Sourced from Scholarship Media

I’m a senior in college getting ready to graduate with a degree in English. I’m extremely lucky because I’ve already been offered a job as a junior copywriter at a digital ad agency in Boston. Truth be told, I landed the interview thanks to my uncle, who worked there for years. It’s very exciting.

That being said, I’m also nervous about it because most of my academic experience is in classical literature and creative fiction. In fact, almost all of my best writing is captured in short stories. My roommate, who interned at a PR agency, said that writing for the web is much different.

As I began to do research, I realized she was right. Worse is that writing for the web seems way more technical than I expected, especially what everyone calls “SEO.” It’s obviously too late to take classes for these things. I don’t necessarily know that I’ll be writing for the web but it makes sense to know, right? How should I get started?

You shouldn’t be too worried, since you’ve already been offered a job. The agency is likely to provide you with all the coaching you need, but that shouldn’t stop you from doing research. Taking the initiative will definitely pay off.

The first thing to do is understand the basic difference between copywriting and content writing. As the author explains, copywriting is at its core about selling an idea or an experience directly related to a branded product or service. Content writing is about informing, educating, and/or educating users. Both forms of writing strive to motivate users toward action and/or influence their thought process. Working at a digital ad agency is likely to present opportunities to develop both skills.

Something else to consider is the impact of collaborating with clients for the first time. Whereas client interaction isn’t always necessary with content writing, it’s a major aspect of successful copywriting. An author at Forbes shared five tips for managing client expectations, which are almost universally applicable. The key takeaway is to rely on effective communication. Fortunately, professional copywriting means you’ll have plenty of chances to refine your communication skills.

It’s a wise decision to learn more about search engine optimization (SEO) since it remains an extremely important investment for businesses. And despite what you might have assumed, it’s not all that difficult to understand. A contributing author at Clutch.co succinctly covers the basics in his beginner’s guide to SEO. Everything boils down to website structure and backlink profile. In other words, how a website is designed and organized is just as important as who reads it and decides to cite it as a reliable source. The two are intrinsically related.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a person or group that couldn’t benefit from positive SEO. Thanks to the digital age, businesses can now tap into global talent. For instance, a growing startup based in Singapore could leverage SEO in Brisbane to help them establish a digital presence for a recently launched production facility. It’s possible that you could experience something similar while working at your own digital agency.

The last thing to remember is not to underestimate the value of creative writing. While short stories might seem irrelevant, you’d be surprised how well the experience can translate. Your copywriting career will depend on sharing ideas and people crave a compelling narrative.

Sourced from Scholarship Media