If you’re scouring the internet for a copywriter, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with options. There’s seemingly a copywriter for every situation. Do you need a specialized writer, or would you prefer a generalist? Perhaps a better option is to look at junior copywriters.
As a business owner, if you’re just getting started with your writing projects or don’t have a high volume of work yet, a junior copywriter could be just the solution for you. And if you’re a junior copywriter looking to get more experience, let us know. Every copywriter has to start somewhere, so let’s see what awaits our new recruits.
What Does a Junior Copywriter Do?
The “junior” label means that these copywriters are fresh out of college or have relatively little experience as copywriters. Unlike the myriads who have dabbled in writing only to give it up, true junior copywriters are people who see themselves writing copy in the long term. They aim to pursue higher-paying writing jobs and move up in the ranks.
Therefore, you can expect junior writers to be willing to do the same tasks as a senior copywriter would. Beginning with planning out the content and following through to final production, copywriters will produce your copy according to the parameters you establish. A junior in the profession will need more of a guiding hand earlier on, however, especially in terms of determining what kind of content is necessary.
A young copywriter is eager to sink their teeth into a project and work hard for your business. If you can point them in the right direction, you can reap some serious rewards.
What Tasks Are Ideal for a Junior Copywriter?
Although we value every writer’s contribution to the craft, we also recognize that some jobs are better suited to a more experienced writer. So leave your CEO’s biography in more talented hands. But there are several tasks you could entrust your junior writer with.
These options will give your copywriter space to grow and hone their skills while also getting to know your company. As your writer comes to understand your business better, the quality of their work will improve over time. Be patient when hiring a copywriter. You should give feedback over the first few months and wait at least 6 months before considering a change at the position.
Blogging
If your business doesn’t already have a blog, you’re missing out on a great opportunity. Blogs can help your business become more visible online. They create a more flexible space where you can talk about whatever you want. Each post’s headline will be another searchable phrase that could pull someone into your website.
Blogging is rarely technical and doesn’t require a lot of specialized knowledge. If your copywriter has never even heard of WordPress, you can get them up to speed in no time. The key to a successful blog is a wide variety of topics and consistency. Regular posting is crucial.
Have your copywriter draft up a roadmap for the blog to identify possible titles and plan how frequently posts will be published. Make them stick to the plan! Part of progressing as a copywriter is meeting deadlines and learning your limits. If it’s not working out, SteadyContent’s stable of ghost bloggers can help you pick up the slack.
Social Media
We know some rookie writers are going to be disappointed to see social media on this list. If you went to college to be a writer, or you’ve been freelancing to secure a steady position, you probably didn’t envision yourself hammering out social media posts. However, this job is far from insignificant.
Social media moves the masses today. Young copywriters can actually be more fluent in social media use and can use it more adeptly than their older colleagues. Putting your junior writer on social media duty is not a bad idea at all. Besides, there’s more than one kind of social media post.
Writing tweets is nothing like a longer Facebook post. You might even need a loose script written for an IG TV or TikTok post. Love it or hate it, social media is a necessary part of any business. But the good news is that it’ll test a variety of your writing skills and help prepare a young writer for other kinds of work in the future.
First Drafts
If you have other writers on your staff or a trusted veteran who has to approve everything that leaves the building, get your junior writer to work on first drafts. Businesses should help new writers to grow, especially if you’ve hired someone to be part of your staff for the foreseeable future. A fledgling copywriter may not produce the whole first draft, but they could work in tandem with a more experienced writer to start out.
Give your writer some main points to hit and an outline of how everything should be organized. That’ll ensure the draft stays coherent and on topic. Once your writer is comfortable with the format and content, you can expect them to pump out drafts for your senior copywriters to edit and approve.
If you have someone edit a junior’s first draft, encourage them to be a part of the process. Watching someone else edit your work is an eye-opening experience.
Internal Communications
Another task where juniors can get their feet wet in a low-risk arena is internal communications. Memos and notices don’t need the same level of scrutiny as public communication. Put your new copywriter to work with HR to draft a better version of the Happy Birthday email or ask managers to tell your copywriter to draft emails.
It’s good for a writer to practice writing for specific audiences. Internal communications will expose a writer to a wider variety of content formats and help them learn more about your company in less time.
Isn’t Hiring a More Experienced Writer Better?
If you produce copy that will be printed and resting in consumers’ hands, you definitely need someone with more experience. However, that doesn’t mean that you should never consider hiring younger copywriters. If you already have one pro on your team, it can be more affordable to develop and train a less experienced writer.
A young writer can grow with your company. In many businesses, the writers end up knowing the company nearly as well as its founders. There are advantages to having people with that kind of knowledge. You never know what insights your writer might come up with.
How Long Does It Take to Advance as a Copywriter?
For all you emerging copywriters, rest assured that a junior copywriting job is a great place to get your career going. How fast you advance depends largely on how quickly you become familiar with the business you work for. The more you understand the business, the easier it’ll be for you to identify opportunities for good copy.
Within just a few years you can be seen as an experienced copywriter and take on more complex projects.
Find a Copywriter Fast
If your business is in the market for a new copywriter, look no further than SteadyContent. We hire a wide range of copywriters, both generalists and specialists alike. Our team can do whatever you need, whether that’s building a blog or drafting new copy for your website. Contact SteadyContent to get your next copywriter today.
