The Changing Role of the Copywriter

If there’s one thing Ken Segall knows, it’s how to name something. He’s the guy that named the iMac, creating a whole new lexicon of i-this and i-that. Ken also knew a thing or two about naming job positions. I worked for him once and he made sure that my official title was not Sr. Copywriter, but Sr. Writer. To paraphrase Ken: It’s not an accurate term anymore; a copywriter does so much more than write copy.

In her new book The Idea Writers, Teresa Izzi says,

Copywriters today are storytellers, conversation keepers, curators and inventors. They are idea generators, executors and technology savants.

Whatever you want to call a copywriter, there’s no doubt that the rise of social media and dominance of digital has changed the copywriter role. For the healthcare copywriter, these changes give us a chance to contribute to a brand new world of meaningful content.

The buzzword du jour: Engagement

Like all writers, I don’t like buzzwords, but this one will probably be around for a long time. Engagement, or getting an audience involved with a brand, is everyone’s goal, and it particularly impacts the writer.

These days, writers don’t just create integrated campaigns that ask consumers to “Call, click or come by.” Now we create brand experiences with multiple touchpoints that invite people to “Share your story on our Facebook page.” Or “Upload your video to our YouTube channel.” Or the widely overused “Join the conversation.”

In other words, copywriters aren’t the only ones doing the talking anymore. Often, we’re creating new ways to get consumers to talk back.

What does this mean for the healthcare copywriter?

Fortunately, it is a little easier for healthcare writers than it is for writers in some other industries to get audiences to engage.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my venture into healthcare advertising, it’s that people who have been through health problems have a deep desire to give back to others. They’re eager to go online and share stories about the cancer treatment that worked for them. Or talk about a health plan that gave them access to affordable care. If we provide the right platform, our audience will participate.

Try getting people passionate about a can of soup or a new toothbrush. Sure, it’s possible, but it’s not so easy.

Today’s new methods of brand engagement allow healthcare copywriters to contribute so much more than campaigns and ads. We can help patients connect with and support each other through social networks. We can facilitate information sharing among doctors through online communities. We can create rich content that improves each other’s lives. Our opportunities are only limited by our imaginations.

We also get the opportunity to branch beyond the traditional art director/copywriter team and work with a whole new team of experts to make an idea happen. Here at HCB Health, you’ll often find a big group of traditional creatives, social media gurus and digital producers all in a room together concepting.

It’s an exciting time to be a healthcare copywriter. Excuse me: writer.

Are you a writer working on a project that goes beyond traditional advertising? Tell us about it in the comments section and share a link to your work.