Top 5 Things Every Junior Copywriter Needs to Know
Nuggets of wisdom I picked up along the way from mentors or the best teacher: experience
If you’re a newly-minted copywriter, let me be the first to say congratulations and welcome to the club! I hope you’ll learn a ton and love your new role.
I was *recently* a junior copywriter, too! Well, five years ago: November 28, 2016, to be exact. I consider it my official “workversary”, and it’s quite a big deal for me since my college internship AND my first job were both non-copywriter positions. This doesn’t mean that those were negative experiences, though - but there was a time when I honestly thought I’d never get a copywriting gig.
If copywriting is a new chapter in your career, know that your previous experience will bring some pretty valuable insights that you can use to fuel your writing.
If you’re someone with 15+ years under your belt, and you’re wondering why I’m fussing about my first 5 years, well, let me be clear. I know I still have a LOT to learn as a writer in terms of craft, strategy, and skills like presentation and creative direction. And who knows, you might be the next person to teach me those things! But for now, I wanted to take the time to share the top 5 lessons from this early part of my journey.
Whether you’re a college student who wants to dip your toes into the world of advertising, or someone looking to make the jump from your current job to a junior copywriter post, I hope you’ll find some nuggets of wisdom on this list.
Important disclaimer! I have yet to work in the advertising “big leagues” or a Fortune 500 company. I don’t claim to know everything there is to know about the copywriting industry - this list is simply based on my experience, which you can learn more about here.
1. Look for a mentor.
Ideally, a copy-based manager. While it’s valuable to learn from experienced art directors, account managers, brand managers, and your company CEO, it’s crucial to find a fellow copywriter who will invest time and effort in training you. As a junior copywriter, finding a great mentor is the biggest investment you can make in your career.
I think the best mentors are those who don’t just teach you about creativity or strategy, but also give you tips on how to present your idea, how to deal with difficult clients, and how to lead a team.
2. Be a sponge.
You'll learn things about products and services that are incredibly fascinating, exciting, and right up your alley. You’ll also have to read brochures and instruction manuals that will put you to sleep. It’s all in a day’s work! You need to see it all as something new to explore.
Pro Tip: Find the story or the human insight in that product or service. What does this high-tech construction process mean to a family of 4 that’s buying their first home? What possibilities can a videographer unlock by using a special USB drive?
Find that story in whatever it is you’re writing about, and share that story with your audience. Because people don’t want to hear a pitch - they want to hear a story.
Another important thing to absorb: your creative director or editor’s preferences and quirks. Sometimes, it can boil down to a matter of taste, so this WILL change depending on where you’re working and who you’re working with.
3. Know the average salary or asking price for a specific copywriting task.
When I first drafted this blog entry, I thought I’d have some solid references to fill out this bullet point. But I still don’t! Off-hand, it’ll depend on a number of factors, such as:
Where you’re from
Where your client or company is based
The kind of position (Full-time? Part-time? Project-based?)
The type of work you’ll do (e.g. long-form content writing often pays on a per-word basis, while social media packages are based on the number of posts per month)
You can check websites like Glassdoor and Payscale to get a rough estimate of how much to ask for at that job interview. As you grow your professional network, you might also gain a couple of trusted connections who can share some salary-related tips.
4. Be friends with your partner art director or account manager.
It goes without saying that you should do your best to get along with everyone you meet. But personally, I feel that the copywriter-art director bond is special. I still keep in touch with almost every art director I’ve worked with!
And back when I was working agency-side, I found that having an account manager who believes in your work and actually helps you defend it is priceless. With enough time, you might even get so in sync with your account manager that they know what questions to ask the client just by looking at you! I’m telling you, that experience is GOLDEN.
5. Be curious and observant.
Our work relies on human insight and experiences, and you'll be surprised by the wealth of insight you could find in an experience as mundane as buying eggs, watering your plants, or waiting for your Grab ride. Even watching the quirks of the people you love, like your audiophile boyfriend or your non-techy mom can help you gain insight into others’ experiences.
Pro Tip: Your parent or partner can make a terrific sounding board to see if your writing is easy to understand and jargon-free. If you can explain an insurance product to your sister who knows squat about finances AND she understands what you’re saying, you’re on the right track.
I hope you find these tips useful, either as a jumping-off point or as a refresher. If you’ve got tips you want to share (either to me or to the junior copywriters out there), feel free to drop them in the comments! I’d love for this to become a space for more learning and growth - because isn’t that what a “workversary” is about, anyway?
Looking for concrete proof of what I’ve learned as a writer these past 5 years? You can browse through my portfolio here. If you like what you see and want to collaborate, drop me a line at reginamarieperalta@gmail.com.