What is the key to quality copywriting?

Copywriting is much more than sitting at a computer and pounding out a few pithy lines of advertising material. Any copywriter will probably tell you that research is an integral part of his/her job.

No two companies are alike. Writing copy for a small pizza parlor is quite different than writing copy for a large industrial manufacturing company. Yet freelance copywriters take on such diverse jobs all the time. So what's the key to writing quality copy that is personalized to your specific needs?

The answer is research.

Whenever I take on a new client, I spend a large chunk of the quoted time involved in research. Here are a few areas you should be concerned about before writing any copy:

• The client's overall business
• Products/services
• Competitors
• Previous advertising/marketing material
• Industry-specific information

Unless you specialize in a specific industry, one needs to be familiar enough with the client's business to write like an "insider". This is even more important when writing detailed product descriptions, white papers, brochures, newsletters and even press releases.

All the copywriting tricks we use to grab attention and impress clients is worthless if we don't know what the heck we're talking about. Even if you're an in-house copywriter, doing a little extra research won't hurt. Just knowing what your competition is up to and the latest industry news will make you a more valuable asset to your team and give you the upper hand.