The 7 complementary skills every persuasive writer should have

After years of working with various clients, our team has identified that the most effective copywriters bring more than just writing expertise to the table. Many HR recruiters and companies still remain fixated on how many years of experience a copywriter has, overlooking the skills that are actually valuable for your business.

The most common example is when writers are rejected because they lack industry-specific portfolios, which is extremely narrow-minded! 

For instance, maybe the writer you interviewed is very smart and has lots of skills in writing for beauty products but ends up being rejected because he or she doesn’t have experience in healthcare writing. 

Is that really an accurate way of measuring talent? 

So, if you are a company looking to hire, you should look beyond just writing experience. You need writers who continuously learn different areas of marketing, sales, and design and can add transversal value throughout your business. There really isn’t a need to hire 8 different experts to do a simple website when a single person can tackle it with no problems. 

Here are the 7 complementary skills that every copy writer should have:

Note-taking Skills

Clients often have specific ideas and goals in mind for their content, and it’s the copywriter’s responsibility to extract and understand these objectives. Effective note-taking involves summarizing key points concisely, organizing information, and identifying the client’s core message. Great note-taking can make the difference between delivering copy that aligns with your client’s vision and completely missing the goal.

UX/UI and Website Design

Would you be interested in reading the text on a website if the design is terrible? Of course not!

That’s why when you write copy for a website, blog, or any online platform, it’s crucial to consider how the copy and design work together to engage and convert. For instance, the tone and style of the copy can significantly impact the user’s experience. A professional corporate tone may not be suitable for a friendly and colloquial brand. 

On the design front, using an orange button instead of a black button may be the difference between 0.1% and 5% conversion. So even simple design considerations can massively complement your copy. 

We suggest that all writers learn design tools like Figma, Canva, or Adobe XD at a basic level to understand how color, animations, and text need to work together and to ultimately collaborate more seamlessly with designers from marketing teams. 

Sales 

To be a copywriter, you first need clients. 

Regardless of your freelance or agency status, attracting and retaining clients relies on your ability to guide them through the conversion process. Being 100% focused on conversion means understanding the journey from a potential customer’s perspective.

To achieve this, you must immerse yourself in the shoes of the customers. Everything you write needs to be customer-centric, addressing their needs, desires, and pain points. Always craft text that persuades to take a desired action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up, or reaching out for more information.

Here are the basic sales techniques and principles every persuasive writer should learn:

1. Reciprocity Principle: Understanding the concept of giving before receiving and leveraging it in your copy to create a sense of obligation in the audience.
2. Tonality: Recognizing the importance of tone in conveying your message, whether it’s authoritative, empathetic, or persuasive, depending on the context.
3. Scarcity: Using scarcity tactics to create a sense of urgency and encourage immediate action, such as limited-time offers or exclusive deals.
4. Sales Takeaway: Employing the technique of taking something away to make it more desirable, emphasizing what the audience might miss out on if they don’t act.
5. Other Persuasion Techniques: Familiarity with various psychological triggers and persuasion techniques, such as social proof, authority, and storytelling, to effectively influence behavior.

Photography

Let’s not forget that visuals matter!

A copywriter with photography skills will be able to not only take organic photos, but also choose better images for blogs, emails, websites, and other content. The images you choose should ideally provoke emotion along with the text, becoming a perfect complement. 

It also allows you to define the criteria to create better AI images. For example, the rule of thirds, color composition, saturation, angles, background descriptions, lighting, and more. 

We suggest using Midjourney to generate AI images. Just try it out and start learning a few simple prompts. 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Why would you create copy that doesn’t generate traffic? You need conversions, but you need traffic first. 

SEO copy writing is about strategically optimizing your content to attract more visitors— who are not just passing by, but actively seeking information or solutions related to your offerings.

For example, an informative blog in the form of an article serves a different purpose than a blog optimized for conversions and sales. A conversion-focused blog incorporates elements like more call-to-action (CTA) buttons, strategically placed links, specific keywords, and content structure designed to guide the reader towards taking action.

The layout, tone, and structure of every piece of copy really matters. Some aspects to consider include:

1. Organic Content: Make sure your content is not too robotic. You want keywords but the most important aspect is that readers can easily read and engage with your words. 
2. Headings: Structuring your content with properly localized headings and subheadings not only enhances readability but also helps search engines understand the hierarchy of information.
3. Backlink Building: Building high-quality backlinks from reputable sources can significantly boost your content’s authority and visibility in search engine results.
4. Keyword Density: Balancing keyword usage within your copy is essential. Keyword stuffing can be detrimental, while strategic placement can enhance search engine rankings.
5. Traffic Potential: Analyzing the traffic potential of keywords and topics helps you prioritize content creation and target high-value keywords.

Languages

Whether you’re a copywriter or a content creator, knowing different languages is a great skill to have! Language proficiency is a skill that improves a writer’s capabilities and opens up a whole new world of opportunities. 

One of the primary advantages of language proficiency is the ability to offer localization and multilingual copywriting services. Localization involves tailoring content to suit the cultural and linguistic nuances of a specific target audience. 

There is a huge market out there for polyglot writers, since multinational brands typically seek writers who can adapt their content to different audiences worldwide. For instance, a car manufacturer looking to sell SUVs in various continents can benefit greatly from a writer who can craft compelling and culturally relevant content for each region.

For instance, writers who know multiple languages can draw inspiration from diverse linguistic landscapes, incorporating idiomatic expressions, creative ideas, and unique wordplay from one language into another and adapt them to cater to global audiences. 

Multilingual writers also have access to a broader range of content sources. They can read articles, books, and viewpoints from different cultures, providing fresh perspectives and insights that can be incorporated into their copy.

Public Speaking & Storytelling

The best copy should feel like a conversation, holding the reader’s attention AT ALL TIMES. 

A crucial aspect for writers is the ability to read their copy out loud. This practice not only helps in catching errors and improving flow but also ensures that the copy sounds natural and engaging. Our best tips that you can learn from storytelling and public speaking are:

• Avoid monotony.
• Use exclamation, questions, and pauses (punctuation).
• Mix it up with short and long sentences. 

Let’s compare two texts:

Option A: 

The use of varied emotional tones is crucial in storytelling. A monotonous delivery can make even the most interesting content dull. By incorporating emotions, exclamations, questions, and a mix of short and long sentences, a copywriter can create a rhythm that keeps the audience engaged and emotionally invested.

Option B: 

Conclusion

Years of experience alone is a terrible indicator of success. Thus, every writer should learn complementary skills to add transversal value to businesses. 

If you liked this blog, we encourage you to let us know by contacting our team through our site.

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