The term refers to a specific kind of writer: someone who supplies texts that (directly or indirectly) have to sell something. This can be brochure texts or advertising slogans, for example, but often it concerns web texts such as blogs, news items and promotional texts for companies
What does a copywriter do?
Copywriters generally write promotional texts with a specific goal, which in turn depends on the client. For example, they write texts for a company's advertising campaign, a brochure from the government or the website of a small self-employed person.
Copywriters involved in web content often focus on generating more page views and better findability in Google. Many copywriters are SEO specialists: they build a text in such a way that it can be easily found in search engines. In advertising agencies, the role of copywriters is usually more extensive: they contribute to the creative process, often in collaboration with technical specialists such as graphic designers and usability experts. Within copywriting, a distinction is made between 'short copy' and 'long copy', where the first stands for (very) short texts such as slogans, leaders and advertising texts and the second for more extensive texts such as brochures, interviews and annual reports.
Where do copywriters work?
Many copywriters are employed by an advertising, media or communication agency. Larger companies usually also have their own copywriters. Relatively many copywriters are active as freelancers. During their work they have to deal with marketers, front-end developers, communication staff, content managers, visual designers, traffic managers, UX designers and editors.
How do you become a copywriter?
There is no specific study that a copywriter must have followed: in the first instance, the necessary creativity and the ability to easily write good texts are the most important. Many copywriters have completed training in marketing or communication. Examples of this are:
Communication Sciences
English language and culture
Journalism
Marketing and Communication
Media, Information and Communication