Could you write about how it feels to be a new mother if you were a 55 year old man? Could you truly understand a 35-year-old blue collar man’s perspective if you were a 25-year-old african american woman? Could you understand the needs of tiger mom if you were a nascar dad? These are necessary skills if you want to be a great copywriter.

Everyday when I look at the press, I find it more and more polarizing, written without empathy for differing points of view. Audiences become splinted – a MSNBC viewer will never turn on Fox, a talk radio listener will never hear NPR nor will a New York Times reader ever visit Redstate.com. And the writers for these different media would likely flounder writing for the polar opposite publication.

Journalists seek the truth yet reach different conclusions on different channels. This is OK because they’re writing to a polarized audience with different points of view. Copywriters don’t have that luxury.

As copywriters, we have to understand our audience on an emotional level. No matter who they are. A great copywriter must understand what it feels like to be a young mother who hasn’t had a decent nights sleep in 6 month, only a sore back and nipples and also how it feels to be awkward teenage boy with embarrassing acne.

As copywriters, it’s OK to display a voice. But it must be the voice of the brand and of the audience. Clients rarely want to polarize and always want engage their customers on an emotional level. The only way to do that is to truly empathize with their perspective. That requires dedication, a love of writing and your fellow human beings.

Posted on: March 6, 2015, by : Jimmy Gilmore