Copywriter salary information and career progression

Opportunity

Online creative marketing is now a business essential, so more companies have a digital platform than ever before. They say “content is king,” so businesses around the world have an increasing need to hire skilled Copywriters to pen impactful content and creative advertising for them.

Copywriters ensure all content, online or otherwise, speaks to audiences and brings in more customers. There are multiple digital platforms for businesses and individuals alike to share and distribute copy across, including websites, mobile, digital out of home, mailing lists, and social media pages. This, in turn, has created more roles for Copywriters, increasing the demand in the job market.

Copywriters tend to have in-depth knowledge of the industry they’re writing for, in order to be as informative as possible. On a day-to-day basis, Copywriters may work with Digital Designers and Art Directors to make sure text fits in with design templates. Having a strong background in English, a journalistic eye, and the ability to carefully develop an angle for a story, as well as the ability to work in a team across departments are all key skills that Copywriters need to possess.

• Popular industries for Copywriting jobs

  Advertising is one of the typical industries for Copywriters. Besides the core industries, there are many other companies which offer Copywriting jobs as high quality content is needed by every business which wants to communicate its products or services to its customers.

  In recent years, design and PR agencies have also started to offer more employment opportunities for Copywriters. These job roles could involve writing up press releases, handling social media channels, and producing the content for businesses to use on their websites.

  While all industries can benefit from hiring Copywriters, more start-ups are realising that they need to work with Copywriters from the get-go, rather than later down the line. The financial industry is also seeing a growth in the number of Copywriter roles, as businesses within the industry need to be able to convey their message to a wider audience, and simplify complex terminology. Similarly, the healthcare/pharmaceutical sector needs more Copywriters, since more companies and products are being created as the industry develops. Technology is also big business, and as more companies are dedicated to filling any gaps in the market, more Copywriters are needed to help make them known.

  For industry-specific roles, Copywriters will need to have background knowledge in order to successfully create content, especially when specific terminology is involved, such as in healthcare Copywriting. This helps to ensure the copy remains factually correct, while still being engaging and persuasive for all readers.

• Recent changes for Copywriting jobs

  As more businesses grow their online presence, they need to increase and retain visibility in search engines and on social media. Copywriters therefore need to be able to draw on web traffic data and seamlessly implement keywords in order to keep copy optimised for search. In recent years, it has become highly advantageous to have technical skills covering basic HTML and SEO, as content is now widely produced for online platforms, and these skills will set you apart from the crowd.

• Future prospects

  Due to the fact that one of the most important ranking factors for SEO is unique quality content, companies have been investing an increasing amount of money in hiring skilled Copywriters in order to make their own copy stand out from competitors. Since quality content is said to be of enormous importance in the future as well, the job opportunities for both freelance and in-house Copywriters and Content Editors will continue to grow.

• Salt’s advice for getting a new Copywriting job

  Employers’ requirements

  To land a Copywriting role, it is extremely helpful to have worked in a marketing-focused company before. Hiring managers also like if you have previous working experience in journalism and brand planning. The best way to show your Copywriting skills to an employer is to have a personal blog or website with examples of potential client briefs. The copies should vary in length, be written in different styles for different platforms, and be regularly updated.

  CV requirements for Copywriters

  One of the key requirements for an online Copywriter’s CV is basic SEO knowledge. This does not mean that a Copywriter has to be an expert about technical SEO subjects such as canonicalisation or page speed optimisation, but they should know the golden rules for on-page and off-page optimisation, including keyword research and the avoidance of content duplication. Hiring managers will also expect to see some kind of writing experience on a CV, whether this is freelance contributing to websites and magazines, or having a full-time job as a writer, regardless of the industry.

  Interview preparation

  In the majority of cases, jobseekers rate Copywriting interviews as quite relaxed and easy. The interviewer will instead ask you questions about your past experience and personality to see if you fit into the company culture. Though your portfolio will give an indication of your writing capability, it is possible that you will be faced with a short writing test to assess your skills on the spot.

  Educational requirements

  There are no specific qualifications needed to work in Copywriting, however having a strong background in English and writing is advantageous. This could be with a degree in English or a writing-specific course such as journalism, or even having English as an A-level.The best way to get started is by working on freelance writing projects, or contributing to websites and blogs. In addition, it might be useful to attend some Copywriting courses as they give a good overview of today’s best practices and industry standards (e.g. by the Institute of Copywriting) as well as helping you develop skills and knowledge on the latest SEO updates.