How to Become a Copywriter

About Copywriter

Despite a creative title, the job of a copywriter is not as easy and fun as it sounds. Copywriters mainly work with advertising agencies to develop content and advertising concepts. They usually work in close association with art directors and add lots of input to the visual elements to make it look creative. The main job of the copywriters is to interpret and understand the needs and mindset of the target audiences and the characteristics of the product. There are many types of copywriters, from marketing copywriter to technical copywriter, to digital copywriter to SEO  copywriter. The job role and responsibilities of copywriters vary as per their industry and nature of the job. 

Someone who creates content for marketing or advertising is known as a copywriter. A copywriter is in charge of creating content for websites, emails, catalogues, and advertisements that includes a call to action. Copywriters are in charge of writing the text for advertisements and articles that are primarily used for publicity or promotion.

Ambitious candidates can pursue Undergraduate or Postgraduate Journalism Courses in any subject to become copywriters. But many employers favour candidates with a Master of Arts in English. Top MA colleges and journalism schools in India accept applicants based on the results of entrance exams. Although there is no defined salary range in this industry, a fresher can expect to make at least INR 2 - INR 2.5 LPA. One's level of expertise and experience as a copywriter will largely determine their pay. Some work for themselves as independent copywriters. Copywriters may progress to positions as creative directors in various advertising agencies or as advertising managers in product-based businesses with experience, strong skills, and additional training.

Roles and responsibilities of a Copywriter 

The copywriter is responsible for a variety of tasks, including: 

• Studying and comprehending the main features of products or services in order to create content
• Planning and creating promotional content to engage customers and increase sales
•  Assisting creative directors in developing advertising and promotion ideas for a brand or its products
• Writing advertisements for a variety of platforms such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television, billboards, websites, blogs, and social media, among others
• Writing brochures, annual reports, sales and promotional materials, and other documents

To pursue a career in copywriting, the aspirant must be a natural writer. One must have a solid foundation in English from the school level.

The media industry relies heavily on copywriting. It is in high demand; every company, whether service- or product-oriented, requires someone to write catchy and crisp content for Marketing in order to increase brand awareness and convert users into customers.  

Eligibility to become Copywriter

To become a copywriter candidate must have a bachelor's degree in any related field. However, a copywriter must have a portfolio regarding his work. The qualification and training for a copywriter are not as important as the portfolio. The portfolio of a copywriter should consist of 20-25 pages of speculative ads which depict your creative sight. A good portfolio is filled with Ad campaigns.

Eligibility for UG Courses:

• Candidate must a bachelor’s degree in any field.
• There is no age criteria to be a copywriter.

Eligibility for PG Courses:

• Candidate must have a bachelor's degree in the respective or related to pursue a postgraduate diploma/master's in this field.

Steps to become a Copywriter

Some of the most important steps to becoming a copywriter are listed below for your convenience.

Step 1: Obtain academic credentials to advance your career

It is not necessary to possess any formal academic credentials to work as a copywriter. However, some employers and agencies might insist on only hiring applicants who have at least earned their diploma. Employers might prefer hiring applicants who have taken professional courses in marketing, journalism, mass communication, or literature because copywriting is a competitive industry.

Step 2: Understand the fundamentals of copywriting

Before applying for jobs, you might want to consider becoming familiar with the copywriting workflows. You should have a solid grasp of both human psychology and the needs of your target audience if you want to succeed in this field. Although it's important to use your own writing voice and creativity, you must put the needs and instructions of the client first.

Step 3: Become more proficient in writing communications

Copywriters produce textual material for particular purposes while adhering to standards and requirements set forth by their clients. You might think about putting your knowledge of written communication to use to accomplish this successfully. This will assist you in increasing your vocabulary and enhancing the clarity of your writing, along with developing a good reading habit.

Step 4: Identify your genre

You can write a variety of content as a copywriter, from product descriptions and advertisements to academic texts and technical documents. It's critical to decide which genre of writing you are most passionate about. You can create appropriate writing samples and a strong portfolio with the aid of this vision.

Step 5: Make a portfolio

To determine whether you might be a good fit for the position, most employers want to see examples of your work. Prepare some writing samples that demonstrate your expertise in that specific field once you've determined your niche. Create a portfolio out of your writing samples and add a well-formatted resume to show prospective employers and clients.

Step 6: Employ for copywriting positions

Before you apply for jobs, think about assessing a client's or employer's requirements and carefully reading the job description. It is advantageous to update your portfolio's content to include work samples that are pertinent to the positions you are applying for. Consider keeping separate portfolios to organise your work samples if you are interested in a variety of copywriting fields or industries.

How to become a Copywriter?

The following listed pointers can be considered to become a copywriter:

• Subject Combination: Candidate may select any of the subjects from his or her class 12. English as a compulsory subject will help you improve your grammar and vocabulary, as well as your writing skills, which will help you with copywriting
• Eligibility Criteria: A Bachelor's/degree Master's in Journalism, Mass Communication, or Literature is preferred, but degrees in other specialisations are acceptable. Candidates should also have good English proficiency and writing skills, as well as basic knowledge of SEO and, preferably, some knowledge of digital marketing techniques
• Entrance Exam: After completing your 10+2 requirements, you can prepare for a few entrance exams to gain admission to copywriting courses. TISSNET, the MA entrance exam for Delhi University, the MA entrance exam for JNU, the MA entrance exam for Christ University, and the MA entrance exam for Azim Premji University are some of the well-known entrance exams

Aside from the aforementioned criteria, the following pointers must be considered:

• Students must have completed 10+2 in any subject with an aggregate of 50% or equivalent from a recognised board
• After completing 10+2, students can enroll in copywriting courses at universities or colleges. Candidates with a Bachelor's degree in any field can pursue a career as a content writer
• Recruiters prefer candidates with a Bachelor's degree in journalism or English
• BA in Linguistics (English, Hindi, French, German, Chinese, Spanish, or any other language), BA in Journalism, BA in Mass Communication, BA in Social Science, and BA in Anthropology are all popular Bachelor's degree courses
• Following graduation, candidates can apply for master's programmes in related fields. Recruiters prefer candidates with a Master's degree in journalism or English.
• TISSNET, the MA entrance exam for Delhi University, the MA entrance exam for JNU, the MA entrance exam for Christ University, and the MA Entrance Exam for MA
• Popular master's degree programmes include those in journalism, mass communication, social science, and anthropology as well as linguistics (in English, Hindi, French, German, Chinese, Spanish, or any other language).
• For improving one's abilities and knowledge in copywriting, there are numerous certification programmes offered online in the fields of marketing and advertising. For instance, MICA's digital marketing and communication course and UpGrad's copywriting courses.
• For admissions, various entrance exams are held, primarily for post-graduate programmes. After an examination of a student's performance, admissions are made.
• Additionally, admissions are granted based on a 10+2 passing rate or a bachelor's degree passing rate for BA classes and an MA corresponding courses.

Types of Job Roles Copywriter

There are many copywriter job profiles that one can choose as per their creative ability and interest. Listed below are some of the popular and common copywriter job profiles:

Marketing Copywriter-Their job responsibility is to make use of trends in the marketplace to help write ads and address the consumer’s needs in the same. Marketing copywriters have the very good knowledge and know how to influence the public. They mainly prepare the text used in billboards and online ads.

Creative Copywriter- Creative copywriters have an ability to tell a story in short, punchy, snappy and memorable way that will catch the public eye. Their main job is to come up with quirky content and unique concepts for commercials or ads. Their main focus is to create a brand and their job is mainly advertising-based.

Explainer Copywriter- Their job role is to present the logical and rational case for investment in a product or a technology. The mainly work on product/demo scripts.

Digital Copywriter- They are responsible for developing content that gets a website visitors and app users to click on the right things. A digital copywriter mainly works on on-page navigation, social media copy, button copy and others.

SEO Copywriter-They mainly focus on creating content that will lead to high ranking in search engine results like Google. They place keywords within ads or articles to create optimization by bringing the client's product up in a search engine. This ultimately leads to more visibility and in creating a brand name of the company.

Technical Copywriter-Technical copywriters are the ones who have knowledge about a specific field or industry. They are mainly found in the technology and healthcare fields.

Employment Opportunities for Copywriters

Employment opportunities for copywriters can be found in various sectors. It is a very vast industry and interested candidates can find relevant jobs in sectors listed below:

• Advertising Agencies
• Advertising/PR Firms
• Commercial Radio or TV
• Multinational Advertising Firms
• Print Media
• Market Research

Top Recruiting Companies for Copywriters

The top recruiting companies for a copywriter ranges from ad agencies to publishing houses to pr firms to radio. Top companies that recruit copywriters are as follows:

• P&G
• Time of India
• The Indian Express
• Splendid Digital Solutions
• Zee Telefilms
• O & M
• MBL-CRG
• Lowe Lintas
• Rediffusion

Skills required to be a Copywriter

Whether you work for an agency, a corporation, or as a freelance writer, the following qualities are essential for success:

• Writing abilities: The process of writing copy is iterative. You don't need to be an expert writer to start, but daily practise can help you hone your writing abilities and get better over time
• Observation of details: You must possess the ability to assess your work objectively. To consistently ensure quality, you must check your work for potential errors, look for proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and proofread
• Skills in communication: These abilities help you fully comprehend others as well as yourself. They assist you in making a statement and establishing your credibility when writing a copy. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are necessary for understanding your clients' needs, translating their vision into your writing, and writing for the intended audience
• Creativity: It takes a special talent to be able to look at things from a different angle. Clients may occasionally look to your originality to add interest or appeal to content for a particular audience. Following a client's instructions, creativity is crucial for coming up with copy ideas
• SEO: Because all information about a company is available on the Internet, SEO knowledge is required. It's a good idea to learn about keyword research, keyword tools, and the proper ways to incorporate keywords into your copy
• Research: As previously stated, research is an important part of a copywriter's daily duties. Writing begins with research, and strong research skills will help you shine as a copywriter
• Influence: It is difficult to persuade people to take action. However, having strong persuasion and influencing skills will make your job as a copywriter much easier

Pay Scale/Salary of Copywriter

The salary of a copywriter is determined by many factors such as the type of organisation, professional and academic experience, creative knowledge, location and others. The salary of a junior copywriter(fresher) is between Rs.20,000 to Rs. 23,000 per month. Check out the salary range of copywriters here:

Note*- The above figures are an estimate and may vary from individual to individual and company to company

Career Path for Copywriter

Copywriting is an incredibly interesting career path with high earning potential and numerous opportunities for remote work. Copywriters are needed in many industries, so professionals in this field are always in high demand.

• Working as a journalist is one route to a copywriting career. A writing job can put you on the path to becoming a copywriter. Working as a journalist, corporate writer, technical writer, or creative writer are all options
• Working as a writer can help you get started on the path to a copywriting career. A journalist, corporate writer, technical writer, or creative writer are all possible careers for you. If you've written for at least 10,000 hours, you should be able to effectively communicate with an audience. This is unquestionably a significant benefit when trying to become a copywriter
• Plenty of copywriters opt to work as their own independent contractors. If you want complete control over the kinds of clients and projects you work on, this is a good choice. Having a specialisation will enable you to charge more as a freelance copywriter. You can hone your copywriting skills in a particular area, like email marketing or direct marketing advertising. Additionally, you can choose to focus on a particular sector, such as personal finance or health and nutrition
• Getting hired as a copywriter by an advertising/marketing agency or public relations firm is another option. You'll be working on a variety of copywriting projects for a wide range of clients, just like a freelancer

Books & Study Material to Become Copywriter

To establish yourself a successful copywriter one need to has a flair for creating interesting copy and ads that catch the public eye. Therefore it is recommended to aspiring copywriters to go through advertising books and study materials to establish their career. Listed below are some of the popular books and study material to help you build a career as a copywriter:

• Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
• The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-by-Step to Writing Copy That Sells by Robert W.Bly
• Write Good or Die by Scott Nicholson
• The Content Strategy Toolkit: Methods, Guidelines and Templates for Getting Content Right by Meghan Casey

Pros of becoming a Copywriter

• The job of a copywriter is very exciting and offers a fast-paced working environment which is one of the biggest perks of this job
• It offers a variety of work to write about. You can write about health care, finance, politics, etc.
• The job of the copywriter is full of creativity. Even the most mundane copywriter projects jobs are a lot of fun
• They have flexible working hours as compared to other jobs

Cons of becoming a Copywriter

• Copywriters face a lot of fatigue through their career as they need to produce good copy continuously for their employer or client even if the writing muse does not strike
• Most copywriters like working alone and at times this may turn into stress
• One has to deal with the vices of corporate culture
• One of the biggest disadvantages of a copywriter is that one has to update their skills time and again which can be very frustrating at times