'Staplers need copy. Washing machines need copy. That new chocolate bar made from camel milk needs copy.
So what are you doing dreaming of writing for Nike?'

The creative aspect of advertising and writing is often the seminal attraction for budding writers and designers who first dream of making their way into the office spaces of the Saatchi and Saatchi’s of this world. For many, the very idea of sitting in a room full of creatives throwing ideas about on how to market a new product, talking about what it will look and sound like, the words you'll use, the taglines and billboards, advertisements and radio scripts - is often what gets us rushing to our computers to scour college websites and uni prospectuses in search of the perfect writing or media course

Unfortunately (or fortunately as the case may be) reality has a way of taming the wild enthusiasm that drives a lot of us to get into the writing business to begin with. We all at one stage or other have entertained the dream of creating the next 'Just Do It' tagline or writing the next IBM ad script, but we forget that the road to writing for Mercedes Benz or Coca Cola is fraught with smaller, less adrenaline inducing work.

And that's certainly not a reason to give up pursuing ad copywriting as a serious career.

What drives copywriters everywhere is the basic fact that 'everybody' needs copy. Titans, middling stalwarts or plucky contenders - businesses everywhere need copy in one form or another to sell their products and services effectively. Brochures, flyers, web copy, blogs, T-shirts, annual planners, advertorials, radio spots, bumper stickers, wallpaper, SMS, forehead tattoos - writers everywhere have ample opportunity to put pen to paper or finger to keypad in order to disseminate the all-important message of every marketable item. (Still doubting copywriting as a serious job opp?) And herein lies the fundamental challenge for good copywriters.

That's the fundamental challenge. The best copywriters tackle project briefs with a mindset of how they're going to get people to read their copy. From this anchor point, it's simply a question of filtering down a set list of components that constitute the question, 'How can I get someone to read my copy?' A brief only tells you so much. If your brief doesn't answer the following questions, rewrite your brief capture template or ask your client or agency these questions.

You'd be surprised how many copywriters falter at this basic step. Identifying a target audience is the most critical aspect of structuring a successful ad or marketing campaign. A lot of us get carried away with what we would like to read or what we 'think' will appeal to our clients. This process has to be scientific if it's going to be successful. If you can identify the 'who', 'what', 'where' and 'when' of your target audience, then you're half way there. The idea is to get into your customer's mindset and find out as much as you can about who they are. Tinker with all the questions they ask themselves before they finally trust and patronize one brand or product. Ascertain what processes they go through before making that decision.

Who is your target customer? How old are they? What is their sex? What do they do for a living? How much do they earn? How much disposable income might they have? Do they have children? What are their likes and dislikes? How educated are they? What cars do they drive?

These are referred to as psycho-social factors. Companies who aim at getting all your personal details from raffle draws and customer surveys are creating databases which will give them a detailed picture of who you are as a customer. Tesco has made a successful business of getting this right and are making huge returns on knowing their customers. So getting a picture of your customer and his or her habits will give you a very good idea of how to write for them in a way that they will respond to. Spend time on locking this down.

What is your customer looking for? What is their need? What do they already have? What is their spending power? What do they look for in a brand? What are the key things they want to hear or read about a product before considering it? What medium are they likely to receive my message on? What language, tone-of-voice or style will they identify with?

Think, think, think! Or get your client or agency to give this information to you.

Where does your target customer live and work? Where is your target audience likely to read or hear about your copy? Where are they likely to purchase the product? Where is the product likely to be used?

This information is likely to be given to you by the agency you are writing for. Aside from geographical locations of customers and outlets, a media plan of where, how and in what frequency your message will be disseminated will be constructed by a media planner and shared with you. Use this knowledge wisely to understand the space you will be writing for (radio, billboard, one-page advertisements, blogs.). Depending upon the share of mind you are likely to capture with the share of space you are writing for, you can determine how effective and successful your copy will be. Make it count.

When is the customer likely to come across your copy or message? When will your product be used? When does your target audience go shopping? When does the customer think of purchasing your product? When is your customer likely to recall your message?

Knowing the 'when' of your brief is key to writing correctly and effectively for any project. There is no point writing about the caffeine wonders of fresh Brazilian coffee when your radio spot is aired at night and you could be talking about how it helps listeners start their day the next morning. Again, time is a very important factor for gleaning how to write for a product or a customer. This is something that surprisingly, a lot of copywriters forget about.

Answer all these questions and you're already on your way to writing good and effective copy. By understanding your customer and their circumstances, you will get a very good idea of how they will receive your copy.

Once you've understood your target audience and how to address them, you need to understand what your message is and how best to get it across. Your brief should tell you exactly what the purpose of the copy is, for example, 'create awareness', 'sell', 'tease', 'introduce', etc. and then it should tell you what the message is. For example 'JAWS staplers are the strongest staplers in the world,' or 'Our properties are the most affordable luxury condominiums in Singapore .' It is essential that every advertisement or campaign has a single message that you try to get across with words and pictures. Advertising that attempts to get more than a single message across often dilutes the efficacy of the entire campaign or the specific ad. Don't diversify your message too much or you start wandering into advertorial territory. With relatively little space, you need to ensure that every word counts.

Of course it is important to understand what your client's competitors are doing in order to avoid 'me too' sounding campaigns, but if your ad brief is not about differentiating your product or client from other brands then focusing on their competitors might be a fruitless exercise. Advertising campaigns are usually about delivering a brand message or promoting a unique selling proposition (USP) for a company. Researching your client's competitors will give you an overview of the market and helps you understand your client's position with regard to the rest of its contemporaries. But if your brief is about delivering a certain message, it is more important to focus on the message you need to get across than worry too much about what competitors are doing. The notion behind this is that when consumers make a decision to buy a product, they do so for the product and not entirely because its USP is perceived as 'better than the next product.' So I would buy Tide washing detergent because I have a good perception of the brand rather than buy it because its attributes seem better in comparison to Ariel's or Omo's. Again, the focus is on appealing to the customer's 'wants' over anything else.

From here on, it's a 'filter down' process where once your copy is written, you revise it, immerse yourself in it and come out of the process gasping for air amongst a kazillion scrunched up pieces of paper and gallons of fresh Brazilian coffee. At this stage, get your copy tested by outsiders. Don't give them the brief - just ask them what your copy says to them. What the message is? Who they think it would appeal to and why? If they start describing your target consumer, you've done your job well.

While all of us do dream of writing for the big brands, we forget that we often start out writing for everyone else. I'm referring to the stapler and exhibition space selling companies of the world and the tire manufacturers and the web hosters because frankly, Starbuck's and Reebok also started out life as nobodies at one time or another. Put yourself in the shoes of the people who took these products and made them famous. They didn't start with the fancy stuff - the big ad spends and endorsements, the large banner ads and event sponsorships - they focused on the customer and the product and how the two relate to each other and created copy magic. Get that balance right and soon you could be pitching for the big leagues.

The joy of good copywriting is in seeing results. Whether its staplers today or outdoor signage tomorrow, each project brings its own challenges and it is the surmounting of those challenges, one project at a time, that makes you a better copywriter. Focus on the basics, outline and map your trajectory and ask a lot of questions. Soon you'll find yourself relishing the thought of writing for that new multifunctional spanner. Whatever it is, persist with it, because that's what good copywriting is all about.