Copywriter – what do copywriters actually do?

Welcome to the world of copywriters – the secret magicians of words who can convince you to buy a toaster, even if you already have ten toasters and your kitchen has turned into a small open-air white goods museum. Here is where creativity meets psychology and words become more powerful than magic spells. Yes, it’s true, copywriters are specialists in the art of manipulating words, but in the most sympathetic sense of the word.

If you are ready for an adventure into the land of unusual slogans and interesting texts, then buckle up, because you are about to enter the world of copywriting, where every sentence is a recipe for success…. or for a well-thought-out advertisement!

From this article you will learn:

• Who is a copywriter?
• What tasks does a copywriter have?
• What are the requirements for the position of a copywriter?
• How much does a copywriter earn?

Copywriter definition

A copywriter is the kind of creative being who has more words than the Polish Language Dictionary, more ideas than Elon Musk on coffee and more writing dexterity than a Tetris master. He’s the kind of word magician who can convince you that your life won’t be complete without the new gadget you didn’t yet know you needed. A copywriter is a master at creating content that makes you smile, stimulates curiosity and makes you want to get what you don’t already have in a flash.

A copywriter is a professional who specialises in creating advertising and promotional texts. It is a person with writing skills and the ability to communicate compelling and engaging content to promote products, services or ideas.

Definition of a copywriter

A copywriter is an author responsible for many aspects of corporate communication. It is on his or her ingenuity and knowledge of the environment to which he or she directs his or her words that the success of marketing strategies, advertising campaigns, sales and branding activities often depends. He or she also takes care of the company’s reputation and credibility.

The copywriter deals with every aspect of the text that leaves a company, organisation or institution. He or she must have editorial, proofreading and editing skills, as well as strategic skills (e.g. to lay out meaningful content plans). A copywriter always speaks on behalf of someone else, so he or she should not only know, but also co-create the communication strategy to be implemented.

Tasks in a copywriter’s job

The main task of any copywriter is to create messages (in various forms) that are in line with company policy.

Professional copywriting may involve the creation of entire communication concepts, which will be reflected in advertising slogans and other messages addressed to the potential recipient with whom the company wants to communicate. Wherever the use of the written word is involved, that is where a copywriter comes in handy.

The job of a copywriter involves a variety of duties related to the creation of effective advertising and promotional texts. Here are some other aspects of a copywriter’s job:

1. Creating marketing content: Copywriters are responsible for creating a variety of marketing content, such as slogans, headlines, product descriptions, website content, promotional emails and content on social media platforms.
2. Market analysis: Copywriters conduct research on the market in which the client operates to better understand the competition, industry trends and audience preferences and expectations. Based on this information, they adapt content to make it more effective and engaging. Supporting content gap audits to identify missing content on websites.
3. Creating advertising concepts: Copywriters work with the marketing team and graphic designers to develop advertising concepts. Together, they create a coherent message and communication strategy, identify key advertising elements and develop content that will capture the attention of the audience.
4. Tailoring content to the target audience: Copywriters tailor content to a specific audience, taking into account their preferences, needs and demographic characteristics. They write in a way that is accessible and appealing to the group in question, in order to arouse their interest and engagement.
5. Content optimisation: Copywriters analyse data and audience responses to optimise their content. They make adjustments such as changing headlines, introducing more emotive elements or improving other aspects to make the content even more effective.
6. Team collaboration: Copywriters often work as a team, collaborating with other specialists such as graphic designers, marketers and clients. Together, they develop communication strategies, create promotional materials and adapt content to different media and communication channels.

Copywriter duties and requirements

First and foremost, copywriters must have a great understanding of the cultural environment in which they ‘broadcast’ their messages. It is also necessary to know the target group, the audience’s preferences and to master communication strategies.

Typically, copywriters are very Internet-savvy people who have their own sources of information which they use to carry out their tasks. They are also people who know the power of words, easily able to formulate thoughts.

In job advertisements for copywriting jobs, people with a “light pen” are often sought after. This expression appears repeatedly in employers’ expectations of the competence of their copywriters, but what is it?

To quote a classic: “It’s about having a flexible pen to say whatever your head thinks”. A light pen is the ability to easily express your thoughts and ideas in writing. At one time you need to be extremely precise, at other times you need to make things interesting, persuasive, thought-provoking. It is also stylistic ability, adjusting the tone of one’s speech. In a word, everything connected with the freedom of language.

A good copywriter is in tune with contemporary culture, senses trends and, in part, shapes them himself. It seems that there will always be a need for copywriters, because machines have so far been unable to generate unique and original texts of high quality.

Well-regarded skills:

• information research and data analysis
• ability to create content in line with users’ search intentions
• editing of content
• use of tools such as: ahrefs, senuto, surferseo
• use of Chat GPT to optimise your work

Of course, a degree in philology, journalism or editing is useful, but certainly not a requirement.

What is necessary, however, is perfect knowledge of the language and the ability to use it flawlessly, as well as knowledge of the principles of creating specific marketing forms.

It can be said that a copywriter is a humanist with a perfect command of the art of the word, while being prepared to work in the digital age.

Earnings as a copywriter

How much a copywriter earns depends, of course, on the particular assignment.

The execution of a single order is usually charged from 1000 characters with spaces (zzs) – this unit of text volume is the standard subject of pricing. Its cost may vary from $10 to $30.

When working on a full-time basis, copywriters’ salary in USA for 2023 is $57,355 / year^[1].

Typically, copywriters who write e.g. product or category descriptions for online shops earn less, and those whose contribution to the overall shaping of the company’s image is more significant earn more.