Copywriters write for company brochures, ads, websites and any other marketing copy needed for promotion. A copywriter is responsible for preparing content for publication of books and company's newspapers. A copywriter is required to research from various sources and produce original and appealing content for advertising.
Copywriter's job profile
Advertising copywriters are required to work closely with the members of the advertising team to come up with catchy and snappy advertisements. After briefing from the clients, new ideas and concepts are generated for making the advertising campaign successful. The product is looked at from a new perceptive and efforts are made to have out of the box concepts. There are many elements of an advertisement, and copy or writing down the message is one of the most important.
Copywriters write the message for an advertisement, which should be strong enough to rope in the target audience. Basic information about the products and services to be advertised is given to copywriter. He collects additional information and makes the message catchy and informational. Copywriters write headlines, captions and text in the case of print advertisements. For television and radio commercials, copywriters write the scripts for the actors, and are at times responsible for managing the production of advertisement.
Requirements to be a Copywriter
A college degree preferably in English literature or Mass Media is a must for getting a copywriter's job. Aspiring writers must have a vivid imagination, persuasion skills and fluency with the language they are writing in. Interested candidates must take up courses in journalism and writing in high school and participate in writing competitions for developing their writing skills. Familiarity with computers and business administration, writing, communications and journalism can be an added advantage.
Whether you want to work as a freelance copywriter or be a part of the advertisement firm, there are certain skills that are a must to be a copywriter. Apart from the core job related skills of focused information gathering, idea generation and efficient execution of the copy, the candidate must possess interpersonal skills too.
The copywriter needs to be well acquainted with the services and products of the company as well as the competitors and needs of the target audience. Problem solving capabilities and a good hold of creative writing, punctuation, grammar and spelling are added prerequisites. The copywriter should produce understandable, concise and persuasive copy that appeals the readers.
They are required to work under pressure while meeting deadlines. The ability to deal with rejection is a part of the jobs of these copywriters. Many a time, their copy is not approved and alterations are required. Most importantly, the copywriter should have great creative skills. He should be communicative and articulate and have passion for the work. Skills to adapt to the changing trends and tastes of clients are needed too. Particularity about details helps them produce a flawless copy for the advertising campaign.
Training and Experience
Training and experience in selling creative endeavors and skills are a must if you want to carve a niche in the advertising industry. With experience, you can move on to become a creative supervisor or creative director. Training as a writer gives you leadership skills and this helps when you move on to head an ad agency or firm, or work with your former clients.
Salary and job prospects
As per the Bureau of Labor U.S, a copywriter's median yearly earning is around $54,410. With the competition in product sales getting higher and higher in ad agencies, copywriters can make a lot of money, in fact much more than their counterparts working for industrial product companies and publishing houses.
The job prospects for copywriters are high with advertising industry flourishing as never before. Copywriters with creativity and selling skills are absorbed easily by advertising companies. Ambitious copywriters may also end up becoming advertising agency presidents or set up their own advertising agencies.
The employment growth in the advertising industry is expected to grow in the coming years though there would be high competition in these jobs. Despite advertising budgets reducing with companies suffering low profits, the need for workers will not be affected because of consumer products coming to the fore. Latest technology in products and appliances, competition between companies and an ever growing population will keep the advertising agencies busy in future too. If you are interested to work as a copywriter, just make sure that you polish your writing skills and once this is accomplished, nothing can stop you from getting a copywriter's job in the advertising industry.
