There are many people selling their products without an objective understanding of them, more than you might think. They completely lose sight of what potential buyers are thinking, which ultimately leads to poor sales. There are various reasons why people might lose interest. Personally, I believe I have a very clear standard for what constitutes bad copy. Many people have great creativity but think that writing good copy is simply about being creative. However, that creativity is not particularly useful when it comes to writing copy. 

Hello, I am currently working as a copywriter and also serve as a creative director for various brands. I run an advertising agency, and my name is Yoon Jung. What do you think are the necessary influences for someone to have the profession of a copywriter? In my experience, the skills that are most demanded of a copywriter are reading ability and comprehension.

I believe that when you have enough experience, you can become a good copywriter. I also often give lectures to those who want to become copywriters, and I emphasize that those who read a lot and have a keen sense of understanding others tend to have the qualities of a copywriter. To cultivate this understanding ability, are there specific ways that sellers can practice? From the sellers' perspective, I think it's essential to have a deep understanding of their own brand and products. However, it can be challenging to maintain objectivity about products they have created and are selling due to their strong attachment. Therefore, what I usually recommend to such individuals is that even when writing copy online for customers to understand their products, they should definitely step outside.

If you create opportunities to meet customers face-to-face, for example, by participating in a flea market, you will gain experiences that allow you to meet customers and introduce your products while looking them in the eye. You will be able to sense things like, Oh, the customer seems a bit bored with this part, or They have no interest in this aspect. When you bring that understanding into your online copy, you can recognize that if a section is too long, people will lose focus, so you might decide to cut it out. You'll learn which parts captured interest and which did not. This ability will develop as you gain insights from directly interacting with customers. It would be beneficial to take the time to meet customers in person to deepen your understanding. So, can people who are not good at writing or lack creativity still write good copy? I believe that over time, they will become better writers.

I think the amount of copy people write is decreasing. This is because there are hardly any requests for long texts; most of the time, it's just simple writing or a few sentences. Many people are highly creative and think they write good copy, but the creativity required for writing copy is often not needed. Instead, it is much more common to write texts that solve a given problem within a specific situation. Therefore, I believe that other skills are actually more necessary. When I actually work in this field, I've noticed that those who don't have excessive ambitions and focus on the essentials tend to write better copy. I think the realm of copywriting itself is expanding. In fact, when our online market first emerged, there was a time when good photography would sell products well. However, back then, people's

The ability to take photos has diminished a bit, and many machines that can compensate for that have emerged. You can take pictures with your phone, and editing has become very easy. I think we are no longer in an era where people buy things based solely on images. Instead, they will purchase items after reading the seller's description of the product, which explains how it is. As a result, I believe that the importance of copywriting will increase significantly. So, what is the first thing online sellers should do to create good copy? In my opinion, it is essential to have a complete understanding of their products. Surprisingly, there are many people selling products without an objective understanding of what they are selling. We often come across texts and images or detailed pages that completely fail to grasp the thoughts of potential buyers.

There are times when, if that happens, products don't sell. Buyers want to purchase for different reasons, but since the narrative is being presented differently, I feel that is unfortunate. I always say that I hope they first understand the product. I actually think my criteria for poorly written copy is very clear. Poorly written copy is copy that people do not read or, even if they do read it, they do not understand it. In fact, there are many reasons why people do not read. Some may feel that the content itself is unnecessary, while others might find it too long to read. Additionally, there are cases where poorly written copy is seen and read but still not understood. Such copy fails to fulfill its purpose for other reasons.

Sometimes, when trying to write beautifully or elegantly, we lose sight of our purpose. There are instances where we either overcomplicate our writing or try to shorten it too much, thereby losing the essence of what we need to convey. Fundamentally, if something is read but not understood, I believe it's 100% the fault of the writer; it's poorly written copy. If you have any memorable examples of both poorly written and well-written copy, could you share them? 

During my lectures, a student once shared an experience related to a poorly written copy example I mentioned. The student recalled seeing a sign in front of a pig's feet restaurant that read Discount for Takeout: 3,000 won. He mentioned that he had saved up 3,000 won and went to the restaurant when he was younger.

When I hear that story, I think the writer made a mistake. The discount for the jokbal (Korean pork dish) is 3,000 won, and we understand that we cannot buy jokbal for that price. However, someone who does not understand the price range might misinterpret it. If there is a possibility of misinterpretation, then I believe it is 100% the copywriter's fault. I think a well-written copy is short but clearly conveys information about the product. Typically, well-written copies serve the purpose of increasing sales, making it easy for people to purchase. Therefore, I believe that copies that fulfill that role are good copies. So, what do you think is the most important principle of copywriting? I usually explain the principles of copywriting.

When I give a drill, I usually explain it in seven steps, but I emphasize that we need to clearly understand the topic before deciding on what copy to write. Occasionally, some people start writing copy without fully grasping the topic. If we just say, Let's write something and revise it, they can fall into an infinite loop of continuously writing and revising. Before writing, it's important to determine what I need to write and what problem I aim to solve with this copy. Once the topic is clearly established, I should consider what sentences to write and what words I want to leave in the minds of those who read my sentences. It’s crucial to create wording that will stick in their heads. I advise them to gather a variety of surrounding words that can express that wording in different ways. Ultimately,

The words and phrases that you have gathered will serve as inspiration for writing. Recently, I've been encouraging people to utilize ChatGPT to collect these words. In the past, I used to strain my brain to come up with ideas on my own, but now, with the help of AI, I can secure a lot of words, which provides ample material for writing. Next, it's a good idea to sketch out a rough framework based on the topic you’ve chosen. You should plan how you want to write. For those who find this a bit challenging, I recommend speaking it out loud first. After verbally organizing your thoughts, you can then fill in the overall structure with the words and phrases you have collected, expanding upon them significantly.

Good copy comes from careful refinement. I always say this. Even as a copywriter, I rarely feel completely confident right after writing something. After I write, I always take a moment to read it again later, and sometimes even the next day. There are times when it just doesn’t read well. In that gap, I can understand the consumer better. I realize that the consumer who sees my copy might not understand it. If you recognize this, you can refine your writing to better match the consumer's perspective. Therefore, the more time you take to read your own copy, the higher the quality of the copy will be. So, please make sure to go through these steps to complete your copy. Now, let me show you how it’s done. First, before you write your copy, it’s essential to clearly confirm the topic. I want to show you something, so let’s briefly outline the topic like this.

I decided to recommend dumplings as a simple late-night snack, so I need some banner copy for that. I'm thinking of writing a couple of lines for the banner. Among the dumplings I've named, there's one called Life King Dumpling from Shinsegae Food, so I'll assume it's a product and try to write some copy for it. The second thing I need to do when writing the copy is to determine the wording. The wording is the key words I want to leave with the reader after they read my copy. For this, I chose three words: simple, late-night, and dumplings. 

Now, I need to find words that will make these key terms stand out. Simply listing these words won't engage people when they read the copy, so I need various supporting words to enhance them. I will start looking for these words now. In fact, I've done this before.

I found the words through just labor, either by searching on Naver or typing on various platforms. But now, we have a great tool called ChatGPT for our tasks, so let's try to utilize that. The way we ask questions to ChatGPT can really change the answers we get, so if I were to say, List some words related to dumplings, it’s likely that I would just get very common nouns. For instance, it might list words like soy dumplings, steamed dumplings, and fried dumplings. However, just listing such general words won't be very helpful for the cafe. So, what I'm going to do is ask, What does it feel like to eat dumplings? Let's see how ChatGPT responds. It might say something like, Warmth and comfort; when you take a bite, you feel a cozy sensation spreading in your mouth.

On a cold day, the warm feeling, the moist texture, and the savory taste are delightful. I have listed many emotional words around this theme, and there are so many great writing prompts. Now, I will use these words to write a copy. In the next step, we have decided on the wording and listed the words that will inspire the text. Now, we will establish the overall structure of the piece. It goes beyond simply recommending it as a late-night snack; when the juicy filling bursts, the joy also erupts. When beer calls, the juicy filling bursts, and our enjoyment also intensifies. Life is better with royal dumplings. Let's set this as the foundation and then work on expanding it in the next step. I have added to it by saying, At the end of the day, to stretch it out a bit.

Looking at what I've adjusted, I realize that a simple point I wanted to mention earlier is missing. So, I will add one more simple line here, and that completes the text. At the stage of completing the text, I need to check if all the warnings I intended to leave are included. As you can see, the late-night snack and simple dumplings are all noted here. We can read this countless times to refine it, but I wonder if it's too long and if there are parts we could shorten. I think I can omit the part about being very stressed, so I will remove that. I believe we can refine it to something like just a bit. Honestly, even though I'm somewhat of a veteran and haven't done much washing, it still gets completed like this. I hope you all read through it more and consider what to refine or remove. The customer's needs, as we discussed earlier, are important.

You mentioned that I should read, but what materials or information should I refer to in order to understand the needs and desires of customers well? Personally, when I work, I tend to gather all available materials from the client. I receive all sorts of documents that come out during the development process; I collect everything from meetings. Ultimately, all of this can serve as a source of ideas for thinking. The more materials you look at, the higher the quality of your work will be. That's why I've been emphasizing that the most important skill for a copywriter is the ability to read. Additionally, if possible, it's a good idea to conduct as much research as you can. Look into competitors and explore other companies as well. Gathering and reviewing a lot of materials is undoubtedly helpful. Nowadays, there are so many platforms, and for each platform, you need to craft specific copy.

Is the method of writing different? For now, the order and method of writing copy are the same. However, I believe that the application should vary by platform. This is because, ultimately, the platform reflects the situation and location of the customers who are using it. Even if we just rotate a few times, when I went to a lecture and applied platform copy, I based it on Facebook. But the truth is, these days, not many people use Facebook, so I'm focusing more on Instagram. I always mention this during my lectures as well: there will come a time when Instagram is no longer used. At that point, one can't say, I haven't learned anything, so I can't write. Instead, you can adapt your writing to fit the platform. I believe that improving your understanding of the platform will enable you to write good copy. For example, if we consider this in the context of our own situations...

I'll give you an example. Let's assume we're writing copy for a nutritional supplement in a pharmacy. The pharmacy situation is often thought of as a single scenario. However, there can be many different contexts within the same pharmacy. Even if the same poster is displayed, the environment for those waiting inside the pharmacy and the environment for people passing by outside are entirely different. 

Inside, there are sick people, while outside, there are healthy people walking by. Nutritional supplements are necessary for both sick and healthy individuals, and we need to sell to both. However, if we show the same message to both groups, it won't sell. So, we need copy targeted at sick people. For example, using a message like, Before you get sick, if you're feeling tired, you should take care of yourself in advance, would resonate with those who are unwell.

From a person's perspective, one might think, I should have prepared some nutritional supplements before I got sick. On the other hand, if this same message is displayed outside a pharmacy, people who are not sick may think, I'm fine, so I don't need this. Therefore, it would be more effective to address those individuals by saying, You must be feeling quite tired these days; we have these nutritional supplements for you. This approach would be more persuasive for those who may be feeling fatigued. Just as the messaging can differ between a pharmacy and a health supplement, the copy for platforms like Instagram can vary depending on the context. It’s important to consider these different situations when crafting your copy. Now, regarding how to apply this copywriting to a detailed page, I'm curious about what the most important aspects to consider are. Personally, I believe that the copy on the detailed page...

I find it a bit challenging to take on requests from people who are determined to create something that will last a long time. This is because the situations of customers will continuously change. To put it simply, one of the most significant differences is in the copy for detail pages. The copy that goes up on my store or shopping mall's detail page cannot be the same as the copy I write for other platforms. For example, if I have entered a marketplace like Coupang, the copy for that situation cannot be identical. This is because, from the consumer's perspective, the people who buy products on Coupang or Market Kurly are in different situations compared to those who intentionally visit my store to make a purchase. Therefore, it is better to write copy that is tailored to these different situations. The people who come to my store have already shown interest in my products.

These are people who came in expecting to buy something. They already have a certain level of understanding about my brand and the situation, so I need to provide more specific information to persuade them. However, when it comes to customers who stumble upon the top platform of Market Kurly, there are many cases where they come in by chance while browsing. If I explain overly complicated information to these customers, they may find it too difficult and are likely to leave. Therefore, the type of channel the customer comes from—whether it's a different channel or the same one—can make a difference. Additionally, the psychological state of customers can vary depending on the situation, such as during transitional weather or on particularly cold days. For instance, if it’s a time when people are giving gifts frequently, I can open with copy related to gifts.

If it’s hot, you can empathize with the heat and open up the copy that way. So, it’s not about fixing the copy on the detail page forever; rather, you should have a flexible mindset to change it according to the customer's situation, which will help you sell better. Do you have any habits or methods you recommend to online sellers for writing good copy? One thing I do, since I’m also a consumer who buys products, is to always remember why I bought a particular item. Typically, when I purchase something, I get hooked on a certain phrase or am persuaded by a particular context, and I try to remember that every time I make a purchase. I think it’s important to apply this same mindset.

When I did copywriting, I thought I definitely need to try this out. In fact, from a sales perspective, every moment of purchasing is a learning experience for us. When I meet people who say they can't write good copy because they lack marketing experience, I tell them that’s just an excuse. They have lived their entire lives buying things, so they should be able to recall why they made those purchases and write enough copy based on that. Also, try to meet as many customers as possible. The more customers you meet, the clearer you will understand what their needs are, what problems you need to solve, and what you need to explain. This understanding will enable you to write copy that resonates with what customers want. What exactly is the language that customers desire? When we meet customers at flea markets, we see that customers...

As I was passing by, I got caught by the visuals and as I started explaining, there were moments when people asked more questions, touched the items more, or decisively made purchases. These moments and the words used to create them are crucial. If you remember these phrases and wording, you will be able to write copy that drives customer actions. So, when we bring this online, we gain a powerful tool: we can create results where people click on our ads and enter our detailed pages. If we don't drive action, nothing happens. We shouldn't just write pretty copy to be seen by people; we need to write copy that compels them to make a purchase. Therefore, it is essential to focus on writing content that generates customer actions.

Today, you shared a lot of great insights. Do you have any gifts prepared for our subscribers watching this video? Although it's not much, I thought I could give my book as a gift. It contains my know-how that I couldn't fully share during today's interview. I prepared the book as a gift. It's titled Copy Power. The title has a double meaning; it refers to the power of writing copy, but it also suggests that I want you to copy my ability to write copy. There are certain patterns that good copy follows, and I hope you can take those and make them your own. I would like to gift this book to those who leave comments, so I hope you show a lot of interest. Lastly, do you have any advice or final words for sellers who want to improve their copywriting?

I ask you to write a lot of copy and gain experience, as I believe it's necessary to accumulate data within yourself. Although I've explained this, the people watching this may be different customers and may have different products, so I don't think I can generalize everything. Therefore, I encourage you to write your own copy and build your own experiences, so that you can each complete your own powerful weapon in the form of copy.

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