriting agency that works across a number of sectors, including:

  • Financial services
  • Retail
  • Public sector
  • Education
  • Energy
  • FMCG
  • Fintech
  • Technology
  • Legal
  • B2B

What kinds of clients does Wordtree do copywriting for?

We have copywriting clients across many different sectors. It’s not unusual for our clients to need to communicate complex subject matters. This is where we excel. We are not afraid of immersing ourselves in complex subjects, and working with your subject matter experts to get a firm understanding. We then translate this complexity into clear, interesting propositions.

Where does Wordtree offer copywriting?

We offer copywriting in London. We also offer copywriting in Edinburgh and Cardiff. We offer copywriting in Europe – and copywriting across the world.

Copywriting in English for audiences who don’t have English as a first language

We often copywrite for audiences who have English as a second or third language. We use international English – keeping the text interesting, but free of confusing idiom.

How experienced are Wordtree’s copywriters?

Wordtree is a copywriting business that’s fortunate to employ highly experienced copywriters. We have a variety of backgrounds including PR, journalism and client-side writing. We work quickly and with assurance – which means our clients get the highest quality work.

Are Wordtree financial services copywriters?

Yes. We’re highly experienced financial services copywriters. We’re fully aware of FCA regulations – and we write persuasively and creatively within them.

Does Wordtree support creative agencies?

Sorry, we don’t. We prefer to work directly with clients, rather than one removed. We certainly never white label our services. However, we’d be happy to recommend freelance writers to you.

How much does copywriting cost?

We price by project – so please do give us a call to discuss. As a guideline, copywriting is a professional service and charges similar rates to solicitors and management consultants.

Does Wordtree offer copywriting services for free?

We’re asked this every now and again – sometimes by design agencies who think we’ll be glad to get a foot in their door and sometimes by charities. To be clear, we don’t offer our services for free to any agency – so please, with the greatest respect, don’t call us to say: “We need a quick turnaround on X… and obviously, there’s no budget, but there could be a lot more work down the line if you meet our high standards.” We’re not interested. Similarly, we thought long and hard about how to best offer free charitable support. In the end, we decided to “adopt” a small, local charity. We offer them our services for free. But of course, we’re not a charity, and that’s the extent of what we can do for free. So again, if you’re a charity, please don’t contact us to ask if we’ll work for you for nothing “because you’re a charity”. We sympathise, but charities are often more labour-intensive to work with than private sector clients – and we only support one charity for free.

How is Wordtree different?

Some copywriters just skate around on the surface of a subject. They pretty up the text that’s already there. And for some organisations, maybe this is enough.

But Wordtree gets underneath the surface. We make the effort to understand your business and the marketplace you operate within. And because we look at the world through a brand lens, we are always working to align your communications with your business strategy, strategically positioning your offer with every word.

It’s an approach that means we’ll ask questions. We may even challenge your brief. Because what matters to us is making a difference – transforming your communications into powerful business assets.