Career as a Copywriter: Write Right
Advertising needs good writers, if you can bring great selling ideas to the table you can make it big - Sattvik Mishra, senior copywriter, Webchutney
The lowdown
Copywriting is a sub-branch of advertising that uses words to promote a product, person, enterprise, concept or opinion. It is meant to influence the intended target audience to subscribe to a product, service or concept. It uses a variety of promotional media such as television, radio, the Internet, press releases, commercial scripts, white papers, direct mail, tag lines, catalogues, brochures and billboards.
Clock Work
10.45am: Reach office, check mails, surf web, look at ads and viral videos, read industry news, visit random websites
11.30am: briefing session with the servicing and creative teams
1.30pm: Lunch
2.30pm: Write ad copy, punch lines, and body copy
4.00pm: Take the concept to the creative director. Explain the idea
5.00pm: Rework, take it back to the creative director
5.15pm: After his approval, take the concept to the art director
6.30pm: Meet the servicing team and brief them on the idea behind the commercial
8.00pm: Do a final copy check on all artwork being produced. Leave for home
Payoff
Not very good initially, but rises quickly later. A trainee in an advertising agency starts on a stipend of around Rs 8,000 a month. After a probation period of six months, trainees are promoted to copywriters. Initially, a copywriter earns in the region of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. At the middle level, the remuneration depends on yone's track record and the amount of recognition one gets in the industry. Typically, middle-level copywriters earn Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 a month and senior copywriters earn in the region of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh a month
Skills/Traits
- Excellent language and communication skills, good editing and proofreading skills
- Ability to write concise, attention-grabbing copy
- Creativity, visualisation skills
- Basic grasp of layout, design and computer knowledge
- Ability to research and analyse the research
Getting There
You need a BA or MA degree or a diploma in journalism, mass communication, advertising, design or marketing. If you can't acquire a formal degree, look at certifications or non-degree courses offered by many colleges. Take courses that focus on writing skills, advertising concepts and graphic design. Several institutes offer both UG and PG programmes in this field.
Institutes
- Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad: www.mica-india.net
- Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi: www.iimc.nic.in
- Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, Pune: www.simc.edu
- Xaviers Institute of Communication, Mumbai: www.xaviercomm.org
- School of Broadcasting and Communication, Mumbai: www.sbc.ac.in
Pros And Cons
- Stimulating work
- Get to meet many people
- Informal working environment
- A very high-pressure profession with long hours and tight deadlines
- Constant need to come up with creative copy
- Can be tough as creative bosses can be very demanding
Source: HT Horizons
Date: 25th March, 2011
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