How To Become a Copywriter In Ireland

Copywriting is a popular career choice for those who enjoy creative writing, researching a variety of topics and have a way with words. As a copywriter, you will be writing engaging, informative and persuasive content for clients, often with the goal being to sell or promote a product, business or service. 

There are many copywriting opportunities around the world across all sectors, as every business needs a wordsmith to engage with customers, promote products and help their business stay up to date. If this sounds like the ideal job for you, then find out today how to become a copyright in Ireland.

What is copywriting?

Copywriting is the process of writing ‘copy’, which is content that is used for the purposes of marketing, advertising and creating promotional materials. Copy is content which prompts a reader to take action, whether that action is to check out a business, buy a product, work with a company or book a service.

What does a copywriter do?

A copywriter will write copy for one or several clients, creating content for marketing strategies or promotional purposes. Content can have different focuses or purposes, such as: 

• Website (landing pages, blogs)
• Press releases
• SEO (search engine optimised copy)
• Email
• B2B (Business to business)
• B2C (business to customer)
• Social media
• Advertising

Copywriters can work in-house as part of a team or as a sole copywriter. A great advantage to a copywriting career is that there are great opportunities for flexible working too. You can work full-time or part-time, work hybrid, do agency copywriting or remotely, or work as a freelance copywriter. 

Remote working can mean that many copywriters take on multiple clients and have more flexibility around when they work and how much work they take on, meaning that the average salary for a copywriter can vary widely. Remote copywriting jobs are becoming more prevalent as remote working increases, and copywriter salaries are now widely variable depending on what content you specialise in, how much work you take on and where you work.

The tasks of a copywriter will vary. However, some of the day-to-day duties of a copywriter in Ireland include:

• Optimising content using SEO tools
• Writing high-quality, compelling copy that is free of grammatical and spelling errors
• Ensuring all content follows the set brief/writing guidelines and company tone of voice
• Researching topics thoroughly
• Editing, proofreading and updating content
• Creating engaging social media posts
• Uploading copy onto a webpage, social media page or advertising material
• Social media

What qualifications are needed to become a copywriter in Ireland?

There are no strict qualifications you need to become a professional copywriter. However, some qualification in English is usually desired. 

Copywriting courses can also provide an excellent addition to your CV and help your copywriting skills develop.

Gaining a qualification in marketing can be very useful if you are looking to pursue a career in copywriting, as copywriting is fundamental to marketing campaigns. The majority of the content that you create is related to marketing, as the purpose is to creatively market the business, product or service in a way which engages people. 

Marketing courses are a great way to learn the fundamentals of content marketing, SEO, social media marketing and email marketing and gain a recognised qualification that can help advance your career in copywriting.

Studying Digital Marketing courses can also be incredibly useful, especially as the vast majority of your work as a content writer is likely to be in creating web-based content. 

Digital marketing certifications are useful for a variety of jobs, especially if you are interested in pursuing a career in SEO copywriting. There are a range of courses which cover subjects such as global marketing to help you grow your copywriting career and work with international clients.

What skills are needed to become a copywriter in Ireland?

There are several skills needed to become a successful copywriter in Ireland, and some skills will be more applicable than others. Some of the skills you are likely to need in copywriting include:

• Excellent English writing skills
• Excellent spelling and grammar
• Research skills
• Ability to pay attention to detail
• Proofreading and editing skills
• Digital marketing skills
• IT skills
• Time management and organisational skills
• Empathy
• Referencing skills

Does becoming a copywriter need any work experience?

Just as the qualifications you need will vary from employer to employer, so will the amount of work experience you may or may not need. Some employers prefer a number of years of experience writing web content or in a content marketing role, whereas other recruiters are more keen to see a passion for writing and samples of written work.

Many copywriting roles do not require you to have professional copywriting experience, especially if you have an English, writing or marketing qualification. However, many of the higher-paying copywriting positions are keen to employ candidates with some professional writing experience.

How to start copywriting

Seek out entry-level or junior copywriter positions, building up your qualifications through online courses or finding other content writing or marketing job opportunities. 

You can explore voluntary jobs such as charity writing roles or even put together your own collection of high-quality content writing work, either creative writing, blog writing or starting your own website. You can also find opportunities to submit articles to websites, guest blogs or upload your own articles on free guest posting sites. You can then build your professional writing portfolio to send to employers and prospective clients.

Career prospects for a copywriter in Ireland

There are plenty of opportunities for copywriters in Ireland, particularly as Ireland has a reputation for being a high-paying creative hub. 

Copywriters can go on to become lead or senior copywriters and manage a team, and in larger companies, you can explore more roles within the creative, public relations, communications and marketing departments. Getting a qualification in marketing or digital marketing can help you pivot into a digital marketing career and become a project manager or a creative director.

Copywriting is an excellent career choice for people who enjoy writing, are interested in marketing and enjoy researching a range of interesting topics. The freedom and abundance of opportunities available in this career make it ideal for people who enjoy working independently, and there are plenty of areas for career development within Ireland’s creative industries.

Explore a career as a copywriter today and start your creative journey to a rewarding career.