What Does a Copywriter Do?

Copywriters are everywhere. Their work can be found on billboards, television commercials and all corners of the Internet. Even this post you’re reading right now was written by a copywriter. But few people seem to understand exactly what it is copywriters do, or that not all copywriters work for marketing agencies. Really, the main things all copywriters have in common is that they work primarily with words.

Copywriters in Different Industries

The prevailing stereotype of copywriters is that they work for marketing agencies. While a lot of copywriters do just this, there are copywriters in many other different fields as well. Public relations copywriters write anything from press releases to feature articles that are sent to radio stations, newspapers or television stations. Copywriters with a technical background may write instruction manuals or technical papers in fields like engineering and computer programming. Copywriters write speeches, audiovisual copy and may even ghostwrite some rich bigshot’s next book.

But What do Copywriters Do?

While a copywriter’s job is of course to write, a copywriter often spends more of his or her time researching the subject, editing and proofreading than they do actually writing. Copywriters may need to interview clients or customers for a piece, or track down an industry executive for comment. Unlike journalists, copywriters write for clients: they must adapt their tone and writing style to fit the situation and more importantly, the target audience. The copywriter finds the most effective, informative way to convey a message to the target audience. Above all, copywriters need to represent the clients for whom they work.

Some Examples

Copywriters working for marketing agencies may write anything from blog posts and website copy to case studies, white papers, industry reports, email blasts and various social media posts.

It’s hard to pin-point exactly a copywriter does, and that’s because copywriters are so inherently versatile. Writing for a wide-range of clients and a wide variety of audiences is what makes a copywriter’s job so unique. At the end of the day, the copywriter is the jack-of-all-trades of the writing business. 

Natalie Benoy writes for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. She writes for many other clients as well. Follow on Twitter