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Have you ever wondered who is responsible for the magical words in the advert that can help sell your product or service? Or who is the best person to turn your boring website copy into an interesting write-up? If you have any troubles with text, you will want to find a copywriter for your company.

As a Production Recruitment Agency, we understand the importance of copywriting in the creative industry. Hence why, in this edition of What does a… do? we’ll discuss different aspects of copywriting.  Whether it is something you would like to pursue yourself or if you are looking to hire a copywriter – this article is for you.

What is Copywriting?

Copywriting is the process of writing promotional materials and descriptive texts for advertising and marketing. Anything that you read in your mailbox or see on the brands’ websites has been produced by a copywriter. Very often people refer to a copywriter as ‘a salesman in print’, because their job is to make an impact on the readers and get the targeted audience to take action, such as purchase or engaging with a company by using their services. That’s the main difference between copywriting and news or editorial writing.

What can you exactly expect from a Copywriter?

Copywriters provide you with fresh written content that is aimed to grab your targeted audience’s attention and convince them to take some kind of action – from purchasing a product to using your company’s services. Copywriters are responsible for both more creative texts and research-based copy, so you can expect them to write anything from advertisements, billboard slogans, emails, brochures, etc. Copywriters should know how to write for different mediums as well – from print and web, to radio and television. Quite often, copywriters work very closely with editors to brainstorm ideas and the tone of voice, and with designers or art directors when producing adverts.

Why do I need a Copywriter?

Copywriters are masters of words and phrases that will win over your potential customers. It’s worth hiring a freelance copywriter rather than producing copy yourself, especially when you find someone specialising in your field. Copywriters will make your website live and fresh, your adverts appealing and entertaining and any other marketing material thought-provoking. If you are looking to sell your products or services, a gripping text is one of the main factors of your success.

‘I want to hire a Copywriter’… What do I do?

Copywriters might work in-house for bigger advertising or marketing agencies, but a lot of them decides to work as a freelance copywriter. As with most roles in the creative and production industry, copywriters are judged by their portfolio of previous work rather than just work experience. If you are looking to book a freelance copywriter, the first thing you should check is their examples of work and then previous companies.

If you are looking to find a freelance copywriter in London, you should be prepared to pay their average daily rate of £300 – £350. Of course, the rates typically reflect the copywriter’s experience and may also vary for different types of copywriting.

How to become a copywriter?

Technically, you don’t need any formal qualifications to become a copywriter, however a bachelor’s degree in a field like Creative Writing, Journalism or English is definitely a bonus. A good blend of education and experience may be the perfect starting point of a copywriter’s career. If you are looking to write on specific subject, like chemistry or animals, you will need to prove yourself to be well versed in those subjects. When starting as a copywriter, it is good to make sure you include all your previous work in your portfolio – for example your writing for college and university. A lot of advertising and marketing agencies offer copywriting internships which are a perfect way of getting to know your industry and making important contacts.

As a copywriter, you will have to show not only creativity but also determination – it is a very competitive field, so you need to be prepared to work really hard to achieve your goals as a copywriter. Writing promotional materials also requires a skill of persuasion and social perceptiveness, as your copy needs to be modern and accurate, and convince people of the certain product or service.

Most important thing? Writing skills! Copywriters need to write with proper tone, feeling and emotion, without forgetting sentence structure and grammar.

We hope this article has helped you with understanding what exactly does a Copywriter do and why you might need one in your company. If you have any questions or would like to start a conversation, feel free to contact our Creative Resourcer Magda – magda@yellowcat.london