At it's heart, the role of a copywriter is that of a modern day storyteller. It shouldn't be understated; few other roles gives you the chance to capture the imagination of millions of people worldwide - whilst potentially having a huge impact on the success of an organisation.
In the digital age there has been an explosion of copywriting jobs, mainly focusing on writing content for websites, emails, social media, blogs and advertisements. In fact (according to the Content Marketing Institute) 73% of businesses have a content marketing strategy - so there is almost unlimited opportunity for aspiring copywriters. As a career it is both remote suited and suitable for freelancing or finding contracts, which can lead to incredible opportunities for travel and working on your own terms. There are relatively few barriers to entry (such as required qualifications) with more of a focus on being an excellent writer.
If you can write well, capturing a brand’s messaging and adapting your copy to be original, persuasive, informative or engaging as needed then a career as a copywriter could be for you.
A career as a copywriter is more than putting words on a page - it means being a storyteller. Many copywriters get to dive into an incredible range of topics, bringing their employers or clients ideas to life with the written word. Opportunities to work in-house are plentiful, as nearly all businesses can benefit from a great writer.
As well as that, working as a copywriter has the potential for almost unlimited freedom. Excellent copywriters will almost certainly be able to find freelance opportunities and work for themselves. Many of these (and many employed positions) offer remote options. Stay-at-home mums who value flexibility, digital nomads dipping their toes in a swimming pool in Bali and anyone in between could enjoy the incredible flexibility of being a copywriter.
Don't be mistaken into thinking that the role of a copywriter is a walk in the park though. As a desirable job, there will be competition - and you can expect hard graft in both landing a role and excelling within it.
Copywriters must have excellent writing skills, to ensure that their content is factually and grammatically correct, in well-formed English (or whichever language they are writing in).
Often they must adapt to a given industry / topic - or better yet, to a specific customer action or business requirement. This is particularly relevant for sales copy, for example, where a copywriter must consider whether their work will make a customer or client want to buy.
A good copywriter can also research, edit and proofread, and may have knowledge of SEO optimisation. They require creativity, attention to detail and good time management are all required to excel.
Being able to string a sentence together is only half the battle; copywriters at the top of their game have to be flexible, adaptable and versatile. They need great attention to detail, but also may have to hit tight deadlines - all the while maintaining a constant flow of creativity.
It's a challenging role - with incredible potential upside for those who get it right.
Responsibilities
In a nutshell, a copywriter must create high-quality written content. Here is a summary of some of the typical responsibilities of most copywriters.
Writing Engaging Copy.Copywriters produce content for various platforms, usually including websites, emails, social media, blogs, brochures and advertisements.
Research.Usually good copywriters are good researchers - they may need to delve into the target audience, industry trends, competitors or subject matter.
Editing and Proofreading.Oftentimes a copywriter will need to edit and proof-read either their work or the work of others to ensure clarity, grammatical accuracy and consistent messaging.
SEO Optimisation.When writing for blogs or creating website pages, many copywriters will be asked to optimise their content for search engines, to ensure that it ranks well.
Collaborating.Copywriters will have to work closely with marketing teams, graphic designers, SEO departments and more in order to align with the rest of the company.
Key skills & traits
Being a good copywriter isn’t as simple as picking up a pen (or keyboard) and getting to work. Here are some key skills and traits that will help!
Excellent Writing Skills
A copywriters’ medium is the written word. To succeed, they must have excellent command of language, grammar and style.
Methodical
A good copywriter has to be meticulous in checking their work and research, to ensure accuracy, consistency and error free writing.
Creativity
One of the most important measures of good copy is engagement. Writing engaging content requires a copywriter to be creative, so that their content is engaging and original.
Persuasion
Most digital written content (including emails, blogs and website pages) are usually written with an end-goal in mind, which is to make the user take a further action. Elite copywriters will bear this in mind and write accordingly.
Adaptability
The best content writers can adapt to different styles. They consider whether their copy is supposed to persuade, engage, inform, etc, and adapt their content appropriately.
Good Time Managers
A copywriter has to balance research, drafting, writing and editing in order to submit their work in a timely manner. Good time management is a must!
Education & qualifications
If you’re looking for a job as a copywriter then one piece of good news is that many companies won’t have strict requirements for qualifications or certifications. As long as you can prove you are a good writer, you stand a fair chance.
With that said, one thing which is really important is having a good portfolio to showcase your creativity and excellent writing. If you can really impress a company with a great presentation of your craft, you stand a chance - no matter your age or formal education. As with any role, requirements will likely vary between companies.
Lifestyle
As a copywriter, it's unlikely you'll earn as much as a CEO, or a high-profile banker or lawyer. Not impossible - but unlikely.
As you might expect then, for many copywriters it is lifestyle - not salary - that is the driving motivator. Copywriting is an extremely accessible and popular choice for anyone who might want to work remotely whilst travelling, or enjoy a hybrid position. It lends itself perfectly to a 'side-hustle' that you can start from anywhere with a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection, and potentially grow into a business of your own.
Generally it is not thought of a stressful job, however you should certainly be deadline-oriented. Plenty of copywriters enjoy their job, however it can be a struggle to reach higher wages without specialising. On top of that, constant creativity requires plenty of mental energy - good for those who enjoy a challenge!
95%
Remote Suited
One of the most suited jobs to working remotely - however some companies may require you to work from the office.
15%
Stressful
Generally, copywriting is not considered a stressful job, however freelancers or agencies may have some stress-inducing deadlines to contend with.
90%
Work Life Blance
Very good opportunities for work life balance. Freelancers and contractors may be able to dial their workload up and down.
Our collection of reviews from industry professionals have scored being a web designer as 4.7 out of 5 on average.
38/hrs
Weekly
Typical working hours for an an employer are a standard 38 hours / week. Self-employed or freelancers have more control over hours worked.
Salary data
The average salary for a web designer in the UK is £29,000. Entry level web designers can expect to make about £20,000 per year, with more senior copywriters pulling in over £36,000. An intermediate freelancer may expect to earn £20+ per hour.
£23,000
Entry
£29,000
Average Salary
£36,000
Senior
£23,000
Entry
£29,000
Average
£36,000
Senior
Career path
There is no "typical" path for a copywriter. They may move into the career from marketing, journalism or other forms of work that involves writing - or perhaps after graduating in a related subject. Ultimately though, those with a talent for the written word may be able to build a career with no experience whatsoever!
Junior Copywriter
Working as part of a wider marketing team to create copy, perhaps with the help of a senior copywriter or editor. Usually collaborating with web designers, digital project managers or SEO managers to reach a desired goal.
Copywriter
Expected to take more responsibility than a Junior Copywriter when it comes to time management, researching, editing and proofreading for their own work. A mid-level or senior copywriter may also be expected to handle greater diversity of projects and contribute to marketing strategies.
Specialist Copywriter
At a senior level, it’s likely that a copywriter will be expected to have a track record of results within a given specialism. This may be a specific industry (such as science-based or sales-based). Similarly, in the digital realm it is likely that a high-level copywriter will be aware of SEO techniques and be able to optimise their content accordingly.
The career path of a copywriter doesn’t have strict requisites - often it will require a good previous portfolio and work experience rather than formal education or certifications. With that said, some companies may require certain A-levels or a related university degree, and often these will stand you in good stead.
It is likely that as a copywriter progresses through their careers, they will specialise - for example, accumulating a portfolio in a specific niche such as health. With that said, being a generalist who can adapt to different niches can also be an advantage.
A copywriter may work “in-house” (providing copy only for one business or organisation) or for an agency (who provide content to other businesses as a service). Either can be superbly interesting roles, though working for an agency may offer more variety! A copywriter may be promoted to various positions within these companies, handing other areas within digital marketing or running a team of writers / editors.
They may also become a freelancer or contractor, and an experienced copywriter with an entrepreneurial mindset may be able to start their own content agency. This path can offer massive upside, with potential for earning more, increased flexibility, working when you choose and much more!
History of the profession
Almost since the birth of the written world, writing has been an important part of business, particularly in advertising. How an organisation communicates something can be almost as important as what it is communicating.
Arguably though, it has never been as important as it is today. With the rise of the internet, almost every business could benefit from a good copywriter in some shape or form.
3100-300 BCE
Ancient Civilisations
The roots of copywriting can be traced back far into ancient history - for example in Ancient Egypt, where merchants used inscriptions and papyrus scrolls to advertise. These early forms of advertising were primarily informative rather than persuasive, promoting goods and services in marketplaces.
1800’s
The Industrial Revolution
With the rise of mass production during The Industrial Revolution, the role of advertising became more prevalent. As the first printed ads appeared in newspapers, companies began to recognise the need for persuasive writing to promote their products.
Early 1900’s
The Birth of Modern Copywriting
During the first half of the 20th Century, copywriting began to take a more structured approach, with agencies hiring dedicated copywriters. We can still see and learn from some of these adverts today, such as the famous “They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano - But When I Started To Play!” - by copywriter John Caples.
1960’s - 1990’s
A Creative Revolution
The 1960’s saw a creative revolution in advertising, with brands focusing more on creativity, humour, storytelling and brand personality to capture the hearts of consumers. Influential copywriters such as David Ogilvy began to emphasise understanding the consumer to help create effective messaging.
1990’s - 2010's
The Digital Age
The internet dramatically transformed copywriting, as a huge percentage of businesses established an online presence.With the rise of Google, SEO became a crucial aspect of copywriting - giving content writers another important consideration for their copy. The emergence of social media, email and content marketing further evolved the relationship between the copywriter and their audience.
2020 - onwards
Working Remotely.. Alongside AI
With millions of businesses worldwide who need great copy to survive in the digital era, opportunities had never been higher for copywriters.
Then, of course, came the COVID-19 pandemic - normalising remote work across the world. Copywriting had quietly been growing a reputation as well-suited for digital nomads, but it was certainly no longer a secret that almost anyone could have a go at copywriting from anywhere in the world - as long as they had the skills to get by.
Alongside this though came ChatGPT, closely followed by other forms of AI. Suddenly it was easier than ever to generate written content in seconds - and as the technology improves, many wonder if the competition of AI could edge out the role of the copywriter.
Could a human writer ever be replaced? We'll have to wait and see...
Reviews
We think that hearing from other professionals in the field is perhaps the best way to figure out whether a career as a copywriter could be a good fit for you.
Copywriter for 4 years
Paul
As a copywriter I feel like I make a good living. You don’t need a formal education and the job has some esteem - you can make an impact. The only thing is that people underestimate how hard writing good copy is. And how much time it takes. Like when I receive a horrible first draft accompanied by "we're almost there I think, can you just have a quick look and add your comments?"
💰£35,000Annual salary
💼38Weekly hours
🏝️80%Remote suited
🤷♀️20%Stressful
⚖️80%Work life balance
Copywriter
Laura
I love helping people and recommending products or services in a way that’s natural, like a trusted friend or colleague would. I like to step into the target prospect’s shoes and really think about what they feel, how they think and how the product can genuinely help them. I love what I do and every day I improve.
💰£29,000Annual salary
💼40Weekly hours
🏝️90%Remote suited
🤷♀️10%Stressful
⚖️80%Work life balance
Copywriter
James
I love the range that being a copywriter offers. Right now I’m writing upcoming web series for an agency, email and social campaigns for a global creative brand, and am working on a social campaign focused on improving representation of the Black community. Before this, I wrote in the e-commerce space.
💰£30,000Annual salary
💼40Weekly hours
🏝️75%Remote suited
🤷♀️10%Stressful
⚖️80%Work life balance
Similar careers
The following careers are similar to copywriting, or may work closely with a copywriter.
Want to learn more about being a copywriter? We’ve put together a great collection of resources to help you learn about or prepare for your career. There is plenty to learn and improve your changes of landing your first job as a writer.
Video
Learn Copywriting in 76 Minutes | Harry Dry
How do you write copy that can’t be copied? This in-depth video with successful copywriter Harry Dry is an inspiring place to start and is sure to give you ideas to help you become a better writer.
UpWork are a freelancing website where copywriters (among other freelancers) can find work. Their guide is a great place to start, and picking up some freelance copywriting gigs could help you land a free time role.
Copywriter's Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Copy that Sells
A very informative, straight to the point and easy read. Whether you have an interest in getting into copywriting or want to refresh your knowledge, this fourth edition has up-to-date information for the digital age.
When copywriter Chris Silvestri first started out, he wished that he had been able to take a peek into what an average day in the life looked like as a copywriter. Now he’s recorded what he does on a typical day.
If you’re considering becoming a copywriter, it’s easy to find articles promising unlimited freedom, few hours and piles of cash. We’ve included this one to give a more realistic opinion of being a copywriter.
We mentioned David Oglivy during the History of Copywriting section of this article. Widely hailed as the "The Father of Advertising,” many of the lessons and mistakes in his book are still relevant today, despite the fact that some of the content is a bit dated.
With bite-sized half-an-hour episodes, any aspiring copywriter can add the Copywriters Podcast to their daily routine and digest invaluable lessons from storyteller David Garfinkel.
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