# Copywriter Job Description: Duties, Skills and Template

> A copywriter job description says the person will write the words that sell or explain a brand, from campaign lines and scripts to social, web, email and product copy. It usually lists concepting with an art director or design team, writing in the brand's voice, editing to feedback, plus a portfolio and a degree in English, communications or journalism or equivalent experience.

Canonical: https://knowtheroom.ai/career-guides/copywriter-job-description/  
Published by the Know the Room team (https://knowtheroom.ai/authors/know-the-room-team/). Updated 2026-10-24.

## Key takeaways

- A copywriter job description covers concepting, writing in the brand's voice across channels, editing to feedback and working with designers or an art director.
- Agency copywriter postings mention clients, an art director partner, pitches and creative reviews, while in-house postings mention stakeholders, volume and brand voice.
- SEO, social, product and conversion copywriter postings add channel skills such as search intent, platform formats and A/B testing.
- BLS describes copywriters as writers who prepare advertisements to promote the sale of a good or service, and it groups them with writers and authors.
- Most copywriter postings ask for a portfolio first, plus a degree in English, communications or journalism or equivalent experience.

Hiring managers can copy the template below; candidates can use the tables to read a posting and work out which kind of copywriter the team really wants.

## What does a copywriter do?

A copywriter writes the words a brand uses to get attention and persuade: campaign lines, scripts, social posts, ads, web pages, emails, packaging and product copy. The [BLS handbook on writers and authors](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm) describes copywriters as writers who prepare advertisements to promote the sale of a good or service.

In practice the job is half ideas and half craft. You come up with the concept, often with an art director, then write and rewrite until every line is clear, on brief and in the brand's voice.

## Copywriter job description template

Copy this and cut what doesn't apply. Fill in the brackets.

```text
Copywriter

About the role
[Company] is looking for a Copywriter to write [campaigns for clients in X / our brand's voice across channels]. You'll [partner with an art director from brief to launch / work with the brand, social, product and lifecycle teams] and report to [Associate Creative Director / Creative Director / Head of Content].

What you'll do
- Turn creative briefs into ideas and copy, working with [your art director partner / designers]
- Write across [campaign, social, video scripts, web, email, paid ads, packaging, product]
- Keep every piece in the brand's voice, and help shape the voice guidelines
- Present work in creative reviews and to [clients / stakeholders], and revise to feedback
- Edit and proof your own and others' copy
- [Agency] Contribute to new-business pitches and track time against client jobs
- [Performance or SEO] Write variations for testing and use search and performance data to improve copy

What you bring
- [2–5] years writing for brands, at an agency, in-house or freelance
- A portfolio that shows ideas as well as clean copy
- Range across [channels], or depth in [specialism]
- Comfort with feedback and fast rewrites
- A degree in English, communications, journalism or a related field, or equivalent experience

Nice to have
- Experience in [category]
- SEO, A/B testing or UX writing
- Video and social scripting

[Pay range, location and work model, benefits]
```

## What are a copywriter's main duties?

The main duties are concepting, writing, editing and presenting. The mix depends on where the job sits.

| Duty | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Concepting | Campaign ideas and lines, usually with an art director |
| Writing | Scripts, social, ads, web, email, packaging, product copy |
| Brand voice | Writing consistently and helping define the voice |
| Editing and proofing | Tight, accurate copy at every length |
| Presenting | Explaining the idea in reviews and to clients or stakeholders |
| Testing | Variations for ads, emails and pages where results are measured |

## What kinds of copywriter jobs are there?

Copywriter is one title for several jobs, and the posting's wording tells you which.

| Type | What the posting emphasizes |
|---|---|
| Agency (advertising) copywriter | Campaign concepts, an art director partner, clients, pitches, awards |
| In-house brand copywriter | Brand voice, high volume across channels, internal stakeholders |
| Social media copywriter | Platform formats, trends, captions, short scripts, community tone |
| SEO copywriter | Search intent, keyword research, on-page structure, rankings |
| Conversion or performance copywriter | Landing pages, ads, email, A/B tests, conversion rates |
| Product or UX copywriter | Interface text, onboarding, microcopy, working with designers |
| Freelance copywriter | Any of the above, per project, with clients you find yourself |

At an agency the classic setup is a creative team of a copywriter and an art director who take briefs from the account and strategy teams. In-house, you'll usually write for several internal teams at once. Our [in-house vs agency marketing](/career-guides/in-house-vs-agency-marketing/) page explains the trade-offs, and [agency marketing jobs](/career-guides/agency-marketing-jobs/) lists the agency roles.

## What are the copywriter levels?

Copywriter levels differ in how much of the idea you own and who you present to.

| Level | Typical scope |
|---|---|
| Junior copywriter | Writes to an existing idea, develops lines and variations, learns the craft under a senior writer |
| Copywriter | Concepts and writes projects with an art director; presents internally |
| Senior copywriter | Leads campaigns, presents to clients, mentors juniors |
| Associate creative director (copy) | Leads teams and reviews others' work |

Above that sit creative director and executive creative director; see [creative director titles](/career-guides/creative-director-titles/) for the full ladder.

### What does a junior copywriter do?

A junior copywriter writes headlines, social posts, scripts and variations under a senior writer or creative director, and joins concepting on smaller briefs. It's the entry point to agency creative work, and teams hiring juniors expect to coach them. The portfolio, often spec work from ad school or your own projects, is what gets you the job.

## What qualifications do copywriters need?

Most postings ask for a portfolio, some writing experience and a degree in English, communications, journalism or a related field, often "or equivalent experience." BLS notes that a college degree is generally required for full-time writing jobs, but in copywriting the portfolio usually decides it.

## How should a candidate read a copywriter posting?

Look for the type of copywriter in the table above, then pick portfolio pieces and resume bullets that prove it. Our [copywriter resume](/career-guides/copywriter-resume/) guide shows how, and the [copywriter interview questions](/interview-questions/copywriter/) page covers what comes next.

## FAQ

### What's the difference between a copywriter and a content writer?

A copywriter writes to persuade, usually short-form: ads, campaigns, pages, emails. A content writer writes to inform and attract, usually longer: articles, guides, newsletters. See [copywriter vs content writer](/career-guides/copywriter-vs-content-writer/).

### Do copywriters need a degree?

Many postings list one, often with "or equivalent experience." A strong portfolio and good writing tests carry most of the weight.

### Do copywriters write the whole ad?

They write the words and usually share the concept with an art director, who owns the visuals. A creative director then approves the work.

### Is copywriting a good career?

It can be, with clear paths up into senior writing and creative direction. Our [copywriter salary](/career-salaries/copywriter/) page shows the BLS pay data.

## More on Copywriting

- [Copywriter](https://knowtheroom.ai/career-guides/how-to-become-a-copywriter.md)
- [Copywriter cover letter](https://knowtheroom.ai/cover-letters/copywriter.md)
- [Copywriter interview questions](https://knowtheroom.ai/interview-questions/copywriter.md)
- [Copywriter salary](https://knowtheroom.ai/career-salaries/copywriter.md)
- [Copywriter resume](https://knowtheroom.ai/career-guides/copywriter-resume.md)
- [Creative director titles](https://knowtheroom.ai/career-guides/creative-director-titles.md)
- [UX writer](https://knowtheroom.ai/career-guides/ux-writer.md)
- [UX writer job description](https://knowtheroom.ai/career-guides/ux-writer-job-description.md)