Now let’s get one big thing out of the way. What even is copywriting?

“The art of being able to influence or encourage people to purchase from you through writing,” according to Maddy- who’s been storytelling and writing since she could hold a pen. And copy is so much more than just words on a page or text that fills up a screen, it’s messaging and it’s how people come to know who you are and what you’re about. 

Maddy remembers how she opened her business because her friends basically told her to. She’d been running a product-based business and her other business friends always hit her up right before their launches. “They hated writing and they said it took them hours and hours, where it was just fun to me! I loved being able to step away from my business and write as somebody else for a bit,” Maddy said. And that’s how it all started, “I love writing for other people and showcasing them.” So she dove into the copywriting world and started serving businesses. 

So what exactly does a copywriter do?

“Well, it really depends on the client,” Maddy started. It sounds a little lame, but really copy is individualized to the needs and ways of different businesses. At its heart is always, always messaging- but how they gets across? Its forms? Totally unique to each business. And that’s how copy should be according to Maddy! She’ll always sit down with a client and go through whether content writing- like blogs or emails, or copy writing, like their website is the best strategy for them, and go from there- taking a super individualized approach. 

That’s something Maddy really wants to make clear: copy is individual! It’s your story, your business, and your message, and it needs to be individualized and customized to who you are - both in what it is and how it gets told. 

Ok, but what’s the difference between content writing and copywriting?

“Copywriting is all about encouraging and influencing people to do something, where content writing is more about nurturing and educating an audience,” Maddy shared.

Things like blogs, email marketing, or captions are usually content writing, while your web page or any sales copy is copywriting. Copy can be nine words crafted with hours worth of thought and intentionality, versus 500 with just a general understanding of your audience in a blog post. 

So many people are afraid to hire a copywriter because they’re afraid to lose the “them” to their business, but actually copy can help bring out that real self! Some copywriters just aren’t the right fit and may not get your voice, but a well-fitting copywriter will “know your vibe words, your mannerisms, and study how to sound and write like you,” said Maddy. And I know how Maddy did my website and it felt and sounded so much like me, but better! I know so, so many business owners that hate writing but also worry about losing themselves to a copywriter, but it’s just about making sure you find the right fit for you. 

Copywriting is a part of your business’s puzzle as Maddy explains it.

You can have a great website, social media, and email marketing- but if your copy is off, something’s just not quite all together yet.

Because copy is how people get to know you, it’s how they see you- and especially if you’re an online business- it’s their only real way of hearing you or interacting with you over the internet. We want that messaging to be clear and elevated, so people know what you do, what you’re about and how best to work with you. 

That leads to Maddy’s other advice: “Don’t hire a copywriter until you're clear on your offer suite and your messaging.” Copywriters (and social media managers too!) can’t elevate what we don’t understand, so don’t make the investment unless you know what you’re offering and what you’re about first. 

It can be so confusing because you think you need to have it all figured out as you get started- website, copy, email, all that- but really, taking the time to get settled in and get clear first is an important stage of starting your business. It’s gonna be messy, but the messiness is what leads to the clarity, making you ready for the big investments in your social media, copywriting, etc. My advice for your first hire out is always a virtual assistant, not a service provider. Get help running your actual business, not taking it to the next level- until you’re clear on what your foundation is first. 

When you’re brought into a business- people can get so offended when you’re like, “I don’t understand this,” but it’s SO important because clarity is key to everything else. We can’t build off what we don’t understand. So it’s important to bring in experts like social media managers and copywriters once you are clear and once you’re settled in what you want.

Copy should make things clear and simple, not more complicated. And the messaging shouldn’t be convoluted or full of buzzwords- you need to be able to know what somebody does in like a few scrolls or a click. And when you combine super clarity with really elevated, personalized writing, you’re in such a great spot, according to Maddy. That’s when copy really works its magic. 

Now another thing I wanted Maddy’s opinion on was CopyAi. I know I’ve used CopyAi plenty for my own writing, just cause it’s simple and easy to use, but I really wanted an expert’s opinion on it. Maddy’s verdict - “It’s like self check out. Sometimes it’s easier and what works for you, but we’re never gonna not need the human factor sometimes.” For some businesses, it’s perfect and works just fine- great! No shame in using it. But sometimes we need the storytelling, we need the emotion, and you’ll want a real human connection writing to capture your message. It really depends on your needs and where you’re at. 

“CopyAi is great at facts, but it isn’t gonna be great at facts and emotions. So sometimes you’ll need a human who can really use both,” Maddy shared, “Also make sure to critically analyze anything it pops out. Just because it’s AI doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Check for grammar, typos, and just the feel of it- make sure the facts fit your business too.” Contrasting opinions are so common about these things, but really- follow what feels best for your business and what serves you best. 

And just like in social media where I can tell when someone’s mostly using a canva generic template, it's the same with CopyAi- sometimes it leads to your content starting to look like everyone else. But with humans, you get the heart and the personality behind it, more than just “go to my bio!” - you can tell when someone wrote it and someone wrote it really intentional. 

Finally, I wanted to pick her brain on about pages. So often people don’t wanna share about themselves and think no one cares but actually the about page is THE most visited page on your website after the home page. We all know 2020 was an awful year, but I think it made us a lot more value-conscious. We wanna know who’s behind our purchases, and who’s pockets our money’s going into- and the about page is where most of us find that out! Maddy totally agrees, “When I’m buying something, I wanna connect with what’s behind it. So an about page just about the product with no mission or story won’t really sell anything to me.” It matters so much to share your mission, your story, and what really matters to you on your about page- make it you! 

You can find Maddy on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bymaddyaucoin/ to see how she can serve your business with creative copywriting!

You can check out all of Maddy's work on Instagram @wordsbymaddy.ca.

Listen to the podcast this blog was based off of here.