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Watch this old Apple Computer commercial below, known as "The Crazy Ones".

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square hole, the ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them - but the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things, they push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

Inspiring, right?
Who comes up with these words to persuade people? It is a copywriter.

What Copywriting is All About
It is the art of persuasion. A copywriter writes in order to promote something - whether it's a person, business or idea. This position is found in promotional advertising. The main objective of the copywriter is to use their well-crafted words in order to persuade the reader/listener/viewer to act or buy something.

"Copywriting is about creating the perfect message using the perfect words."

Examples
They are everywhere you look!
From taglines to slogans, jingle lyrics, mail advertisements and brochures, you will find promotional writing in every which way. Even the Internet now has copywriters - if the purpose is not directly promotional, they are known as content writers.

Other places you can find copywriters:

• online ads e-mail and other Internet content
• television or radio commercial scripts
• press releases
• white papers
• catalogs
• billboards
• brochures
• postcards
• sales letters
• other various marketing communications media.

Careers in the Workplace
So where can copywriters be employed?

Any type of business
Advertising firms
Public Relations firms
Company advertising departments
Large stores
Broadcasters and Cable Providers
Newspapers
Magazines
Web Developers

Copywriters can also freelance - that is, they can be independent contractors who have a variety of different clients. They can work at the clients' office or even from home!

A Typical Workload
A copywriter is usually part of a creative team. Agencies and advertising departments often pair up copywriters with art directors in order to achieve an "overall vision" of viewing and reading pleasure.

A copywriter usually receives copy information from the client. The art director is usually responsible for visual communication. This process of collaboration helps to create a final product!

Emerging Careers: Copywriters on the Internet
Copywriting on websites can also refer to content writing, in order to achieve higher rankings in search engines and provide fuller content. This is known as "organic search engine optimization" (SEO).

Related Careers, Fields of Work and Career Prospects

Technical Writing
While a copywriter writes to persuade, a technical writer writes to inform. For example, a technical writer often produces documentation for companies (ranging from software to banking to all sorts of businesses). The types of documents they create include manuals, white papers, online help, user guides, design specifications and system manuals. Often scientists or engineers have a lot of technical terms which their customers or clients might not understand. The technical writer's job is to know how to translate this complex information to more readable, understandable information.

Marketing, Public Relations and Advertising
Being a copywriter, content writer, creative writer or technical writer is a great way to polish up your writing skills and be able to communicate effectively with a particular type of audience.

This type of job helps you learn how people understand new information and what appeals to people. It's a great way to get your foot in the door if you wish to get into marketing, public relations or advertising. Persuasion and promotion is a big part of any business - selling your product/service is key, and having an excellent writer is a great way of doing that!

Many schools offer courses on technical writing, marketing, and advertising. This is great to have. It is also important to get some experience. Since you're bombarded constantly by advertising every day, you already have first-hand experience on the power of persuasion!

References/Image Credits
Museum Branding
Topcopy
Simple4less
Peterme