Becoming an advertising agency copywriter or freelance copywriter is an important decision that's not just for someone new to the ad industry. Many agency copywriters wonder if they should leave their cushy jobs behind to start freelancing. Many successful freelancers wonder if they should close their business because they long to work in an ad agency.
There are many differences between the two career paths. Evaluate both sides of the copywriting career to decide which route is best for you:
Clientele
- Ad Agency Copywriter
Big name clients almost always have a large, outside ad agency on retainer. As an agency copywriter in a well-known agency that handles major clients, you'll write copy for national ad campaigns. A vast majority of copywriters won't start off working in an agency that handle these types of clients, though. The harder you work your way up the ladder to gain copywriting experience, the more recognized your clients will be among a national audience. - Freelance Copywriter
Most freelance copywriters will never touch any national brands on their own. This is especially true for those freelancers without any ties to national agencies through previous in-house work with that agency. Those "star" clients with high price tags attached to their advertising campaigns are usually handled in-house by the ad agency's creatives and not freelancers.
However, the clients you gain as a freelancer are your own. Your clients can be ad agencies who need a freelancer to write some of the projects their in-house copywriters are too busy for or the agency may not even have full-time copywriters on staff simply because they can't afford the overhead associated with a permanent employee. You can also work directly with business owners who need a copywriter but may not be able to justify the cost of an agency's retainer or have the need for a full-service agency.
Pay
- Ad Agency Copywriter
How much you earn largely depends on where you live and how big the agency is. Salaries for a Level I copywriter generally range between the low $30Ks and low $50Ks. Some Level III copywriters report earnings in the upper $70Ks. - Freelance Copywriter
The money you make is roughly up to you. Full-time freelancers may see the low teens or they could earn six figures. Your salary will fluctuate based on the clients you seek out, your rates, experience and even how committed you are to bringing in new business.
Hours
- Ad Agency Copywriter
Working in an ad agency is never a typical Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 job. One of the agencies I've worked with actually has services like a car wash, oil change and hair stylist come on-site because their employees work such long hours and don't have a lot of time outside of work to get these simple tasks done in their freetime.
So that basketball game you thought you were going to at 7 may have to be sidelined because your copy just came back with red ink, major changes and a yesterday deadline. Most of the time you'll be able to gauge when those long nights will be required but advertising junkies working at successful agencies will agree the long hours that are usually required are well worth it. - Freelance Copywriter
Once you get going in your freelance career, you can establish a fairly solid routine. You'll be able to set your own hours simply by the work you take on...or don't take on. You will be able to extend your hours for rush projects where you may pull an all-nighter for a client but you also pull in a rush job fee on top of your regular rate.
Environment
- Ad Agency Copywriter
Ad agencies are usually a laid back environment. Everything from the clothes you wear to the way you act can have relaxed rules.
One national agency I worked for made sure there was junk food on hand at all times. We spent years on a sugar buzz because the break room looked like a candy store at any given hour. It wasn't uncommon to down some chocolate covered raisins at your desk and then bang out a national company's product brochure. Another agency I worked for took a different approach. The boss would break out a case of beer every day at 5 p.m. for any employee who wanted one. Think about that the next time you see a national commercial and wonder what the creatives must have been up to when they came up with the ad's concept! However, this "no rules" attitude changes on the days when clients are coming to the agency so you'll be expected to dress up and behave, so-to-speak, when the client comes for a visit. - Freelance Copywriter
Your dog can be curled up at your feet while you're in your pajamas and brushing your teeth is optional. You work alone and that's how you'll spend your time so if you can work productively wearing a tutu and that's what you're comfortable in, there's no one stopping you.
