Digital copywriter | Prospects.ac.uk

As a digital copywriter, sometimes known as a digital content writer, you'll produce written content for webpages, either in an employed position or as a freelancer.

Your job will be to engage the reader and motivate them to do something, such as buy a product or service. You may also produce copy designed to convey valuable information about a brand, industry, or issue, and you'll typically write across a range of formats and subjects.

Responsibilities

As a digital copywriter, you'll need to:

understand target audiences and demographics
identify key messages and be able to condense complex information into something readers can understand
liaise with clients regularly, either by phone, email or face-to-face
carry out project scoping and create a clear brief to ensure you understand what the client wants
tailor the content and style of individual writing assignments to either persuade or inform
collaborate with creative teams to ensure the visual elements of a webpage complement the text
identify fresh and interesting angles for your articles, as well as build a compelling narrative
produce texts across a range of mediums, such as corporate or individual websites, publicity material, product descriptions, blogs, email marketing, social media, e-books, slogans, and video scripts
edit your own writing, as well as others where necessary
provide other digital content, such as images and video, if required
input your content onto a content management software (CMS), such as WordPress
collaborate with your team to review the impact of your work
assist with business pitches to win new clients or projects.

Salary

Salaries for junior copywriters in the UK are between £22,000 and £30,000 per year, with an average of around £23,000.
Midweight copywriters with three or more years of experience can expect to earn an average of £27,000, with a top-end of £45,000.
For senior copywriters and heads of copy, the figure varies but can be anywhere from around £45,000 to over £100,000.

If you're a freelance copywriter, you'll need to decide how you want to charge for your services. You can opt for a flat fee or either an hourly or day rate.

Hourly rates can range between £50 and £75 per hour, though some can charge up to £100 and beyond. An average day rate is generally around £440, with more experienced and senior writers charging upwards of £2,000 per day. Alternatively, you can charge by the number of words or by commission.

Some agencies and employers will offer bonuses and other benefits packages. There can be considerable variation depending on location and the type of employer.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Most copywriters work the standard Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, but projects with tight deadlines might demand weekend and evening work.

Depending on the industry and employer, client meetings could take place outside of typical working hours. If you're working with overseas clients, you may need to account for the time difference when organising meetings or setting deadlines.

What to expect

You'll be managing several projects at once, so you'll need to be organised and able to handle pressure.
You'll need to adapt your writing style to fit with the client's audience. You may write in a professional, corporate tone for some projects, but have a more casual and informal voice for others. In all cases, you'll need to do your research to ensure what you write is accurate and conveys the client's message as clearly as possible.
Your writing will be subject to editing and feedback, both from clients and members of your team. As such, you’ll need to handle criticism and accept revisions.
You'll mostly be office-based, but face-to-face meetings will usually take place at a location of the client's choosing. You may also need to attend networking events, conferences, and awards ceremonies.
Most copywriting agencies are based in London, but there are opportunities for in-house roles in large cities across the UK. However, an increasing number of roles can also be carried out online, so you may not need to relocate to find something that suits you.

Qualifications

This area of work is open to all graduates, including those with a foundation degree or an HND. Having a qualification in marketing, journalism, or creative writing can be helpful, but isn't necessary. Qualifications specific to copy or content writing are not usually required, as it's more important to have demonstrable skills.

An essay-based degree, such as history or English, will show you possess strong written communication skills. However, knowledge of other disciplines may help you break into writing for specific markets or industries.

You can gain an introduction to digital copywriting through online courses, such as those run by established copywriters and offered by professional bodies, such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). Try searching online for free resources, such as e-books and blogs that give tips on getting started.

Skills

You will need to have:

exemplary writing ability, with the confidence to write in different styles and respond positively to other people's input
strong listening skills, so you can understand what the client wants and effectively develop a project brief
good research and analytical skills to gain an accurate understanding of the subject in question
good organisational skills and self-discipline to manage multiple projects across competing deadlines
creative flair to develop ideas for new projects and find innovative ways to express a message or brand story
excellent attention to detail, including the ability to proofread and revise the work of colleagues as well as your own
strong interpersonal capabilities as you'll be collaborating with a range of clients, as well as creative and marketing teams
an understanding of digital marketing, UX (user experience), copywriting, and search engine optimisation (SEO) to ensure visibility and relevance of your output on digital platforms and search engines like Google
the ability to keep up with trends tools, including AI software such as ChatGPT, to enhance your writing and stay competitive
specific IT skills, including an understanding of basic HTML or WordPress, and the willingness to familiarise yourself with new platforms and software that may be adopted by your employer or client.

Work experience

A strong online portfolio or website will showcase your copywriting skills to prospective employers and clients. You could start by contributing articles to a website you're interested in or volunteering to run a blog or social media channel for a charity, community project, or small business.

It's also a good idea to directly approach employers or agencies for internships, work experience, or work shadowing opportunities, as this will give you an authentic introduction to the industry.

Ideally, you should try to gain experience writing for a range of organisations, disciplines, and platforms; this will show you're capable of adapting your style for different contexts. However, focusing your attention on a particular niche or subject can also be effective if you're seeking to write more specifically, such as for finance or IT businesses.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

The three main copywriting employment types are in-house, agency, and freelance. Many large and medium-sized companies have their own marketing and communications department, which will include copy and content writers.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individual business owners - sometimes called 'solopreneurs' - are more likely to outsource their writing to agencies or freelancers. Working at an agency will therefore give you access to a broad range of project briefs and clients.

Likewise, as a freelancer, you might work directly with a client or you may secure work via digital agencies. Being self-employed will likely mean a less stable income, but you can bid for and accept work from anywhere in the world. If you're able to research and tailor your writing style to suit an overseas client, there’s no limit to the number of opportunities you could find.

Look for job vacancies at:

Some freelance job boards include:

Freework - also has a freelance chat forum.
People Per Hour

You can also subscribe to email newsletters containing freelance opportunities, such as:

Professional development

If you're employed in-house or at an agency, you'll get trained on the job in the processes and tools used by the team. You'll also benefit from learning about other specialisms, such as SEO, account management, social media, and content writing.

As you progress in your role, your working practice will likely evolve, which means you’ll take on more specialist or challenging work that matches your skills and interests.

Your employer will usually have a budget for additional training, whether it's in-house or through continuous personal development (CPD) opportunities, such as the copywriting courses offered by the CIM. The CIM also offers membership and chartership opportunities as you advance through your career.

If you're freelancing, you'll need to source and fund your own professional development opportunities. You can do this through online training courses and joining networking groups.

There are a number of professional bodies with resources, networks and training for digital copywriters, including:

It's also common for freelancers to secure work through networking, so be prepared to use platforms such as LinkedIn to build up contacts and put yourself forward for projects.

Career prospects

You'll typically start out as a junior copywriter and be able to access midweight jobs, either with your current employer or elsewhere, after around three years. It's advantageous for you to spend your time working on a range of projects, as this will demonstrate your ability to work with different clients, create and interpret briefs effectively, and learn about project management.

As you gain experience, you can then choose your direction. Given the range of sectors that require digital copywriters, you may find that you gravitate towards a particular specialism, either technical, education, or scientific, for example.

You can progress to the role of a senior-level copywriter after five to ten years. In this capacity, you’d usually lead on projects, being accountable for the brand and budget, as well as a team of people. Alternatively, you may wish to progress to digital content strategist, where you'll conceive and plan the whole process of content creation and delivery across a range of platforms.

If you work as a freelancer, you’ll be able to take on more complex assignments and raise your rates as you develop your expertise and grow your portfolio.

Staying up-to-date with trends in writing is vital for your career. One of the biggest developments right now is artificial intelligence, specifically generative-AI, which is reshaping how content is created. Such examples include ChatGPT and Google's own Gemini.

While the full impact on digital copywriting roles is still uncertain, it's clear that AI is here to stay. Rather than seeing it solely as a threat, you can treat it as a tool to spark ideas, speed up research, test different ways of expressing yourself, and streamline your workflow. To this end, AI can help strengthen your career prospects more so than trying to ignore or avoid it.