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Posted on March 2, 2025March 2, 2025

What is Copywriting? (With Examples)

We have licked our fingers just out of respect for the tagline – ‘It’s finger-licking good’. I don’t have to tell you which brand. The tagline is clear – it’s good enough to finish it all, evokes emotion (hunger), in only 4 words. This is what effective copywriting looks like. Sounds obvious, right? Like you can also write this. But if you could, you wouldn’t be here.

But what is copywriting if not to bring leads and revenue? For 15 years there was a rapid decline in milk sales in the US until the California Milk Processor Board hired Goodby, Silverstein and Partners who came up with the iconic copy ‘Got Milk?’. It hiked up milk sales by 7% in 1 year. Two words changed 15 years’ opinion on milk?

The father of advertisement, David Ovigly said, “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.” Copywriters are one of the highest-paid writers in the industry. The Global CAGR is expected to grow to $42.2 billion in 2030.

But good copywriters don’t simply come out of blank papers. In this article, let’s explore effective copywriting through techniques and improv innovations.

What is copywriting?

Copywriting is an art. It is also science that is essential for commerce. The art lies in the carefully crafted words amalgamated with the science of persuasion, engagement and action that bring revenue.

Throughout history, there have been tried and tested models of copywriting. Let’s dig in!

AIDA

Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action – in 1898 by Elias St. Elmo Lewis, an American advertiser.

It’s simple really, you want your readers to keep reading and for that you must grab their attention. But attention is temporary and thanks to social media, no more than 5 seconds. Which is why you must gain their interest, something that they want or will solve their problems. Next create a desire to have the product or service, and finally a call to action to choose you.

Example: L’Oréal Paris – This is an ad for men. (2019)

But there are pictures of lipsticks and mascaras in the campaign. This is how the ad grabs attention. The word ‘Men’ combined with makeup generates interest. The image shows a statistic, a 15% increase in profitability with the involvement of women in the workforce. The ‘+15%’ is desire. If you look closer, the byline reads, ‘Hire more women. We are all worth it’ – this is the call to action.

This ad was particularly targeted to the German workforce, where women have been consistently undermined for executive and managerial positions. Women’s representation has increased 30% since 2016. And nobody is saying the ad was alone responsible for the delayed progress, but it sure had an impact.

Psychological Impact

Let’s take our previous copywriting example, ‘Got Milk?’ to understand the psychological response in adherence to AIDA. The two words ‘Got Milk?’ demand attention, especially when people have been rapidly losing interest in the bland taste. The ad also plays with FOMO and resonates with emotions, thereby creating desire. When you are accustomed with the copy, every time you need milk, the brain brings back the copy in your mind. Vice versa, when you see the ad, it reminds you to check if you need milk. That’s action.

SELWAB

This is a more widely known model and is applied to date for effective results. And it works because it keeps in mind the needs of the prospects (audience or consumers). ‘Start Every Letter With A Benefit’ – bear in mind the needs, fears and problems of the consumers you are aiming to solve. Let’s take an example.

Example: Heinz ‘No One Grows Ketchup Like Us’

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Break down to the T and ev ery part of the sentence speaks to the needs of its audience. ‘No One’ – sole providers of your needs, ‘Grows Ketchup’ – it’s organic, home grown and fresh, and ‘Like Us’ – guarantees quality.

So if you’re looking for fresh tomatoes in a jar, you know where to go.

Psychological Impact

The copy plays on different levels of psychology. The first is exclusivity and authority; when they say ‘No one, ‘ they’re implying their superiority without putting anyone down. Along with telling their audience that they’re organic, they also reminded the audience that good quality takes time and needs to ‘Grow’. And finally, the entire copy is so simple it taps into cognitive fluency (the ease through which the brain remembers information, through its effective writing.

The 5 Cs of Content Marketing

Okay this is a big one so brace yourself. While no one person came up with it, one wonders today what is copywriting without it. Clear, Concise, Compelling, Credible and our favourite Call to Action.

Clear

When we think of what copywriting truly is, some of the best copywriting examples don’t surpass more than a few words. Effective copywriting needs to have a clear message. A good rule to follow when looking for clarity in writing is to go by the saying, ‘Don’t write to make them understand, write to not be misunderstood.’

Example: Nike’s ‘Just Do It’

These three words represent all that Nike is about. But was it as easy as the outcome looks? It never is. Clear copywriting requires a clear understanding of the subject matter, in this case, Nike – a sports brand, they make innovative shoes that serve the comfort of every athlete. Which means the audience might have been held back by accessories and not their talent. Comfort lets you push yourself as a sportsperson. So Nike’s messaging was clear – you don’t have to think of anything else and just do what you do best.

Concise

Effective copywriting must be concise, which involves eliminating redundancy. If I were to use an exceptionally long sentence, beating around the bush to reach the point and adding unnecessary words, you’d likely lose interest. Just like that. To craft concise pieces, ensure that redundant words are kept at bay. If something can be explained in three words, don’t add two more. Let’s take a comparison.

Example: It’s so good that you will lick your fingers. Vs It’s finger-licking good.

The sentiment is the same, so is the messaging, but it’s truly TL; DR. Concise writing is the deduction of redundancy and rambling.

Compelling

Now that we have understood what clear and concise writing looks like – let’s take note that it also needs to be compelling. What does that mean? The writing needs to have something of value, somethi ng that gives something back to the reader and is engaging enough for the reader to keep reading.

But what is the difference between good writing and compelling writing? Compelling writing engages people, because it talks about people’s issues, fears, beliefs and opinions and more. It aims to address and solve these issues. Most articles are created by the company’s messaging and values, which rarely resonates with the audience.

Example: Neil Patel Newsletters

The content pioneer is the greatest copywriting example of compelling writing. Take each of his newsletters as examples. He provides effective copywriting tips, best SEO practices and more in short, informative and compelling articles – that you can’t stop reading once you start.

Credible

There are already many opinions in the world, which is why people need facts! Which is why providing credible information is a way to reach a reader’s heart. The author of ‘Secrets of Closing the Sale’, Zig Ziglar said, “If people like you, they’ll listen to you. But if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.”

And trust cannot be built with fluff writing. The more redundancy your read has, the more bored your readers are. Most people spend 96 seconds reading an article, and B2B executives spend 77.7 seconds. This means you have less than 2 minutes reading time. In that time, you must build a compelling story and provide information in the same article.

Call to Action

Finally, the Call to Action button is the most important bit in copywriting. The more compelling the call to action is, the more likely you are to get engagement. A good Call to Action is when you give them a clear advantage of choosing you. Some examples would be:

Get your free consultation now
If you’re not following me, you most likely won’t see me again
We deliver stories that speak knowledge

A good CTA also evokes FOMO in the minds of the audience that compels them to press the button.

What is copywriting if not ever evolving? Perhaps there is a hidden S in the 5Cs that we missed on:

Storytelling

Content is king, we have heard that many times, but with the saturation of content in media, OTT and socials, how do you distinguish between content and good content? Anybody is one fake death news away from publicity. Good storytelling in copywriting ensures that the fame is sustained. Storytelling should reflect from copy to brand positioning – this is where the real impact is seen.

Example: Volkswagen’s ‘Think Small’

Volkswagen’s oddly shaped Beetle was losing its power in front of the luxurious and powerful cars that symbolized status. But the copy was a gamechanger! It was true, Beetle is small, but it didn’t have to be a bad thing. Small also means minimalist and affordable. It tells a story that Beetle’s petite nature is feasible and better than big luxurious cars.