Marketers are a social bunch and networking is an important part of career development in the field. You never know who will become a mentor, know of a job opening, or have a colleague who’s hiring copywriters. To keep the stress in check, it’s important that you’re a strong writer who loves the writing process, takes direction well, and can write and revise quickly.
Where Do Copywriters Work?
You could work as a copywriter in any industry you can imagine, including alternative energy, fashion, technology, media, waste management, space tourism, and more. I started my writing career as a journalist, which is a common route to copywriting. For the past 15 years I’ve worked as a copywriter for a digital marketing agency and in-house marketing departments and also as a freelancer.
Marketing Copywriter & Content Specialist for JDC
The main goal of content marketing is to deepen brand relationships, establish topic-area expertise, and confirm that a product, service, or company is the customer’s best choice. Modern copywriting evolved alongside newspapers and magazines and has adapted to every communication innovation since—from television and radio to the internet and social media. Whenever you pass a billboard, watch a commercial, scan a magazine advertisement, or scroll past a promoted social media post, a professional copywriter created the words you see or hear. If you’re serious about pursuing copywriting, it helps if you write consistently, even if it’s not professionally. So definitely work to hone your writing skills as you prepare for your career—and once you’re already in it.
What Education, Training, or Certifications Do You Need to Become a Copywriter?
Like Felber, she looks for flexibility and a dash of humility. “A great copywriter will need to check their ego at the brief,” she says. All companies that advertise or market their products or services need copywriters to ensure they capture attention and inspire sales.
Often copywriting directly addresses a customer problem, promises entertainment, or evokes an emotion. For example, the “Share a Coke” campaign put different first names on Coke cans to inspire positive thoughts of friendship. Copywriter job descriptions often indicate that experience is valued over education. If you don’t have a degree in writing, you can still find a job with a portfolio of great work. Even if you’re just starting out, you likely have writing samples to show, such as website copy you developed for a pro bono project. Explore the latest Robert Half Salary Guide for copywriter salary projections.
- You must be a strong writer to become a copywriter, but that’s not the only necessary skill.
- Copywriting is a fun career that offers day-to-day variety and collaboration.
- The emergence of artificial intelligence copywriting technology has raised concerns about the future of copywriting specifically.
- It requires a self-starter’s mindset, a love of language, and strong listening skills.
- You need to learn diverse subjects and industries quickly so you can write about them with confidence, which requires a blend of curiosity and tenacity on top of the ability to pinpoint relevant data.
- The main goal of content marketing is to deepen brand relationships, establish topic-area expertise, and confirm that a product, service, or company is the customer’s best choice.
One of the oldest surviving advertisements in English was printed on a small sheet of paper in 1477 by William Caxton, who wrote ad copy to sell a handbook for priests. Good written and verbal communication skills are vital because you’ll be interacting with teams and clients. You’ll need to explain, sell and defend your ideas, while remaining open to feedback and constructive criticism. Creativity, attention to detail, adaptability and marketing knowledge are also required. For more specialized industries (such as medicine, pharmaceuticals, engineering, or technology), companies may seek copywriters with a background in that field in addition to proven writing skills.
Un bon copywriter utilise la structure BAB
- Responding to constructive criticism and changing course are daily—even hourly—requirements for copywriters.
- When searching for copywriter jobs, pay close attention to the job responsibilities so you know what type of writer a company is seeking.
- “One with experience knows that your first idea, second, or even third—are rarely your best.
- Explore the latest Robert Half Salary Guide for copywriter salary projections.
- You could work as a copywriter in any industry you can imagine, including alternative energy, fashion, technology, media, waste management, space tourism, and more.
So strong writing skills are essential, but this is also a career where soft skills rise to the top. You need to learn diverse subjects and industries quickly so you can write about them with confidence, which requires a blend of curiosity and tenacity on top of the ability to pinpoint relevant data. “I look for someone who is deeply interested in almost anything,” Felber says. “Copywriters who have a strong journalism or education background are often curious people who go the extra mile and enjoy finding a story in anything and everything. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts Copywriter (EN) job a 2% decline in jobs for all writers and authors between 2019 and 2029.