Is Copywriting Savvy More Important Than Industry Expertise?

A potential client asked me, “Do you have any experience writing about debt management?”

I must confess, I did not. But I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

“No,” I said, “but in the past, I’ve written for other clients whose business I initially knew nothing about.” 

Truth.

I was once hired to write blog articles for a paper company.

Their customer base was varied, ranging from professional printers, amateur scrapbookers, event planners, and brides-to-be. And their paper products were as varied as their customers, from plain-jane cardstock to specialty paper like vellum. Vellum?

And what did I know about the paper industry?

Zilch. Nada. Nothing.

But lack of industry knowledge didn’t stymie my production of weekly blog articles. Working with the company’s subject matter expert and performing my own research, I became a paper prodigy in no time at all. 

However, even though my product knowledge initially was minimal, my copywriting knowledge wasn’t. And ultimately, that was why my client hired me, because I knew the marketing value of their blog.

With regular posting of articles that were educational, fun, and sprinkled with discount offers, the company grew their customer base and increased sales.

The same holds true for any other copywriting project, whether it be a landing page, a case study, or an email marketing campaign.

Knowledge of the industry is important, but, without a copywriter who’s familiar with the channel being used and how to write the copy to achieve specific results, you’re only solving half the problem.