Business experience: copywriter

When we visit any online resource—a website, a blog, a landing page, or a social media page—we see text. We read. We absorb. We engage. We learn. The people who write these texts are copywriters. Initially, this term referred only to those who created advertising copy. Over time, the concept expanded, as did the scope of these masters of words. Today, we'll talk about the path to writing with copywriter Sasha Razumnaya.

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- Sasha, how did you become a copywriter?

By the time I entered this field, I already had extensive experience as a marketer and even running my own business. But at some point, circumstances conspired to make me lose the energy and motivation to look for work. But leaving everything as it was was also impossible—I had a family and a daughter. A friend, who was working as a copywriter while on maternity leave, recommended me to her colleagues. It was a temporary solution. But I ended up staying in copywriting for eight years!

-Why this particular professional direction?

"It was a matter of chance, but not entirely. I've always been a fairly competent writer, with a keen sense of and ability to convey different styles. I'm also good at explaining things, which is crucial in many projects. Often, a client, even a professional, can't clearly express their ideas in an article or post. And they're happy when you do it for them."

Well, the opportunity to work from home seemed like a very attractive prospect.

– It seemed so? But how is it in practice?

– Working from home can be very convenient, but it’s important to be able to plan your time and strictly adhere to a schedule, otherwise it will become a 24/7 job, without holidays or weekends.

– How long is your working day?

"Now it's from 9-10 a.m. until 6 p.m., rarely staying late. But in the first few years, I worked nonstop, without sleep, vacations, or weekends. It was a conscious choice; I needed to earn money and wanted to prove myself as an organized, responsible person so I could later apply for more attractive projects. Incidentally, my reputation really did play a positive role."

– What do you like about your profession?

"You're constantly developing, learning new things, and on a professional level at that. Sometimes, in a group you barely know, you can carry on a conversation on one complex topic, then another, then another. And finally, they'll ask you, 'What do you do for a living?' Because just now you were speaking with complete expertise about dentistry, roofing tiles, and baby food."

– How to learn copywriting? What do you need?

"I can judge by my colleagues: a humanities mindset, erudition, well-read, literate speech. A high level of general culture. Not for writing some kind of abstruse nonsense. On the contrary, these qualities are needed to write a light post in youth slang, for example."

This doesn't mean that copywriting is closed to techies. No. I'd say that this profession allows you to apply a wide variety of skills.

– Do you think there's a risk that copywriters could soon be replaced by robots?

"Robots? I doubt it. No robot would agree to make that many edits! And no one but an experienced copywriter would understand how to accommodate a client's request, 'I don't like the visual appearance of the comma here.'"

Seriously, though, you need to put your heart and soul into your writing. And constantly learn. You need to be very knowledgeable and able to search for information in authoritative sources. Sometimes, just to get a single paragraph, you need to read several articles on a topic. For me, my entire previous experience, two higher education degrees, was my learning. But it's not necessary. Sometimes my daughter, who was still a student, would join in on projects. So, the start can be very short.

- And the salary?

"It's all relative. It's definitely a great part-time job for a student, for earning money while on maternity leave, or while you're searching for your calling. But if you get hooked, you'll take on increasingly challenging tasks, and then the salary becomes quite competitive!"

-What professional and personal qualities should an ideal copywriter have?

– I've already mentioned literacy and a high level of general culture, erudition. And, of course, hard work, perseverance, stress resistance, and strong nerves. Responsibility: deadlines are the law.

Where do you look for work? How did you find your first employer? What's your current relationship with your employer?

Everyone has their own path and methods for finding work. It could be copywriting exchanges, working with outsourcing companies, or finding a permanent employer. My approach is this: they send me an assignment and set a deadline. I research it, and if I have time/can do it/it seems interesting, I agree.

– How do you see your further professional development?

"A copywriter always has room to grow. Both horizontally—towards more complex and larger projects—and vertically—towards moderator or editor. I'm moving in both directions."

– What advice would you give to a beginning copywriter?

There's some excellent advice for beginners: "Get started!" Until you try, you won't know what topics work best for you, what style appeals to you, or how much work you can handle. For example, for the first five years, I participated in every tender I was offered. I never turned down a single project or a single topic. Even complex, unfamiliar ones that required me to reread a ton of material. And it's not just about the money. You might just find that you can write better on that particular topic than anyone else. You have to try.

And don't expect your text to be accepted the first/second/third time. That doesn't happen. Or at least it happens very rarely. There will always be edits. This doesn't mean you wrote it poorly. It's just that the text is being reviewed by a different person, with different experience, a different perspective, a different vision. So don't view edits as a mistake or a disaster; it's just part of the job.

But a satisfied review from a client is perceived a hundred times more pleasantly.