What Copywriting Is: Basics and Goals · Lesson 1 · 3 minutes
Words with a Goal
Spot the difference between writing to chat and writing to sell
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Elena's clocks
Elena makes wooden clocks. She wants to sell them online. She needs words that ask people to buy.
What is copy?
Copy is writing with one clear goal. It guides the reader to take an action.
Which sentence is copy?
- Order your oak clock today.
- Oak trees can live for centuries.
Answer: Order your oak clock today.
Copy asks the reader to do something specific.
Complete the rule about copy:
Writing that asks for an ___ is called ___.
Answer: Writing that asks for an action is called copy.
Copy always leads to a specific choice or action.
Elena writes an email about holiday gifts. Is all business text copy?
- No, text is copy only when it asks the reader to act.
- Yes, any word written by a shop is copy.
Answer: No, text is copy only when it asks the reader to act.
Text is only copy if it directs the reader to act.
Build Elena's sales sentence:
Answer: This silent clock keeps your room quiet, so order yours now.
Copy connects a product benefit directly to a step the reader takes.
Put the steps of copy in order:
Answer: Elena writes words with a goal → A customer reads the message → The customer buys a clock
Copy leads the reader from reading to deciding to doing.
What to remember
- Copy is writing that asks the reader to act.
- Not every word from a business is copy.
- Good copy points directly to an action.
Next in this course: Copy or Content. It carries on in the Breni app.