Copywriting Ethics - Oxymoron?

A good copywriter trains daily to use words to make readers take action.

When you write to sell a product, your text carries a lot of power. Your copy conveys hope, a means of rescuing the readers from their problem.

After all, good copywriters train hard to write words that compel readers to act now; words that sink deep into hearts and sub-conscious minds.

I believe that with this training comes an inherent responsibility: These intoxicating skills carry an inherent responsibility to be used ethically.

You the Copywriter need to respect your target prospects. These are live human beings with sensitivities and intelligence. They also are uncomfortable, worried about something. Be gentle with their suffering.

When you introduce the product as your best solution to the prospects' problem, do not fluff it. It's much better to under-represent it. Satisfied customers are wayyyy better than disappointed ones! It's not fair to anyone if you make promises your widget cannot keep.

When you write for your clients, use your own words. More copywriters than I care to think love to "borrow" far too heavily from their swipe files. Think about it - how can you possibly deliver skillful copy if you don't even trust your own writing skills? And when you present the client's product using someone else's words, you're cheating your client.

After all, almost anyone can take a salespage and substitute words. Why should someone pay you thousands of dollars for this?

On to testimonials: one of my biggest ethical battles of all, because of their inherent trust-me factor.
*Never, ever, ever make up a testimonial cold-turkey. Illegal because you're basically committing forgery.
*Never, ever swipe someone else's testimonials. Those impromptu authors never commented on your product.
*Never rewrite someone's testimonial without running it past the author for approval. Sure, you can shorten it a bit, correct grammatical errors - but that's all.

Finally, you need to offer your prospects some kind of support for a defined time span. After all, they're trusting you enough to plunk down hard-earned money.

Services by definition are not easily guaranteed, but the client does have the right to certain expectations:
*The service be delivered in a timely manner;
*The service be provided to the very best of your ability;
*The service fulfill whatever was specified in your correspondence or contract. If possible - over deliver in some way.

Copywriting is a powerful marketing tool. As copywriters we study for years, spending thousands of our dollars to learn and hone our own skills. These awesome skills come with inherent responsibilities, rather like an expert locksmith.


Just some thoughts,
Dot