You have the choice of a) hiring a professional copywriter to manage that side of the project, or b) write the sales or marketing copy yourself. In either case, you’d need a kit of copywriting tools to help you finish the job with ease.
Contrary to what many people believe, copywriting isn’t about writing. Especially in the financial services industry. Writing copy involves (a lot of) research, as well as (a lot of) collaboration with the rest of the marketing department.
You should (not only) have an application that helps you write. you should have copywriting tools that allow you to research with ease. And a way to ease collaboration with your colleagues.
That’s why I’m presenting you with this copywriting starter kit: a set of three copywriting tools that will help a marketing beginner conduct a smooth operation.
3 Copywriting Tools to Ease Your Projects
Drawing from my experience as a financial services copywriter, I have selected my three favorite copywriting tools so you can conduct sleek and successful copywriting operations:
Your Research Library
There is no more major step than your first step. And in copywriting, your first step is to do your research.
You must have at your disposal a variety of resources offering you valuable information that you can share with your audience. And your resources can come from anywhere – books, websites, television, and radio.
Here are some of the resources I use to research the financial industry:
- Investopedia (website)
- The Analysis and Use of Financial Statements (book)
- Investor’s Business Daily (YouTube Channel)
- Planet Money (podcast)
- The Motley Fool (newsletter)
Among many others.
Start building your research library by bookmarking websites. You can also subscribe to newsletters, podcasts, and video channels. But don’t forget about the “old-fashioned” mediums – print, radio, and television.
If it’s dependable and verifiable, source anything goes into research.
Microsoft Word
I’ve been using Microsoft Word since 2006. And it is still my favorite word-processing application to this day.
Word includes so many features that other word processors do not. And thus, Word makes it easier for me to create the type of copy that my clients want without much venturing into guessing.
In large part, Microsoft Word allows me to:
- Insert several types of text, like Japanese greetings, signatures, and updated dates.
- Select the right paper size and text orientation for my documents.
- Add columns, footnotes, and tables of the content without much difficulty.
- Conduct research within the application
- Easily merge mail materials
- Check out my doc’s grammar and ease of reading without leaving the app.
Along with many other features.
And yes – I know I can find those features for free across the innerwebs. But I’m a fan of the organization. And Microsoft gives me everything I need to write powerful sales copy in one place. So, I am willing to spend a bit of cash to have that luxury.
Google Drive and Docs
Here’s the funny part – once I finish writing my piece in Word, I copy and paste it onto a Google Docs file.
That may sound crazy on the surface, and it is. But I have come to find out that Google Drive makes collaboration easier than Microsoft’s OneDrive. So, I use Drive and Docs to share my work with graphic designers, marketing directors, and the likes.
“But why don’t you just upload the Word file onto Drive?” you may be asking, inquisitively. The answer to that, again, is convenience. Google Docs allows you to make edits directly from the document online. No need to download and then make the edits. You simply select the Editing mode and start making your suggestions.
It might seem like small stuff, but Google Drive/Docs makes the copywriting operation run smoother than other file-sharing applications I’ve used. That’s what makes the Google pair one of my favorite copywriting tools.
Your 3 Essential Copywriting Tools
Starting today, you should have a starter kit for your copywriting operations – should you decide to do the work yourself. Make sure to have a research library that backs the claims you make in your copy. And find a word-processing app, as well as a collaboration app, that allows you to conduct a smooth writing and editing process.
Do you like the copywriting tools I suggested in this post? What other suggestions would you offer? Leave a comment giving away your tips. And if you think this article could be useful to someone you know, feel free to share it with them!
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