OFFER ENDED - Can a copywriter be a good creative strategist? Stefan Georgi doesn't seem to think so

[SOLD OUT] I saw this conversation on Twitter and thought it worth sharing with you

>> Among all the Creative Strategist skills tests I've seen recently (30+): Copywriters surprisingly make the worst candidates when they try to fit this role. They often miss or dismiss the importance of visuals and focus too much on overt direct response. – Jason / @JasonJh1319

>> This actually doesn't surprise me too much. Most copywriters have the mentality of "I get paid to write words." This was true pre-AI and many of them haven't changed their ethos to get with the times. Meanwhile the great copywriters have always acted as creative strategists - providing input on crucial design decisions. That's one of the things that made them great. – Stefan Georgi

And here's a conversation I took part in on Facebook.

>> “It’s over for copywriters, everyone wants a creative strategist now.” Bruh a creative strategist is literally just a f***in meta ads copywriter, calm down. – Sean Ferres

>> It is just copywriting. – Nabeel Azeez

>> And strategy... and briefs. So long as you can write a creative brief and analyze data, you're gucci. – Heidi Anspauch

>> I agree with you. That's copywriting. – Nabeel Azeez

What this looks like to me is there's a divide in understanding what copywriting is.

And that divide exists between...

Copywriters who started before it was sold as a “business opportunity” by course creators
Copywriters who started after

The first group had no courses or YouTube channels to learn from.

They had to read books and old newsletters and watch or listen to tape recordings (or hope those newsletters and recordings had been put online.)

They had to hand-copy sales letters and advertorials and magalogs.

And in the course of doing so, they picked up the “media” skills along the way.

A-pile/B-pile
Space ads
Editorial
Media buying
…And so on

The second group got into copywriting from a course that promised they'd make 10k per month working two to four hours a week writing emails in Google docs.

You can see the difference.

So what does that mean for you?

It's simple.

If you're from the second group and you want to keep working as a copywriter, you're going to have to pick up some new skills.

Become a voracious consumer of online media - organic or paid, it doesn't matter
Storyboarding
Pillars / Concepts / Hooks
Project management for media production

Is there writing involved?

Yes.

That'll be maybe 10% to 20% of your work.

The remaining 80% to 90% will involve creativity and strategy.

So if you want to keep working as a copywriter, you have a choice to make.

One, you can try to figure all of this creative strategy stuff out yourself.

It's doable for sure.

But it'll take you a while.

And I have the perfect resource to get you started.

Two, you can pay someone to help you.

And with their help, do in 3 months what it would take you 1 year to do alone.

Here also, I have the perfect resource.