5 Key Ways Communications Degrees Help Commercial Copywriters
- Visual Design Experience
- Ability To Understand What Clients Need
- Social Media Knowledge
- Research Ability
- Exceptional Writing Skills
There are a number of key reasons a communications degree is an excellent choice for anyone looking to become a commercial copywriter. Commercial copywriters must have solid skills in many forms of communication besides just writing. These are five ways a communications program prepares students to become exceptional commercial copywriters.
Ranking: Top 20 Best Online Communications Degree Programs
1. Visual Design Experience
Although copywriters are not usually required to do the graphic design elements of their work as well, experience in visual design can be a helpful skill to have when writing copy for a business. An eye for visual design can be helpful when writing copy so the copywriter knows how much space they have to work with. It also helps them envision how the writing will be presented when it is finished. Visual design experience is also useful when working alongside graphic design professionals to produce content. The copywriter will already be familiar with graphic design jargon and basic principles to make the process go more smoothly.
2. Ability To Understand What Clients Need
Copywriting professionals create pieces of writing for others who need commercial copy written, whether they work on a freelance basis or for a company. For this reason, a commercial copywriter needs to be able to effectively communicate with their clients in order to create writing that accurately reflects their clients’ business, needs and preferences. This is achieved by speaking to the client and asking the right questions to determine exactly what their needs and wants are. Effective oral and interpersonal communication skills, therefore, are a must.
3. Social Media Knowledge
Modern communications degree programs spend significant parts of their curriculums teaching about digital communication. This makes sense because of how prolific digital communication is in the modern era. Most businesses use social media in their marketing efforts to some extent, and if they do not, they need to start. Commercial copywriters are often tasked to write copy for social media feeds, which makes knowledge of the various social media sites, their rules and their algorithms useful. Students with communications degrees have likely already studied this, which prepares them well for professional work.
4. Research Ability
Students who obtain a communications degree gain strong research skills, which are very helpful for copywriters. Commercial copywriters are often tasked to write on subjects they may know little about. To do this, they need to be able to research and fact-check information before including it in their writing. Graduates with a degree in communications already have significant experience performing research, and perhaps most importantly, they know how to research effectively to find the information they are looking for.
5. Exceptional Writing Skills
Unsurprisingly, commercial copywriters need exceptional writing skills. They need to be able to put ideas and emotions clearly into words for customers to understand and react to. The ability to write this way comes from training and practice. There are any number of ways students can improve their writing ability per Entrepreneur, including through writing stories, describing favorite products to their friends and taking on freelance projects, in addition to the training they receive as part of their degree program. An impressive portfolio of past work will help copywriters secure jobs.
A number of degree options are suitable for a career in commercial copywriting. However, a communications degree is one of the best choices for a student who wishes to pursue a career as a commercial copywriter.