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What to look for in great copywriting samples (and 4 examples to inspire)

by Jess Thistlethwaite on

There's no disputing that great copywriting has the power to make or break a brand. Being able to target a specific audience, convey the uniqueness of the brand in question and persuade that audience to take action is a skillset that is highly in demand.

That's why companies who are at the research stage of partnering with a writer or agency find copywriting samples so useful. They are able to show what that writer can do and set realistic expectations for a fruitful relationship.

Whether you are a company that wants to know what to expect from great copywriting samples, or a writer who wants to see some examples of great copywriting and how to go about creating your own, we break it all down in this comprehensive guide.

Table of contents

  1. What are copywriting samples?

  2. What makes great copywriting samples?

  3. Great copywriting examples
    i. Tesco’s apple ad
    ii. The Economist
    iii. KFC
    iv. Harry’s

  4. How to write a copywriting sample
    1. Create a brief
    2. Look at examples
    3. Follow the hallmarks of great copywriting
    4. Check your grammar and spelling
    5. Add it to your portfolio

  5. Takeaway

What are copywriting samples?

Copywriting samples are examples of written content that a copywriter has created for clients. They typically feature as part of a professional writer or agency's portfolio. They can take many forms, including website copy, blog posts, social media posts, product descriptions, sales letters, email marketing campaigns, and more.

These samples serve as a demonstration of the copywriter's writing style, tone, and ability to communicate effectively with a specific audience. They may also showcase the copywriter's expertise in a particular industry or niche. Looking at samples before working with a writer or agency is a good way to gauge whether the company is a good fit for a brand.

What makes great copywriting samples?

Whether you're a writer or a company looking to work with a freelancer or digital agency, it helps to know what are the hallmarks of great copywriting samples. These include:

  1. Good match for your needs: If you're looking to identify a content writing partner then being able to see copywriting samples that reflect the kind of content you're hoping to create is a good start. This could include in terms of goal, voice, industry and audience.
  2. Clear message: Great copywriting samples should convey the message clearly in a way that can be understood by the target audience.

  3. Tone and style: The samples should reflect the tone and style appropriate for the target audience and the purpose of the piece. For example, if the copy is for a formal financial institution, the tone should be professional and serious.

  4. Engaging and persuasive: The samples should grab the reader's attention and keep them interested. They should also effectively persuade the reader to take action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service.

  5. Unique vision: Copywriting samples that are creative and unique can make a lasting impression on readers. Even if the brief wasn't a creative one, there's no point working with a writer who only copies what's gone before, so writing that accurately represents the uniqueness of the brand and its vision is key.

  6. Proof of impact: Ideally, great copywriting samples should demonstrate their ability to produce measurable results, such as increased sales, engagement or brand awareness.

Overall, great copywriting samples should showcase a copywriter's ability to effectively communicate a message to a specific audience while maintaining a clear, engaging, and persuasive tone.

Great copywriting examples

Now that you know what you need to do to create great copywriting samples, let’s take a look at some excellent copywriting examples and consider why they are successful.

Tesco’s apple ad

great-copywriting-samples-Copify-blog-3-740x493-1This advert was produced in 2005, and although it’s 15 years old, we had to include it on our list.

“What’s the difference between ours and our competitors?”

“Not much really. They’re the same quality as Waitrose. And the same price as Asda.”

Short, snappy sentences don’t always work, but in this case, it’s incredibly effective. The two copywriters behind Tesco’s apple ad used just the right balance of wit and personality, putting down both its cheaper rival and its expensive one. And they achieved this in just 25 words!

Short sentences won’t work in every piece of copywriting, so make sure you carefully consider who your target audience is and what you’re trying to sell before deciding on the most suitable tone to use.

The Economist

The Economist is famous for its intelligent advertising, and its witty and bold adverts were previously created by the late David John Abbott, who was regarded as the greatest copywriter of his generation.

“A poster should contain no more than eight words, which is the maximum the average reader can take at a single glance. This, however, is for Economist readers.”

This works so well because it has one clear message and the wording is simple. The call-to-action is very much there too, it is just cleverly disguised: if you want to read brilliant articles, you need to read The Economist.

KFC

great-copywriting-samples-Copify-blog-4-740x415-1When KFC UK ran out of chicken in 2018, its copywriters salvaged the brand’s reputation with a witty response that generated a lot of buzz.

“FCK… We’re sorry.”

Incorporating a clever play on words, the copy is effective because KFC takes responsibility, apologises and then laughs the whole crisis off.

Harry’s

So far, we’ve focused on ad copy, so for our final example, we’re going to take a look at Harry’s.

“Our founders, Jeff and Andy, created Harry’s because they were tired of overpaying for overdesigned razors, and of standing around waiting for the person in the drugstore to unlock the cases so they could actually buy them. When they asked around, they learned lots of guys were upset about the situation too, so they decided to do something about it.”

Their about page perfectly communicates what’s important to the founders while acknowledging a problem many of their buyers can identify with: expensive razors.

However, an about page also needs to address how it will solve the problem buyers have. Ultimately, it comes down to showcasing a business’ values – if people share these, they’re going to convert.

Read More: 4 great beauty copywriting examples

How to write a copywriting sample

Getting started as a copywriter can be tough, in part because it’s a huge business with beginners and pros alike. Like any great writer, you’ll need experience, but this isn’t always easy to find. That’s why writing great copywriting samples is one of the best things you can do.

An effective way to get hired as a copywriter, writing a sample is incredibly simple: you identify a copywriting job you’d like to do, and then you write a piece of copy that’s very similar to what that brief asks for.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at how to get started – we’ve listed some of our favourite examples of great copywriting as well to help inspire you.

1. Create a brief

It’s incredibly difficult to write a copywriting sample when you’ve got nothing to go on. Therefore, we believe the best way to start is to come up with your own brief.

It is a lot easier than you think. Simply choose a local business – this might be a hairdresser, plumber, or an accountant (it doesn’t matter too much) – and create a copywriting brief for them. You’ll need to decide what type of content you’re going to write as well, which might be a digital ad, a print advertisement, an email or a landing page.

The main thing to remember is you shouldn’t make this harder than it needs to be. After all, you probably don’t know very much about the company (other than what’s available online), so don’t attempt to write a 400-word web page if you know from the outset you’ll struggle to meet this.

If you need some helpful prompts, try the One Minute Briefs account on Twitter to inspire you daily. 

2. Look at examples

Looking at other web pages, ads or emails of a similar length and topic that you’ve chosen for your sample will be a big help here. This is especially true when you’re writing copy for ads, which can be relatively small.

There is nothing wrong with getting inspiration from other copywriters, just make sure yours is unique and shows off your personality (if the brief allows for this). You’ll often find that as long as you do plenty of research, words should flow pretty easily once you start writing.

3. Follow the hallmarks of great copywriting

Advertising guru Leo Burnett had some sage advice when it came to creating great copy:

“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.”

In essence, showcase your skills. You want to show the company the very best of what you can do, so take some time to cultivate your abilities, your voice and learn from the copywriting greats

Read More: The ultimate guide to persuasive copywriting

4. Check your grammar and spelling

great-copywriting-samples-Copify-blog-2-1024x680-1Although the main aim of copywriting is to raise awareness or encourage a purchase, it still needs to look professional and read well. However, when you’re writing your sample, you most likely won’t have someone on hand to check your writing for you. As such, we recommend making use of as many online tools as you can.

Grammarly offers spell checking, grammar checking and plagiarism detection, so it’s definitely a must-have. There’s the Hemingway Editor too, which tests your copy’s readability, counts the number of adverbs used, detects passive voice and highlights hard-to-read sentences. Finally, be sure to check out the Guardian and Observer style guide, which covers everything from abbreviations and acronyms to how to write dates, times and phone numbers correctly.

Read More: Essential grammar checklist for writers

5. Add it to your portfolio

You don’t need to worry too much about how your sample looks – the aim is to highlight your writing skills, so too much design work may detract from this. Using a Word document will be fine.

However, don’t simply present the sample without any context. You’ll need to include a header which explains a little bit about the business and your aim for the project. For example:

‘Ad copy for a hair salon [name of business] to promote their latest offer on colour and highlights.’

Read More: How to create a copywriter portfolio

Takeaway

Producing and sharing great copywriting samples is a core part of any brand-writer partnership. It's one of the initial stages that can help identify brand needs and set realistic goals and expectations.

It's also something every company should expect when they choose to work with a writer or copywriting agency, and it's something that can help copywriters set themselves apart and flex their skills.

✏️If you're looking to work with a copywriting agency, take a look at the clients we've partnered with and find out how to get a free copywriting sample today. 


Main image credit: Museums Victoria 

Internal image credits: Free-Photos, 955169, mikegi