What qualifications do you need to be a copywriter? It doesn’t matter what you are trying to become, whether it is a travel copywriter or an insurance copywriter. There is a common misconception worldwide that you require certain specific qualifications.

The reality of the matter is that there is no specific way of becoming a successful copywriter. However, there are some qualifications you can attain that will help you in improving your writing skills and knowledge of marketing.

It is also possible to create a greater understanding of successful content by using theories accessible on the web. Here are some of the qualifications you could have and content writing theories you can make yourself aware of.

So, what qualifications do you need to be a copywriter? Let’s explore this below:

Qualifications

The UCAS has discovered that having a degree is one desirable qualification for recruiting prospective copywriters. Having a degree in any relevant subject such as communication, English, or marketing may help.

These may give the copywriter a great deal of understanding in some of the essential aspects of copywriting. These include research, working within fixed deadlines, and developing a professional writing style.

Apart from taking up university studies, you may also wish to consider taking up online courses. There are many courses that provide copywriting diplomas after successfully completing the training.

Courses of this type are more likely to be flexible than the ones offered at a university. Due to the various institutions advertising their courses at any point in time, you have to decide which is right for you. This can come down to timeframe required and your budget.

Although many will answer “None” to the question of what qualifications do you need be a copywriter, having a proper qualification in journalism can also help you. This is because many skills from either field overlap, such as the need to have strong written research and communication skills.

But it is significant to keep in mind that these common skills are not applicable. A copywriter’s role revolves more around the marketing and advertising of products and services for the business.

At the same time, a journalist is more concerned about converting the facts into interesting stories catering to a broader audience.

Other qualifications

You can also undertake SEO (Search Engine Optimization) courses because they are pretty helpful for copywriting.

Google processes around 1 billion searches per a month. Therefore, having a greater understanding of SEO copywriting skills is helpful. Understanding the significance of important search terms, is necessary to be able to increase the search engine traffic. This is so you can get more viewers to read your content.

Content theories

Any or all of these qualifications mentioned above are extremely useful for copywriters. But, in many cases, the copywriters can’t acquire these skills easily. There is another way for copywriters to improve their writing skills. This is by using content theories to their advantage.

Several theories can be applied to make your copywriting successful. There is no need to have qualifications to understand and use them. These content theories appear confusing initially, but they outline straightforward ways of making your writing stand out from the rest. Here are the important content theories for improving your content.

AIDA

The full form of AIDA is Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action. Awareness can create brand affiliation and get the clientele to notice the various products and services you are offering.

After creating awareness, you will need to create interest among a sufficient number of customers. You do this by telling them the benefits of using your products. Desire is related to moving the customer from liking to “wanting” the product. Finally, action gets the buyer to interact with your company and buy the product.

Theory of omission

This theory is also referred to as ICEBERG. The term was originally coined by Ernest Hemingway. He realized that there is a case for leaving out a few things from your content.

This is because the audience can fill these gaps in by themselves. The theory of omission is self-explanatory. What you are trying to tell someone is also supported by leaving out certain things. It is called an iceberg because a particular part of an iceberg is submerged.

The iceberg theory point is that if you add too much unnecessary detail, it can distract the audience from the discussion’s main topic. It is significant to note here that this doesn’t mean you can just leave things out. What you have left must be enough to inform the reader with the knowledge of the topic. This leads to more robust content.

Overall, when answering the question, what qualifications do you need to be a copywriter, the answer isn’t straightforward.  I personally do not have a university degree, nor have I done any courses. Yet I am paid handsomely to copywrite for businesses globally.  It’s important to note that talent also plays a large part in the skills of copywriting.

So, if you are looking to become a copywriter, sharpen your skills through courses and university if you need to, or if you are naturally talented like me, then just believe in yourself and go for it.