“Back in the day” there were relatively few marketers and they were very specialized. But as time went on, the internet and social media gave everyone the option of making ads… and that means some jobs (like copywriting) have become in huge demand.
If you’re interested in becoming a copywriter (or simply want to understand what your son/ grandson does for a living), then just read on.
What you’ll learn from this article:
- What does copywriter mean
- What does a copywriter do?
- The difference between a copywriter and a content writer
- What a day in the life of a copywriter looks like
- How much does a copywriter get paid in Romania according to years of experience
- How quickly can you learn to be a copywriter?
- Advantages/disadvantages of copywriter employed by an agency
- Advantages/disadvantages copywriter employed in a company
- Advantages/disadvantages freelance copywriter
- 10 things you need to be a successful copywriter
What is a copywriter
Definition: A copywriter is a marketer responsible for creating the copy included in advertising messages.
We’re constantly bombarded with ads: on the street, on TV, on the radio, on social media, on websites, and in almost every app we use.
Every one of these ads is written by a copywriter.
Of course, some are better than others, and many of those who work online are really amateurs. But copywriters nonetheless.
A copywriter is a writer, but unlike all other writers, a copywriter must focus primarily on persuasion and selling. He seeks to persuade the reader to buy, to subscribe to visit a physical location, etc.
Art The science of persuasion has its roots in psychology and rhetoric, using rational arguments and gently exploiting some psychological tendencies (which we all have).
A good copywriter understands how a potential customer thinks and, knowing him, can give him the best arguments that will persuade him to buy. He will also understand the emotional reasons why a customer would make a purchase, and nudge him in the right direction.
To be clear: Although in the business of persuasion, the copywriter cannot “control” people. He won’t be able to sell products to people who don’t need them. The role of the copywriter (and all marketers, for that matter) is to connect some products with an audience that wants and can afford those products. It’s simply skillful presentation of products and forming an honest connection with the potential customer.
What does the copywriter do?
Copywriters write sales copy. These are found in all forms of advertising.
Just as some people are better salesmen than others, so too can copy sell better or worse. That’s how this industry came about.
The name of the business comes from the time when copywriters wrote the advertising copy that would be copied in hundreds of thousands of magazines or other publicity materials. And even though online, we can no longer talk about “copying”, the name still stuck.
Copywriters use some tools of persuasion constantly. **If you want to learn more about the strategies and tools of a copywriter, we have a detailed article about it, here**.
The difference between a copywriter and a content writer
Many people don’t differentiate between the different types of writers on the internet, and the biggest confusion is between what a content writer does and what a copywriter does.
People (who are not in the industry) imagine that there is one person who does “copy”. But although the roles frequently overlap, they are two very different activities.
Content writer makes content, and copywriter makes commercials. There’s a huge difference between them, just as there’s a huge difference between an informative article and an advertisement (or a sales page).
Content (content) is informative and/or entertaining material. It is entertainment and operates under approximately the same rules of storytelling like films, books, youtube videos or newspaper articles. They seek to convey complex ideas in as easily digestible a form as possible.
A copywriter, while using the same language as the content creator, has a different purpose and (often) a different style.
👉 The content maker talks about different topics, because each piece of content has a specific theme it addresses.
Content writer writes: blog articles, guides and instructions, informative emails, etc.
👉 The copywriter is always talking about the client. That is to say, it explains to him how it will make him product the better life. The focus is on the customer, their wants and needs.
Copywriter writes: advertisements, sales/product presentation pages, sales emails, etc.
What a day in the life of a copywriter looks like
Copywriting can be done from anywhere. All you need is a laptop to write on (but you can even work on the go, using a tablet or phone).
It’s not important to physically meet with your team, but it’s crucial to constantly stay in open dialogue with colleagues.
A copywriter must be a central hub of a business. Because he communicates with the client, and a business must pay close attention to how it communicates with any client.
That’s why, almost every day, the copywriter talks to project managers, the marketing director, media buyers, the PR department and graphic designers. Clearly few businesses have all these departments, but certainly the roles are filled by one or more people.
The copywriter starts his working day with coffee. Or a black tea (but these cases are rare).
His work falls into 3 broad categories:
Documentation is the stage of familiarizing and understanding the product and target audience. Documentation is done anywhere and everywhere: on social media, on forums, on competitors’ websites… and anywhere else relevant information can be found. At this stage the copywriter needs to ask the right questions so that they can ‘collect’ as much detail as possible about what people’s challenges and needs are.
Creating is the actual writing of texts, based on documentation, using the techniques and strategies of the education stage.
Educating is an ongoing process in which the copywriter not only explores copywriting techniques (new and old), but also catches up with how people organically use communication channels (digital and otherwise).
How much does a copywriter get paid in Romania based on years of experience
Copywriting is a job that involves a lot of responsibility. That’s why copywriters are paid according to the results they can promise.
The promises a copywriter can make are closely related to two factors: experience and past results. Therefore, the best paid copywriter will be the one with several years of experience and a rich portfolio of successful campaigns.
The good news is that this process can be accelerated, and a good copywriter will very quickly be able to increase their rates, provided they consistently perform well (and results are measured in sales for their clients).
As a guide, a copywriter earns about the same salary as a corporate copywriter (who doesn’t specialize in I.T.):
- A beginner can get about 500-600 euro (net salary)
- An intermediate will get close to 1000 euros.
- A “senior” will earn over 2000 euros.
Of course, these salaries will vary from agency to agency, and the negotiating skills of the copywriters and the clients in their portfolios will matter a lot.
How quickly can you learn to be a copywriter?
Here’s good news and bad news again. The good news is that you can learn very quickly. In just a few months (4-8 months).
The bad news is that you have to have some experience with written communication, generally speaking. But if you’ve read at least 77 books in your life and written (in any context) several tens of thousands of words outside of school, then you’re probably one of those people who naturally express their ideas, so you can learn copywriting in just a few months.
SPOILER: at the end of this article you have a list of the 10 things every copywriter needs.
Copywriter hired at an agency
Life at the agency is intense. Here you’ll find (usually) younger, more ambitious and energetic people.
The agency flourishes or withers based on the results it can deliver to clients (consistently), so it’s in every team member’s best interest to perform at peak capacity.
Another important factor in an agency is the camaraderie.
You work so frequently with the same people that there is a synergy, an optimization of the interactions between each member of the team, and everyone else.
An agency will also have an organizational culture that you have to align with. This can be a benefit, but also a hindrance. Ultimately this depends on the copywriter.
Advantages
- You accumulate multidisciplinary experience at an accelerated rate.
- You work in a dynamic, social environment.
- You have a stricter routine
- You have customers constantly
Disadvantages
- Office work
- Fixed schedule
- High volume of work
- High performance standards
- You work on clients and projects you don’t necessarily like, but you’re forced to do it
Copywriter employed by a company
Larger companies will have their own copywriter (or even several).
Generally we’re talking about companies that have marketing departments, but there will also be some SMEs that will have a “marketing man” who does everything from ads, emails, product descriptions and content.
The copywriter employed in a company will have a different life to everyone else. He or she will specialize in one product line, which will make his or her work more repetitive but also less stressful. Agency marketers are constantly on the lookout for more and better results because they have a constant stream of new clients and new challenges.
A copywriter employed in a company will not have a constant stream of tasks. He’ll be quieter and more relaxed. But he won’t develop professionally as quickly as an agency or freelance copywriter. And financially, he will probably plateau faster.
Advantages
- A more relaxed environment where there aren’t many experts in your area.
- Clear procedures for everything you do
- You work on one area
- You have a predictable routine
- You’ll have periods of little work
Disadvantages
- Downtime and risk of boredom.
- Repetitive and possibly boring work.
- You accumulate experience slowly.
- High risk of professional/financial ceiling
Freelance copywriter
Freedom is the main characteristic of the Freelancer.
He can choose his projects, negotiate his rates according to the client and will have a more flexible schedule – as flexible as he wants.
The freelancer is the freelancer who constantly has requests for collaboration, from which he has built a stable portfolio.
This means both episodic collaborations and long-term associations. He chooses everything that concerns his own activity.
Advantages
- Super-flexible in all respects.
- You can choose your own customers
- You decide how hard you work
- You don’t have a boss to answer to.
Disadvantages
- Risk of not having enough customers
- The risk of feeling lonely and isolated
- You may not grow professionally very quickly
- You don’t have the security of a monthly income
10 things you need to be a successful copywriter
01. A penchant for psychology
Copywriters work with people’s thoughts and feelings. Helps them make decisions (purchasing and otherwise). That’s why a copywriter must be interested in the mental processes of his readers and must understand them. And for that, an inclination towards psychology is important.
02. A clear understanding of the marketing process
The copywriter is involved in the whole marketing process. It is therefore vital that he understands the role of each action in the process. He writes the first ads that customers see, he talks to them, and when they decide to buy, he asks them for a recommendation.
A copywriter will need to change his tone and message from action to action, and he can only do that if he fully understands the entire marketing ecosystem.
03. Understanding and using persuasion techniques
The copywriter’s tools are techniques of persuasion. These are writing techniques (and variations of offers) that will help people like you and gain trust in you.
These techniques are universal and closely related to the automatisms we all have. Every copywriter needs to know them in detail and juggle them in all their work.
04. An affinity for literature and a love of stories
Copywriters tell stories. That’s their job. They tell you stories about products, services, brands and companies. We humans, we all understand the world through stories. It’s simply how our brains work. A story has a protagonist, it has a plot and it has a climax.
Copywriters need to be able to write (simple) stories and make them interesting/fun. That’s why someone who has read a bit of literature will be able to write with much more confidence than someone who is a stranger to the field.
05. Mastering the Grammar of the Romanian Language
Here we have a simple idea. If your role is to write texts, it’s not ok to produce bad texts. That’s why every writer, whether copywriter or content creator, needs to know grammar.
06. Logical/analytical thinking
The copywriter must help the potential client make a decision. This means working with the logical side.
To build compelling arguments and stories that readers can identify with, you have to think objectively and logically. You need to be able to analyze context and make decisions. That’s why orderly thinking will be a must for a copywriter.
07. Constant presence (and even engagement) on the hottest social networks
A copywriter needs to talk to people in a familiar way. Disarming, chair. This means that we often use the same means (and language) that people use when talking to their friends. And in order to do that, we need to keep our finger on the pulse of social media.
08. Unbridled curiosity
Sales texts should be fun. And interesting. That’s why copywriters need to be curious by nature. To look for interesting/valuable things in the topics they cover.
To know your audience, your products, your offerings and their impact in the world – you need to be curious. But if you have this trait, you’ll find it helps you fantastically in becoming a copywriter.
Still curiosity is your gateway to a diverse general knowledge… which will help you no matter what field you write in.
09. Research
Research is the research work that copywriters do to get to know their audience and the products/services they are promoting. All your work will come out of this research, so it’s important that you can do it well and thoroughly.
10. A touch of morality and responsibility
While we’re on the subject of persuasion, I can’t help repeating that it’s important for marketers to be responsible with the promises they make. In the long run those who over-promise end up disappearing from the market, plus they may have done harm by over-aggressive marketing.
That’s why it’s important for a copywriter to have common sense and not venture too far into the realm of empty promises.
Conclusions
A copywriter bears a great responsibility for every client he works with. The messages that reach the client are the difference between a brand that thrives and one that struggles to survive.
It has to be creative, clever and love to talk and write.
But if he succeeds in meeting the above criteria, he can have a very prosperous career in a field that remains of great future.
PS: If you’d like to find out more about related jobs, we’ve prepared little guides for you that explain What PR is, how much it pays and how you can become successful in Romania in 2022 and… Social media manager: what it means, how much it pays and how you can become one in Romania.
PS2: Want to learn marketing? We’ve created a subscription and an offer you can’t refuse. See what it’s all about here.
