Advertising copywriter

Advertising copywriters collaborate with other creatives to craft and deliver compelling, imaginative and effective campaigns for their clients

As an advertising copywriter, you'll work alongside an art director within the creative department of an advertising, media or full-service agency. You'll work from client briefs to conceive, develop and produce effective advertising campaigns.

You'll focus on providing the written words (the copy) for an advertising campaign, while the art director will deal mainly with the visual images. Copy can include:

• headlines, slogans, catchphrases, straplines and body copy for print advertisements and leaflets
• writing for digital advertising, including websites, social media and mobile platforms
• scripts for radio jingles and TV commercials.

You'll also work with media planners/media buyers and the production department to fully develop an advertising campaign.

Responsibilities

As an advertising copywriter, you'll need to:

• work in partnership with an art director to form a creative team working on creative briefs
• handle multiple client accounts, working on several campaigns at once, sometimes under pressure and often to tight deadlines
• familiarise yourself with your clients' products and services, the target audience and their competitors' activities
• liaise with clients and interpret their briefs
• develop creative ideas and concepts, often in partnership with the art director
• present ideas to the creative director for approval and development and then to your clients
• write clear, persuasive and original copy throughout the project
• proofread copy to check spelling and grammar
• amend, revise or redevelop adverts or campaigns in response to feedback from the creative director, account team or clients
• oversee campaigns through the production stage to completion
• cast actors for TV and radio work and listen to voice tapes
• liaise with production companies, photographers, typographers, designers and printers
• keep up to date with popular culture and trends
• monitor the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

Salary

• Junior copywriters typically earn £25,000 to £35,000 per year.
• 'Middleweight' copywriters with three or more years of experience, usually earn £35,000 to £45,000.
• Senior creatives with 10 to 15 years of experience can earn up to £90,000, and sometimes more if their campaigns have garnered awards and recognition.

Salaries vary depending on the size of the agency and the geographical location. Freelance copywriters typically earn between £30,000 to £85,000.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are generally 9am to 5pm. However, it's normal to work long, irregular hours when meeting tight deadlines. This may include working in the evenings and some weekend work. Part-time work and secondments may be difficult to obtain.

Self-employment or freelance work is possible for experienced copywriters.

What to expect

• You'll generally be office based but may be required on TV shoots, radio recordings, castings or in editing suites. You may also visit clients, undertake research in public areas or visit different locations to help with creativity.
• In England, most of the top agencies are based in London but many also have regional offices. Most large cities have an advertising scene, in particular Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds, Bristol and Brighton.
• The work may be challenging and highly pressurised, but it can also be exciting and rewarding.
• Creative industries tend to attract a young workforce, and ageism can be an issue.
• Many agencies have a high turnover of staff, with creatives frequently moving to different employers to progress their careers.

Qualifications

Although copywriters come from a range of backgrounds, creativity and the ability to write well are key requirements. A degree in one of the following subjects may increase your chances:

• creative advertising
• communication or media studies
• English
• journalism
• public relations.

Postgraduate study isn't essential, but it may be worth taking a vocational course in advertising, particularly if your degree is in an unrelated subject. Some postgraduate courses offer work placements as part of the course.

Other routes into copywriting are possible via recruitment and business-to-business (B2B) advertising. Some copywriters move from the account-handling side of the industry. They can come from art direction posts or merge the two job functions as an art director and copywriter. This can be more common in smaller or regional agencies where some degree of multi-tasking may be required.

Skills

You'll need to demonstrate:

• the ability to write clear, engaging copy in a variety of styles, with correct spelling and grammar
• strong research and proofreading skills
• strong analytical skills
• excellent teamwork, communication and interpersonal skills
• the ability to build strong professional relationships quickly
• logic, creativity and imagination
• the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• strong organisational skills
• self-motivation, adaptability and resilience
• confidence, enthusiasm and determination
• accuracy and attention to detail
• the ability to handle feedback and criticism of your work and to adapt
• commercial awareness and an understanding of the target audience
• an interest in culture, current trends and creative styles
• good IT skills and ability to use software if required.

Work experience

The advertising industry is extremely competitive with only a small number of creative advertising graduates securing roles immediately after graduation. Occasionally, students from relevant courses are offered a work placement after exhibiting their work at their university or college end-of-year degree show.

If you study an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in advertising, you'll usually form a partnership with an art director during your course. You'll then look for a first job as a team. This is usually done by compiling a good 'book' (portfolio) of your work and having it critiqued by creative directors at meetings and interviews. This often involves cold calling, emailing and physically taking your book to the agencies.

Be prepared to have your ideas criticised, which can be disheartening but is part of the learning process. Try to get the same body of work viewed by different teams to obtain varied points of view.

If an agency likes your 'book' they may offer you a work placement. Your book needs to be of a high quality and well presented, as some employers view this as being more important than qualifications. Agencies look for fresh ideas, so make sure your examples are innovative.

You may be interested in taking part in the D&AD New Blood Awards programme for new creatives. It's aimed at students and graduates under 24 and includes awards, an academy and festival with opportunities to show and validate your work and skills.

Internships, placements or even informal shadowing opportunities can all help you build contacts and gain industry insights. Many creatives break in through persistence, networking, and showcasing their portfolio wherever possible.

Employers

Copywriters mainly work for advertising or full-service marketing agencies. Full-service agencies offer a multidisciplinary service to clients, such as marketing and PR in addition to advertising, as many clients look for a full communications package.

There are also specialist agencies that focus on specific areas such as digital advertising - for example agencies working in SEO, paid media or branded content. Search Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) Members for details of their more than 250 member agencies.

Some in-house marketing departments also hire copywriters, particularly within large organisations or tech companies. Newspapers often employ copywriters to write advertisements, as do radio stations to write jingles. Medical copywriting for pharmaceutical companies is also an option for those with a medical or science degree.

Business communication, where copywriters are employed by large companies, is a further possibility.

Creatives are often recruited and hired in pairs (a creative partnership of a copywriter and art director), although many agencies are prepared to consider lone copywriters.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Bubble Jobs
• Campaign Jobs
• IPA Jobs Listings
• Marketing Week Jobs
• The Drum Jobs

Entry-level jobs are rarely advertised and there are very few formal graduate training schemes. When such schemes do run, they're likely to have a closing date in the autumn before graduation. Some employers may contact selected universities directly or attend certain graduate shows. They may seek out talent at showcases, such as the D&AD New Blood awards, and through other competitions.

Agencies may advertise jobs on their websites - otherwise, making speculative applications can be fruitful. Creative Review offers lots of industry information, job listings and useful connections.

Professional development

While some larger agencies offer structured training, most learning is on the job. Junior copywriters are often encouraged to pursue external training, including the:

• IPA Foundation Certificate (online course for junior professionals)
• IPA Excellence Diploma
• IPA continuing professional development (CPD) programme, which can lead to Accredited MIPA status.

Staying informed on industry trends is crucial. Professional recognition often comes from producing innovative, original work - particularly award-winning campaigns.

The Advertising Association supports the industry through policy work and its Front Foot membership network. Visit their website for events and resources.

Career prospects

Having started as a junior copywriter, you can progress to a senior/middleweight copywriter, then heavyweight creative. In larger agencies, you could become a group creative director, overseeing several teams, or eventually a creative director, leading the department.

This path often requires 5 to 10 years of experience and a portfolio of award-winning campaigns.

Many copywriters go freelance or launch their own agencies, often with former colleagues. International work is possible, especially in sector-specific areas.

Career progression depends largely on the success and recognition of your campaigns.