Jul 30, 2026 · 35 min · 11 segments
Before he was a copywriter, he was a coal miner; a United States Marine; a commercial fisherman; a Parisian; a student; a nowhere man seeking words and drunken wisdom.
Tyler FreelandGuestTomHostSo why don't we start from the beginning in case people were as confused as you might have been in the beginning of your career.
What the hell is a copywriter and what do you do?

I think it's changing, and I think a lot of agencies or even in-house creatives sometimes don't really know what it is, especially with the long-form content and blogs.

A copywriter, in my perspective and how I guess kind of saw myself through the career, is someone who grabs attention, who makes you react to something, whether it be a click or I'll even take a grin if you're looking at the words.

They used to call it a salesman with words or what have you, which I can agree to some extent, but to me, it's about grabbing attention.
Okay.
What makes a good copywriter?

Um, but I, I definitely think that is an aspect, someone who's able to do something with three words, just do it.

Um, and able to convey a response in little, in as little words as possible, um, and may move people to act.

They need to learn the story behind the brand, the audience that they're speaking to.

They need to communicate both verbally and visually, writing the scripts, thinking through concepts, thinking through entire campaigns.

Like, how do I have this idea in my head? How do I convey that to design so that we can create this concept? Yeah.
So why don't we start from the beginning in case people were as confused as you might have been in the beginning of your career.
What the hell is a copywriter and what do you do?

I think it's changing, and I think a lot of agencies or even in-house creatives sometimes don't really know what it is, especially with the long-form content and blogs.

A copywriter, in my perspective and how I guess kind of saw myself through the career, is someone who grabs attention, who makes you react to something, whether it be a click or I'll even take a grin if you're looking at the words.

They used to call it a salesman with words or what have you, which I can agree to some extent, but to me, it's about grabbing attention.
Okay.
What makes a good copywriter?

Um, but I, I definitely think that is an aspect, someone who's able to do something with three words, just do it.

Um, and able to convey a response in little, in as little words as possible, um, and may move people to act.

They need to learn the story behind the brand, the audience that they're speaking to.

They need to communicate both verbally and visually, writing the scripts, thinking through concepts, thinking through entire campaigns.

Like, how do I have this idea in my head? How do I convey that to design so that we can create this concept? Yeah.
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