Career as a Copywriter – Kickstart your career today!

Products are everywhere, and with the development of e-commerce, more and more products are accessible to us by the click of a button. But we’ve all been guilty of buying things we thought we wanted but did not need them. 

After all, it was a compulsive ad! The person who persuaded you into buying their product was probably a Copywriter. Do you have the persuasive writing skills of a copywriter?

Find out if you want to become a Copywriter with this article on your career as a copywriter. We have covered the career paths, job roles, skills, industries, and qualifications required to become a successful copywriter. 

What does a Copywriter do?

A copywriter writes or produces content to persuade the reader to take a particular action while advertising or marketing a good or service. (For example: Buy the item.) Depending on the niche or topic they have chosen, they conduct research, plan, and publish internet content.

The nature of the job demands the following duties and responsibilities:

• Work with numerous PR, marketing, and customer service personnel.
• Create convincing text by incorporating the ideas from a creative brief.
• Manage several projects at once, frequently with tight deadlines.
• Present to the company’s leadership, together with the underlying strategy.
• Selecting a marketing strategy and voice.
• Examining products to identify key marketing qualities.
• Creating sales copy for print, radio, websites, television, movie screens, billboards, catalogues, and store displays, among other media.
• Examining and editing written material before publishing to make sure it adheres to the style manual and professional standards
• Creating technical documentation and information-based material for manuals, books, handbooks, and multimedia products.

Job Roles for Copywriters 

A large part of your career growth depends on the area that you aspire to work in. We will discuss the statistics of it in the section- Is Copywriting a good career option? 

In your career as a copywriter, you will have the following options as job roles: 

• SEO copywriter:
  An SEO copywriter uses SEO techniques to create content that raises a website’s search engine rating. SEO Copywriters take into account keyword density and prominence, tone, style, and readability while writing copy.
  A tool like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, or Ahrefs can assist with this initial phase, which is choosing and employing the appropriate keywords.
• Product Copywriter:
  All copywriting is promotional, however, this form of copywriting is primarily focused on highlighting your product. This type of copywriting is writing to convince a person to use the product. 
• Creative copywriter:
  A creative copywriter offers ideas and words that speed up the impact of communications on the marketplace. They craft witty, catchy, and engrossing sentences that either sell something or improve the experience a customer has with a good or service.
• B2C Copywriter:
  The term “business to consumer” (B2C) refers to the practice of businesses selling directly to consumers. The stores and products that you buy have content written by copywriters. 
• B2B Copywriter:
  These businesses sell goods or services to other businesses because B2B stands for business to business. For B2B copywriting, you need to develop copy that attracts people who are presenting businesses.
• Ad Copywriter:
  The phrases, catchphrases, and audio scripts that go with advertising visuals are created by copywriters. To design and produce successful advertising, they collaborate with art directors.
• Social Media Copywriter:
  The messages that businesses employ in their social media posts are created by social media copywriters. They spend much of their time working with industry professionals, clients, and salespeople to turn promotional campaigns into a hashtag, phrases, or longer posts for different social media channels.

Career path for Copywriter

The career path to pursuing a career as a copywriter is fairly easy and gains relevance with experience and exposure. One can choose any stream after Grade 10 to become a copywriter. Probably the core skill that one should have, is effective and persuasive writing skill. 

Here are the career paths one can follow:

Path I

• Minimum of 55% in 10 + 2 or equivalent from a recognized board and university.
• Qualify university entrance exam
• Bachelors in Literature/Social Sciences/ Advertising/Mass Media/ Journalism and Mass Communication

Path II

• Minimum of 55% in 10 + 2 or equivalent from a recognized board and university.
• Qualify university entrance exam
• Diploma in  Copywriting/ Creative Advertising /Art Direction and Copywriting
• Bachelors in Literature/Social Sciences/ Advertising/Mass Media/ Journalism and Mass Communication

After either of the pathways, one can pursue a postgraduate degree in Linguistics, Journalism, Mass Communication, Social Science, Anthropology or related fields to build a career as a copywriter.

Salary in different stages of a career as a Copywriter

There are different ways in which one can have a career as a copywriter. Based on the roles mentioned above, here is an estimate of the average annual salary of the professions- 

Skills Required to become a Copywriter

• Written Communication skills and Creative writing:
  Writing gets better with practice, like most things. Consistent writing is helpful, even if it’s not done professionally if you’re serious about pursuing copywriting. Therefore, while you get ready for your career and once you’re in it, make sure to work on improving your writing abilities. 
• Research and Analytical skills:
  As was already said, a copywriter’s everyday responsibilities include research. Research is the first step in writing, and effective research techniques will enhance your abilities as a copywriter. 

• Digital Marketing or Marketing skills:
  In addition to being creative thinkers, copywriters are expected to be strategic marketers as well, especially as they gain experience. As part of your continued professional growth, you should make sure to stay current on marketing trends and cutting-edge marketing technologies since the industry is constantly evolving.
• Critical thinking:
  To write about different topics and industries with confidence, you need to quickly become acquainted with them. To do this, you need a combination of persistence and curiosity, as well as the ability to find the right information.
• SEO analytics:
  Since a company’s entire profile may be found online, SEO expertise is required. Learning about keyword research, keyword tools, and effective methods to use keywords in your writing is helpful.
• Proofreading:
  Knowledge of spelling, grammar, and punctuation is essential to being able to proofread in your career as a copywriter. You will have to look through the final drafts and correct the grammatical or syntactical errors, and ensure the content is well formatted. 
• Adaptability:
  Working on multiple projects isn’t easy, at the same time, working with multiple stakeholders adds to the complexity of the field. You should be able to adapt to multitasking. 
• Collaboration:
  You must work on several projects at once and write for various media platforms if you want to succeed as a copywriter. Collaboration with several departments, including public relations, customer service, etc., would also be required. 

Is Copywriting a good career option?

The job prospects for copywriters are determined by the sort of copywriting they desire. Despite the fact that copywriter positions are common in the advertising sector, traditional media copywriters’ employment isn’t likely to grow significantly in the near future.

According to Career Explorer, from 2016 to 2026, the market for copywriter jobs would only rise by 7.6%. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the growth rate for all writer employment will fall by 2% between 2019 and 2029. Digital marketing specialists and digital content creators both had hiring growth of roughly 33% and 49%, respectively.

There will always be a need for copywriters as long as people are trying to convince one another to do a particular action, whether it’s to sign up for a free offer, purchase a product or anything in between.

Type of industries Hiring a Copywriter

Copywriting has its roots in the 15th century, it is said to be one of the oldest crafts in advertising. Along with print media and television and others, modern copywriting has evolved and gained prominence in various fields. From social media to advertisements, and scripts, copywriters work almost everywhere. 

A few industries that hire copywriters are:

• Advertising agency
• Entertainment and Media
• Publishing houses and magazines
• Marketing agency
• Medical and Healthcare
• Travel and tourism agencies

Top Recruiters for Copywriters in India

Based on the above-mentioned industries that hire Copywriters, here are a few companies you can work in your career as a copywriter. 

1. Write Right
2. Taletel
3. Texttaur Communication
4. FlowInk Pictures
5. Webs Utility Global
6. SEO Content India
7. The Best Copywriter
8. Freelancer
9. TCS
10. Leo Burnett

Courses to upskill as a Copywriter 

One of the professions that offer a lot of freelance chances is copywriting. Consequently, a variety of online certificate courses on copywriting are accessible online.

These courses also provide projects that can be added to your portfolio of a career as a copywriter. Here are a few certificates courses one can try:

Create a YouTube video for Domino’s using Clever Harvey’s JuniorMBA in Advertising course to practise copywriting and build your portfolio with a real business project.

Qualifications to become a Copywriter 

‘Persuasive writing’ is a crucial concept to keep in mind when studying how to become a copywriter. As a result, great writing and communication abilities are required for this occupation. A bachelor’s degree, writing experience, and certificates are preferred among prospective candidates.

To learn more about the educational qualifications required for a career as a Copywriter, and the top colleges in India and abroad, refer to the article How to become a Copywriter.

Degrees in India

Even though a two-year diploma can lead to an entry-level copywriting position, but earning a 3-4 years undergraduate degree will give you an advantage when applying for jobs. 

An undergraduate degree in the arts, literature, marketing, business, or a related discipline would be beneficial as a copywriter because one must write for brands and businesses.

UG degree 

Your written communication abilities will improve while getting you solid exposure to the advertising industry with a degree in literature, the arts, marketing, advertising, psychology, etc. In order to promote user activity, understanding consumer psychology is a significant asset.

Here are a few undergraduate degrees you can pursue for a career as a copywriter:

• Bachelors in Arts with specialization in Literature
• Bachelors in Social Sciences
• Bachelors in Advertising
• Bachelors in Mass Media
• Bachelors in Journalism and Mass Communication

PG 

The eligibility criteria to apply for a postgraduation degree in India are as follows-

• A minimum graduation score of 50% or equivalent grade point average from any discipline. 
• Qualify for entrance exams such as – the JMI Entrance Exam( Jamia Millia Islamia), IIMC Entrance Exam (Indian Institute of Mass Communication), SAT India (Scholastic Assessment Test), CUET, AIMCET 

Here are a few postgraduate degrees you can pursue for a career as a copywriter:

Degrees Abroad 

One can apply for a Diploma or undergraduate degree abroad to begin a career as a copywriter. The eligibility criteria and the colleges are mentioned in the blog. 

You can apply for a bachelor’s in Advertising: Copywriting Concentration, Advertising: Creative Advertising, Communication and Media, Communication: Advertising, etc. the duration of these courses are 3 years. Followed by which one can apply for an entry-level position or pursue a postgraduate degree.

The eligibility criteria for applying for a postgraduate degree abroad to have a career as a copywriter are-

• A 65% overall average for a bachelor’s degree in any stream (preferably arts) from an accredited university or college
• Submit a score from any of the English Proficiency examinations, including Duolingo, IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE.

Here are a few postgraduate degrees you can pursue abroad for a career as a copywriter:

References for a Copywriter

Books to read on Copywriting:

• The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-by-step Guide to Writing Copy that Sells by Robert Bly
• Words That Sell by Richard Bayan
• Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy
• Wired for Story by Liza Cron
• The Adweek Copywriting Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America’s Top Copywriters by Joseph Sugarman
• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
• The Boron Letters by Bond Halbert and Gary Halbert
• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
• Read Me: 10 Lessons for Writing Great Copy by Roger Horberry, Gyles Lingwood  
• Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples

Copywriters you can follow:

• Demian Farnworth (@demianfarnworth)
• Joe Coleman (@JOETHECOLEMAN)
• Joanna Wiebe (@copyhackers)
• Brian Clark (@brianclark)
• Laurence Blume (@freelancecopywr)
• Henneke Duistermaat (@HennekeD)
• Amy Harrison (@HarrisonAmy)
• Aaron Orendorff (@iconiContent)
• Gari Cruze (@garicruze)
• Jen Havice (@jenhavice)

The pandemic and the normalization of remote work have both contributed to the boom in freelance copywriting in recent years. The capacity to adapt is also required to manage projects and fulfil employer needs. Overall, it’s a profession with the ability to bring in a consistent income.

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