26. What Does a Copywriter Do? A Small Business Guide to Copy That Converts with Yvette Haughton
Updated: Sep 15
You know you need words to market your business.
Words on your website.
Words in your emails.
Words on your sales page.
Words in your social media captions.
Words on your landing pages.
So. Many. Words.
But there's a difference between writing words and writing copy that intentionally helps someone take the next step with your business.
That's where a copywriter comes in.
If you've ever wondered what does a copywriter do, whether you actually need one, or why you would pay someone to write something you could technically write yourself, this conversation is for you.
I sat down with Yvette Haughton, a conversion copywriter and launch strategist known as the Copy Closer, to talk about the role copy plays in marketing.
And spoiler alert: it's about a lot more than making things "sound good."
A copywriter researches your audience, clarifies your message and strategically uses words to move someone from: "Huh, that's interesting."
to: "This is for me. What do I do next?"
Yvette is going to share exactly how to get your audience to do that on this episode of the Go Get Great podcast but before we dive into that, let's get to know each other.
If we haven't met yet, I’m Brittany, an online marketing strategist for female entrepreneurs. I teach women how to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality through smart, actionable marketing strategies that get them seen, loved, and paid. Whether you’re eager to DIY your way to success or hire professionals to help you along the way–my goal is to make sure you walk away with the clarity you need to see the results you desire and build a life you love.
Meet Yvettte Haughton
Yvette is your Copy Closer, The Conversion Copywriter and Launch Strategist for coaches, course creators, consultants, & service providers. With 6+ years in the copywriting space, and her ECC Blueprint as a guide, she crafts copy that builds brands, brings their messages to life, and converts prospects into clients and customers.
She specializes in sales funnel copywriting to help service providers just like you put their compelling offers online to convert their audience into clients/customers. Her high-converting sales copywriting positions her clients’ offers with compelling marketing messages that get their ideal audience to say, “heck yes!”
Let's get into it.
Table of Contents
What Is Copywriting?
Let's start with a basic copywriting definition.
Copywriting is persuasive writing designed to encourage someone to take a specific action.
And no, that action isn't always: BUY THIS IMMEDIATELY.
It could be:
Join my email list.
Download this resource.
Register for a webinar.
Book a discovery call.
Join the waitlist.
Reply to this email.
Click to learn more.
Or yes, eventually: Buy the thing.
That's one of the distinctions Yvette makes in this conversation.
Copywriting isn't necessarily about making an immediate sale. It's about helping someone take the next appropriate step in their relationship with your business.
That's why copywriting in marketing shows up almost everywhere.
Your homepage headline? Copy.
Your sales page? Copy.
Your launch emails? Copy.
The button that says "Book Your Call"? Also copy.
Tiny copy, but copy nonetheless. 😂
What Does a Copywriter Do?
So, what does a copywriter do beyond writing?
Quite a lot, actually.
A good copywriter isn't sitting down with a blank Google Doc and thinking: "What are some really fancy words I could use today?"
They need to understand:
Your business.
Your offer.
Your goals.
Your audience.
What your customers want.
What they're struggling with.
Why they haven't solved the problem already.
What objections could prevent them from buying.
How you sound as a brand.
And what you want the reader to do next.
Then they bring all of that information together into messaging that helps the right person understand why your offer matters.
That's why copywriting is part writing, part research, part marketing strategy and part understanding how people make decisions.
Yvette shares more about this in our full conversation on the podcsat, you can tune in here:
Copywriting vs. Content Writing
Copywriting and content writing overlap, but they're not exactly the same.
Yvette explains content as typically being more focused on education and information.
Think:
Blog posts.
Educational resources.
Ebooks.
Long-form social posts.
Podcast blogs like the one you're currently reading. 👋
Copywriting usually sits closer to an action or conversion.
Think:
Sales pages.
Website copy.
Landing pages.
Advertisements.
Launch emails.
Promotional captions.
Webinar registration pages.
A content writer might help someone understand a problem. A copywriter thinks about what needs to happen next.
That distinction isn't completely black and white.
I use copywriting principles constantly when creating social media content and emails because even educational content usually has some purpose behind it.
Maybe I want you to read another blog.
Listen to the podcast.
Download something.
Join my email list.
Work with me.
Good marketing often needs both content and copy.
What Copywriting Services Does a Small Business Need?
If you're looking at copywriting services and thinking: "Okay, but where should I actually spend my money?"
Start with your goal.
Yvette makes this point early in our conversation, and it's one of the most practical takeaways from the episode.
Don't hire a copywriter simply because someone told you that "successful businesses have copywriters."
Ask:What am I trying to accomplish right now?
If you're rebuilding your website, website copy may be the priority.
If you're growing your email marketing, you might need help with welcome emails, nurture sequences or sales emails.
If you're launching a new offer, you may need:
A sales page.
Landing pages.
Launch emails.
Webinar copy.
Social promotions.
Follow-up emails.
If your business is still very new, you might not need a huge done-for-you copywriting package yet.
Learning some fundamentals and getting really clear about your audience and offer may be the better investment.
The point is: Don't start with the deliverable. Start with the business goal.
Why Good Copywriting Starts With Research
This is the part of professional copywriting that's largely invisible. Research.
Yvette's process begins with getting to know the business itself.
What does the brand stand for?
Who does it serve?
What is the offer?
What are the goals?
What should the brand sound like?
Then comes audience research. A copywriter may look at:
Customer surveys.
Testimonials.
Client feedback.
Frequently asked questions.
Sales objections.
Competitors.
Online conversations.
And other places where ideal customers are already talking about their problems. This is sometimes called voice-of-customer research.
And it's powerful because your customers can often tell you exactly how to market to them.
Not intentionally, obviously.
But they'll say things like: "I feel like I'm constantly posting and nothing is happening."
That's much stronger than: "Are you experiencing suboptimal digital-marketing performance?"
Nobody talks like that, Susan. 😂
Using the language your audience actually uses can make your copy feel like it was written specifically for them.
Because in a way, it was.
3 Copywriting Formulas You Can Use Yourself
You don't have to hire a copywriter before you're allowed to use copywriting techniques.
Yvette shared three formulas you can use when you're staring at a blank caption, email or sales page wondering what on earth you're supposed to write.
PAS: Problem – Agitate – Solution
Start with the problem your audience has.
Then agitate it by explaining why it matters, how it feels or what happens when it isn't solved.
Finally, introduce the solution.
For example:
Problem: You're posting consistently but aren't getting inquiries.
Agitate: You're spending hours creating content without knowing whether any of it is moving people closer to your offers.
Solution: Create an intentional content strategy connected to your actual business goals.
Simple.
DOS: Desire – Obstacle – Solution
This one starts with what your audience wants.
Desire: What outcome are they trying to achieve?
Obstacle: What's stopping them?
Solution: How does your offer help?
This can work especially well when your audience already knows where they want to go but can't figure out how to get there.
AIDA: Attention – Interest – Desire – Action
This is probably one of the best-known copywriting formulas.
First, get their attention.
Then build interest.
Help them develop desire for the outcome.
Finally, tell them what action to take.
These frameworks can be used for everything from a short social caption to an email or full sales page.
The format changes. The basic psychology doesn't.
What Does a Launch Copywriter Do?
Yvette isn't only a copywriter—she specializes in launch strategy.
And a launch copywriter isn't just someone who appears the day before your cart opens and writes: "SURPRISE! BUY MY COURSE!"
A good launch starts well before the actual sales period. Which I also agree with.
Yvette compares it to a movie release.
You don't usually hear absolutely nothing about a movie until the morning it appears.
There are teasers.
Trailers.
Interviews.
Promotion.
Anticipation.
Then the movie comes out.
Your launch can work similarly.
Start with the date you want to launch and work backward.
Your pre-launch period might include:
Building a waitlist.
Talking about the problem your offer solves.
Creating educational content.
Promoting a webinar or lead magnet.
Collecting registrations.
Nurturing potential buyers.
Answering objections.
Then the actual launch period becomes one part of a larger customer journey rather than one frantic week where you're suddenly asking everyone to give you money for something they know nothing about. 😂
Copywriting Emails and Sales Funnels
Copywriting emails becomes particularly important during a launch because different emails have different jobs.
Someone who has never heard of your offer doesn't necessarily need the same message as someone who:
Registered for your webinar.
Attended it.
Visited the sales page.
Almost purchased.
Or joined a waitlist three months ago.
That's where funnels come in.
Yvette talks about both live launches and evergreen funnels.
A live launch requires your active participation during a particular period. An evergreen funnel automates more of that process.
For example, you might turn a live webinar into a prerecorded training.
Someone registers.
Receives the training.
Gets an automated email sequence.
Learns about the offer.
And can purchase without you personally running the webinar again.
That doesn't mean you build the automation and never look at it again. Evergreen funnels still need testing and refinement.
But strong copy allows the message to continue doing its job even when you're not personally delivering it in real time.
When Should You Hire a Copywriter?
You don't necessarily need to wait until an offer has been completely proven before hiring a small business copywriter.
But the stage of your business changes what the copywriter has to work with.
With a new offer, there may be more testing.
You don't have previous sales data.
You may not know every objection yet.
Your messaging may evolve once real people start moving through the offer.
With an established offer, there's more information.
You can review:
What converted.
Where people dropped off.
What questions came up.
Why customers purchased.
Why other people didn't.
Which messages got the strongest response.
That's why one of Yvette's recommendations is to debrief after a launch.
Talk to buyers.
Talk to people who didn't buy.
Ask questions.
Find out what happened.
Then use that information to make the next launch better.
Copywriting isn't: Write it once → never touch it again.
Your customers continuously give you information that can help improve your message.
How Copywriting Fits Into Your Content Strategy
Yvette uses a framework called the ECC Blueprint: Engage → Connect → Convert
Engagement helps people discover and become interested in your brand.
Connection deepens the relationship.
Conversion invites them to take the next step.
Not every piece of content needs to sell something.
But your overall marketing needs to eventually lead somewhere.
You might use:
Behind-the-scenes content to engage.
Educational or story-driven content to connect.
Sales-focused content to convert.
During a launch, that balance can shift.
Your pre-launch content may focus heavily on engagement and connection.
When the offer opens, conversion becomes more important.
Then afterward, you return to nurturing the relationship.
That's one reason randomly creating content without knowing what it's supposed to accomplish gets frustrating.
Before writing, ask: What is the job of this piece of content?
That one question can make your marketing considerably more intentional.
How to Use Testimonials in Your Copy
Testimonials are fantastic.
But: "Brittany was amazing! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐" only tells me so much.
A really strong testimonial tells a story.
Yvette recommends asking clients about three things:
Where were you before? What problem were you experiencing?
What had you already tried? Why wasn't it working?
What changed? What happened after working together?
Now a potential client can recognize themselves in the transformation.
Instead of: "This person liked Brittany." they're thinking: "Wait. That's exactly the problem I'm having."
And whenever possible, preserve your client's actual language.
You can lightly edit for clarity, but the goal isn't to turn their testimonial into perfectly polished marketing jargon.
Their real words are valuable.
What Copywriters and Designers Need From Each Other
One of the interesting things Yvette was learning when we recorded this episode was UX design for copywriters.
Because words don't exist separately from design.
Imagine writing: THE MOST IMPORTANT HEADLINE ON THE ENTIRE PAGE and then the designer makes it eight-point font and sticks it underneath a stock photo of two people shaking hands.
We have a problem. 😂
Ideally, copy helps inform the page structure.
A copywriter may create a wireframe showing:
Where the headline belongs.
Where supporting copy goes.
Where calls to action should appear.
Where images or video might support the message.
Then the designer takes that structure and makes it visually effective, on-brand and easy to navigate. Neither discipline needs to replace the other.
Good design helps people experience good copy.
Good copy gives the design something meaningful to communicate.
Can You Learn Copywriting Yourself?
Absolutely.
Especially when you're in the early stages of business and don't have the budget for professional copywriting services yet.
Learn one thing at a time. Start with the area you use most.
If email is your primary marketing channel, learn about copywriting emails.
If you're trying to improve your social media, practice hooks and CTAs.
If your website isn't converting, learn the basics of homepage messaging.
If you're preparing for a launch, learn how sales pages and launch sequences work.
You don't need to become a professional copywriter.
You need enough understanding to make your own marketing clearer until hiring support makes sense.
And practice matters.
Knowing what AIDA stands for isn't particularly useful if you never actually use it. Pick one framework from this post and try it this week.
What Yvette Learned About Saying No in Business
I also asked Yvette about one of her biggest business mistakes.
Her answer had nothing to do with punctuation, headlines or conversion rates.
It was saying yes when she should have said no.
She'd accepted rush work even when her gut told her the timeline wasn't realistic. And unsurprisingly, trying to squeeze too much work into too little time didn't create the best experience.
That's an important reminder when hiring—or being—a service provider.
Good work requires time.
Research takes time.
Strategy takes time.
Writing takes time.
Revisions take time.
Saying yes to something you don't realistically have capacity for doesn't necessarily serve the client.
Sometimes being professional means saying: "I can't do that by Friday." Even when you really want to help.
Copywriting FAQs
What is copywriting?
Copywriting is persuasive writing designed to encourage someone to take a specific action. That could include joining an email list, registering for an event, booking a call or purchasing an offer. You'll find copywriting on websites, landing pages, sales pages, emails, advertisements and promotional social content.
What does a copywriter do?
A copywriter researches a business, its audience and its goals, then creates strategic messaging designed to move the reader toward an action. Depending on the project, that may include website copy, sales pages, emails, advertisements, landing pages, launch messaging or promotional content.
What does a copywriter do for a small business?
A small business copywriter can help clarify your messaging, understand your customers and create marketing materials connected to your business goals. They may also conduct customer research, develop brand messaging, help plan launches and review previous marketing results.
What copywriting services can I hire someone for?
Common copywriting services include website copy, landing pages, sales pages, launch sequences, email campaigns, advertisements, webinar registration pages and promotional content. Some copywriters specialize in particular industries or types of projects.
What's the difference between copywriting and content writing?
Content writing generally focuses on educating, informing or entertaining an audience, while copywriting is more directly focused on encouraging an action. There can be significant overlap, especially in emails, blogs and social media content.
What does a launch copywriter do?
A launch copywriter develops messaging throughout the customer journey surrounding a launch. That can include pre-launch content, waitlist pages, webinar registration copy, sales pages, promotional emails, follow-up emails and post-launch messaging.
Can I do my own copywriting?
Yes. Small business owners can improve their copy by learning basic frameworks such as PAS, DOS and AIDA, researching their audience and getting clear about the goal of each piece of marketing. Professional support becomes particularly useful when the project is complex, high-value or outside your available capacity.
What makes good copywriting?
Good copywriting understands the audience, clearly communicates the value of an offer and gives the reader an appropriate next step. It should sound consistent with the brand while using language that feels familiar and relevant to the people the business wants to reach.
Final Thoughts: Start With the Goal
If there's one thing I want you to take away from my conversation with Yvette, it's this: Start with the goal.
Don't write an email because you think you're supposed to send an email.
Don't create a sales page because someone said every offer needs one.
Don't post something because Tuesday came around and apparently Tuesday means Instagram. 😂
Ask: What am I trying to accomplish?
Then:
Who am I talking to?
What do they need to understand?
What might be stopping them?
What action do I want them to take next?
That's really the heart of what a copywriter does.
They take your business goals, your audience's needs and your offer—and find the words that connect them.
You don't need perfect copy to start marketing your business.
But when your words clearly communicate what you do, why it matters and what someone should do next?
Marketing gets a whole lot easier.
For more marketing and business growth suggestions tune into the other 100+ episode of the Go Get Great podcast.
Episode References
Connect with Yvette
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Give us a follow if you're ready to take life from good to great, you'll be the first to know when we share more about motherhood and business. If it really resonated, the kids and I would do a happy dance if you left us a review 💗 ~ Brittany
00:00 Intro
3:45 What is a copy closer?
7:30 Investing in copywriting
9:45 Getting to know clients to improve your copy
13:40 Copy formulas for all businesses
17:40 Defining a launch strategy
27:10 Sales funnels to support your launches
31:00 When to work with a copywriter
35:50 Writing content that supports your audience
40:00 Testimonials & their impact on your copy
44:15 Learning about copywriting
46:30 Failure, and what Yvette learned
50:00 Personal development tips
55:00 Wrap up
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