CONTENT
The title of the 2011 Gang of Four album
A gap to fill, as Dave Trott describes it
“Everyone is so busy trying to keep up with new technology, no-one has time to think. Everyone is so busy creating content to fill gaps, no-one has time to question what goes into the gaps. Or whether the gaps are valid or necessary.” Dave Trott, Campaign 13 May 2016
As a copywriter, I do question what goes into the gaps. Because more often than not, content is just glorified catalogue copy. Even my daughter browsing the TOP SHOP website remarked how poor copywriting was, laughably so. Technology and the dictatorship of beautiful images have taken over meaningful, witty, catchy copy.
So, we have to wait for clients to re-invent the wheel. To realize that clever headlines and smart copy should be the job of copywriters, not whizz kids who can find their way round web management systems but don’t know the first thing about creative copy. Creativity is suffering as a result and it’s frustrating.
Whilst people are seen glued to their screens for hours on end, it doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate a good old fashioned headline. People are more clever than some give them credit for. They get easily bored and won’t be fooled by reading meaningless content. The success of websites like Unilad is proof that people will always prefer reading witty stuff than just stuff. So start to ask professionals to write proper copy instead of content + web management which has nothing to do with the skills we’ve gained over the years. Or you’ll miss out on real talent and experience and you’ll just end up with glorified catalogues, that people won’t bother reading.