Interactive copywriters: What they do, how they do it

Anyone who’s ever worked in an advertising agency is familiar with the role of the copywriter. Responsible for everything from coming up with concepts to writing the copy that fills brochures, billboards, direct mail pieces, magazine advertisements and scripts for radio and television spots, copywriters perform one of the most sought-after jobs for new graduates with degrees in advertising, marketing and communications every year.

Within the interactive agency world, what copywriters do on a day-to-day basis is very different, however, from what their counterparts in the traditional ad agency world. While those in traditional ad agencies write for print and broadcast media — and strive to meet the expectations of readers, viewers and listeners paying attention to those kinds of media, who can be expected to follow a story or commercial from beginning to end — those working in interactive agencies write most often for websites and online advertisements, which call for a different approach to writing.

Web pages, promotional text & banner ads

Copywriters who work in the interactive agency world (or the web design agency world) are part of a creative team that builds an interactive site experience on the Web. This means that rather than creating an ad that is a self-contained unit, they have to think of how Web users will browse content online, and how what they write can support the goals or the tasks a user is trying to achieve.

Toward that end, what interactive copywriters spend most of their time doing is communicating ideas in a “Web-friendly” way. They use plain, clear language to communicate in the voice and tone established for a company’s or organization’s website, and generally avoid writing anything that would be considered snarky or filled with attitude.

The canvas they work with is also different. While the most common online ad formats — the horizontal banner, the medium rectangle and the large skyscraper — are probably familiar to ad copywriters, writing pages for a website is more akin to creating a corporate annual report.

Creating a seamless, easy-to-use online experience

Interactive copywriters work in tandem with other members of an agency’s creative team during the course of a web design project, which can last for weeks or months and involve much back-and-forth effort and communication among all the members of the team. Web writers brainstorm and participate in concept creation exercises, reviews of site design layouts and site architecture.

What they produce at the end of a project is final drafts of copy for each page on a site, as well as the copy for promotional buttons and banners that appear on a site. This part of the work also involves frequent contact with clients, who are brought into the process of reviewing the copy that will appear on their company or organization site.

Where are the best places to look for these kinds of jobs?

Large metropolitan areas are the first places to search for jobs as an interactive copywriter at a design agency. Though smaller cities (like Little Rock, Ark.) also often support this industry and have thriving agencies in their business communities, large cities are where most of the opportunities usually lie, in cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Dallas and other similar-sized cities.

How much do interactive copywriters earn?

Location — and the state of the economy — is probably the biggest determining factor for interactive copywriter salaries. With that as a given, copywriters in a large city like Atlanta can earn anywhere from the mid-$30,000 range to the high $50,000 and lower $60,000, depending on their level of experience. Many copywriters earn more, especially if they work for the larger agencies in the major market cities.

How do I find a job as an interactive copywriter?

Though many interactive agencies don’t like to hire writers without experience in writing for the Web, new graduates can get very worthwhile experience as an intern with an agency. This is perhaps the best way for those with little to no experience to get a foot in the door and to establish relationships that will pave the way toward full-time employment later on.

What are advertising graduate schools? Can they help?

Writers can reap big benefits from a degree in advertising, whether it’s from their undergraduate education or from advertising graduate schools, which offer master’s degrees in the creative aspects of advertising, such as copywriting and design. Schools like the Portfolio Center and Creative Circus are highly respected within the agency world, and degrees from schools like these are often perceived very favorably among hiring managers at many agencies.

Where do I start?

If you’re still in school, one of the best courses you can take to begin to build a career as an interactive copywriter is to take classes that help you understand the Web — how websites work, how users navigate websites, the behavior patterns they typically exhibit, and how an online experience can be created to support their goals.

If you’re a new college graduate, consider an internship with an agency or with a company that allows you to get experience in corporate communications, specifically with a company’s online communication channels.

If you’re a mid-career professional who’s had a wealth of experience as a copywriter for offline media and who’d like to make the transition to online media, follow many of the same steps listed above — take classes that teach you how the Web works and what ideal online user experiences are like. Build your own website to showcase your work, to give prospective employers a chance to see your work and approach to the Web in action.

For all of the above, read user experience guru Jakob Nielsen’s website at useit.com.